Life Update

We've been lucky enough to share quite a few dinners with friends and family recently. Some of them are people we see almost every week at church and yet never really catch up with, and we've really been appreciating the time to spend together. Today we had friends over and even managed to get out after lunch for a walk in the sunshine and a long chat which was lovely.

We've been making plans for the future as well. Looking at various houses, thinking about buying our own place. It's such an exciting idea, and something we'd both love to do. Our current place has been perfect, but we would love to get started on decorating and furnishing our own place - somewhere with a garden and room for our little family to grow. It's a daunting prospect - whichever house we decide to commit to won't be perfect and there will be things that we can't change about it. Equally, it's such an exciting adventure to be starting out on.

I've been offered a place on a masters course next year, which I'm really excited about. It's great to have a plan. The only possible hitch is that it is quite a small course so I'm just praying they will have enough people signed up to run it.

I'm loving my childminding job - I've been looking after three children for a family from church. They are wonderful kids and so much fun. I've had some lovely conversations with them, especially when reading with the littlest one. And the older two make fantastic hot chocolates.


I have so many dreams in my mind at the moment - houses and decorating, craft and painting, dates and trips, studying and business. I also have a lot to look forward to and be excited about.

Life is good and it is exciting to think about what is coming. I feel like we're rounding a corner and bits and pieces of the future are coming into view. It might all change, and that's fine but sometimes the glimpses are reassuring and tantalising.

Learning

Elysa at Gen Pink posted the Learn Something Every Day website recently. I love it - the random facts, the colours and the drawings.


Given that I'm currently spending my days at a primary school, I especially love the last one. That is why my head sometimes feels like it's spinning.

My Life is One Third Food?

Should I be concerned that eight out of my twenty four September photos are of food or drink? Or should I just face the fact that I am very interested in food and move on?


Oh well, I love my September collage. So many good memories in there. I have an impression of it being a less than easy month - being ill and having school related struggles but there was a lot of good stuff in there too. A lot of time with T. A lot of craft. And, ok, a lot of food.

October, I'm looking forward to you already. I'm going to be less rigid in my photo taking but hopefully I'll have another collage at the end to remind me of the best bits.

Last night T and I went babysitting. At this house, the babysitters are always well looked after - food and drinks are left out for you on a tray in the kitchen. The seven year old had added something to it yesterday:


{Please don't eat all the minstrels please leave some for the CHILDREN}

Today: packing for our weekend visiting the family, and some shopping. Have a good weekend!

Plans

I meant to post earlier, I really did. But then I ended up ill on Thursday and asleep most of Friday which wasn't part of the plan. This also meant I missed some photos this week. Also not part of the plan. Never mind, hoping that the last week of September will go better...

So I called some schools on Monday and ended up with a totally mixed bag of responses. I had a meeting today but the school is really too far to go to just for work experience and she said they didn't have the money for a GTP student. So there we go. I'm feeling a bit disheartened with it all - if I could drive things would be a lot easier and I could widen the area I'm looking for schools in. But I can't so for now I'm limited by that.

Apart from the ill and in bed bits, last week was good. I made some cards, we had a home group social playing games, I went to Besom, and on Saturday night we went to a charity fundraising dinner which was fun.

Here are the photos, I can't believe September is almost over...

Day 21:


Day 22:


Day 23:


Day 28:

These Little Things

Life has been made up of lots of very different things this week. The GTP (Graduate Teacher Programme) meeting on Tuesday was good, and more useful than I'd expected. I came away feeling that this was something I really wanted to do, better informed...but still facing the same obstacles.

Hurdle Number One: I need to find a school that will take me to do the training for a year.

Hurdle Number Two: I need to then apply to the university. They get three applicants for each place on the course.

So I've made some enquiries to some schools. I emailed four asking to come in and volunteer, and have heard back a "no" from one. So next week I start telephoning. At the moment I'm working on trusting God with this and trying not to feel overwhelmed and terrified.

I had a fantastic day on Monday with a friend who came up for the day. We talked (almost non-stop) for the seven hours she was here, had a lovely lunch out and a very peaceful walk in the woods. She is getting married in a couple of months and I am so excited for her! I'm also a little excited for me - I get to take my camera to her wedding and take squillions of photographs. Everybody wins.

This week I have been creating, and it has made me very happy...
{Christmas Cards - not because I'm crazy and looking forward to Christmas already. Although I am. Just because I'm anticipating having less time as the weeks go by.}


{Anniversary Weekend Mini Book}


Photos

Photo 16:


Photo 17:


Photo 18:



This weekend
Fun with friends, a relaxed morning with my husband, food, sunshine (please?), photos, walks, church, lunch out with friends. Oh so many good things, which will start in about five minutes when T gets home from work. That's when my weekend really starts.

An Adventure!

We had a lovely weekend away in Sussex, a very perfect anniversary celebration! We got down there late on Friday night, after some slightly terrifying driving down narrow country lanes. We got there in time for dinner, which was amazing! I had fishcake, lamb and pannacotta - and T had risotto, duck and crumble. We could barely move by the end of the meal, so it was lovely only having to go upstairs afterwards.


On Saturday we walked along the river into Arundel, which has the prettiest fairytale castle ever. You can see it for miles off.


When we got there, we looked around some art and craft exhibitions and then looked around the castle gardens. It was so pretty - so I'm going to let the pictures show you...





{This one is my Day 12 photo}



The garden had these strange flower sculptures in one area...



We wandered around Arundel, looking in some antiques shops before we got to our favourite place - Crown Chocolates and Fudge. This tiny shop sold us two of the most delicious ice creams ever (lemon for me, maple walnut for T) and a big bag of fudge which we munched on as we walked back along the river.

We played croquet and other games back at the hotel before going to the "honesty bar" in the drawing room for beer and pimms. Our three course dinner was every bit as delicious as the night before - the steak I had was even better than Friday's lamb. I would go back just for the food.

We checked out on Sunday morning and then went for another walk along the river, and saw lots of wildlife. {This is Day 13's photo.}


As we were driving home we noticed a banner advertising...


a life sized lego house!

I'm making a mini book of the trip at the moment and I'm determined to finish it.

As for the photos from days 14 and 15 - I failed. I didn't take any on either day. I just didn't get around to it, I have no excuse. But I did get to spend Monday catching up with a friend from uni which was fantastic, and I went to a GTP meeting yesterday which is real, proper progress on the career front. But I didn't take any pictures. I will try to get back doing it.

Proverbs, Photos, Plans

Proverbs 4:20-23

My child, pay attention to what I say;
listen closely to my words.
Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;
for they are life to those who find them
and health to a man's whole body.
Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.

Photos

Day 8:


Day 9:


Day 10:


Day 11:


Plans

Weekend away. Romantic. A Georgian House. Him and me. A mini-book.

Weddings in the future. RSVP-ed this morning. Cards to be made.

Next week - visit from a friend. Besom. Teacher training course meeting. Other meetings.

Endings

This week has been a lot of fun, but also a bit sad. On Wednesday I had my last afternoon session, and my last lunch with the five little boys I have been dining with on Mondays and Wednesdays. These kids are so cool, I am going to miss them so much. This week they were right on form - they made me laugh so much. One of them looked out of the window and said, "Do you think it's going to rain?" (He was a bit worried because we had some sports day races planned for the end of the session.) I told him I thought it would stay dry and he responded: "No, it's going to rain. I'm Michael Fish!" This reference is probably lost on any non-UK readers but Michael Fish was a BBC weatherman about twenty two years ago. He is most famous for announcing that there certainly wasn't a storm on the way, just before a massive storm hit the UK. How does a three year old even know who Michael Fish is?!

Anyway it was pretty sad to see them leave as I probably won't see most of them again. And today we have the last morning session of the term - with the older children. Hopefully the weather will hold off again and we can have some sports day races. It's a week of endings...

...but I'm sure God has a beginning planned for me too.

Ants

At playgroup today I was cleaning a table top after a bout of very enthusiastic cupcake icing. Two little girls came over and when I explained what I was doing and why I had to do it before I came outside they wanted to help. So I sprayed the cleaner on the table and gave them some kitchen roll to help.

Little Girl 1: I'm helping. I'm being very helpful aren't I?

Me: You are, yes. You both are.

Little Girl 2: I'm cleaning really hard. Otherwise the ants will come in.

LG1 (losing interest big time): Do you like my top? It's very pretty isn't it?

Me: Yes it is. And yes, LG2, we don't want any ants do we?

LG2: No. They will eat the table.

Me: The table? I'm not sure ants eat tables.

LG2: They do. And it'll make them FAT.

Me: Well we don't want fat ants do we?

LG1: I like your hair bobble.

Birthday Weekend!

We spent this weekend with my family. We mostly played games and talked and ate yummy food so I don't have too many pictures to share. But there was birthday cake...


...and cupcakes!


Shiv came over and we played more games. I got lots of lovely presents - two beautiful bags...



...some crafty excitingness...


...some books, a CD, some jewellery and a DVD. It was all very lovely and relaxing - it felt like a mini holiday. Spending my birthday weekend with my parents, sisters and husband (and a little bit with Shiv) was the best part. It was perfect.

Today we are back home and at work. It is hot. Sizzlingly boilingly hot. As in small children sat wilting under trees this afternoon. I realise it isn't hot compared to Asia or Africa but still - we live in England! We are not used to this kind of heat. Think of the small children who were not coping well with it.

T is making fruit smoothies now, the perfect end to a hot day!

Report

So I did it. I printed my CV and letter and went to hand them in at the school. I spoke to the Deputy Head who took my CV to pass on to the headteacher, but said that probably the school is too small to give me enough experience to do the GTP there. So I'm not holding out too much hope.

The really wonderful thing is that my prayers were answered. Not the "please let this work out" ones. But the "if this isn't right, please help me to accept it" ones. Because I walked out, after what was pretty much "no" and didn't feel like a hopeless failure at getting a job. I was disappointed. But after T and I got home, he made me tea, I told him what happened, he hugged me, I decided not to get depressed and cry. If the teaching plan is right, then it will happen. (I have a few other routes to pursue.) If it's not, something else that is right will happen.

The important thing isn't that my plan broke. Having a job or a plan doesn't make you a grown-up. I have a job now. I had a job when I was sixteen - it didn't make me a grown up then and it still doesn't now. What was grown-up is that I tried even though it was scary and might not go to plan. And when it didn't go to plan, I decided to try again.

The best thing is that T knows exactly how to make me feel better. He encourages me and supports me. And he knows exactly what to say to take my mind off it...

Overactive Imagination?

Reading a story with one little boy this afternoon he came out with some fantastic claims...

"I used to do ballet when I was a girl."

Two minutes later...

"I used to do boxing when I was big."

I was given loads of kiddie-cuddles this afternoon, it was lovely. I've just been editing my CV and writing a covering letter. Tomorrow I'm going [to stop being chicken* and] go to the school I want to do the GTP with. Tonight I will be praying hard. I'm a little [a lot] scared because it feels like it's better to have a plan than risk putting the plan into action and then having it break. Does that make sense? Any sense at all?

*I'm so so not ready to be a grown-up.

Odds and Ends

This week has been made up of lots of small pieces - there's nothing major to tell but here are a few highlights...

• I telephoned someone the other day at Besom but hung up when there was no reply. A moment later she called back and I began to ask her about what she needed. "I'm not sure right now," she said. "I'm actually in labour at the moment!"
  
• Our plants are doing well since my gardening session last weekend - the strawberry runners are planted and a tiny pot plant has burst into pretty white flowers.
• We saw T's parents last Sunday. His mum got back from a trip to China last week and brought us a present. I cooked sweet and sour chicken with egg fried rice for dinner on Monday and we used them. They're so pretty!

Look Around

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around every once in a while, you could miss it.” - Feris Bueller

A couple of posts have caught my eye recently - this quote was in one by Sam at Life is Like A Box of Chocolates. There are often milestones we strive for, things we hope to achieve and places we want to get to. When I was at secondary school I couldn't wait to leave and go to university. But looking back I wonder if I fully appreciated the time I had there with those friends. In my third year of university I was looking forward (understandably) to getting married and living with T. Looking back, although tried to enjoy the time I had living with the girls, I probably didn't always appreciate it.

Recently I decided to do the graduate teacher programme. I wanted to start as soon as possible, to get on with it. It's pretty clear now that I won't be able to start in January, I'll have to wait until September 2010. When I stop and think this is probably better for me. I'll have to learn to be a bit more patient, sure. But I will have time to find the right school and the right mentor for me. I will also have time to do more work at Besom which I love.

At the 20-something stage of life, there are always milestones we long to reach - whether it is in our career (new job, new qualification, new promotion) or personal life (marriage, buying a home, having babies). Sometimes we forget that life isn't just the huge milestones, it's the little bits in between as well. I want to try to appreciate how life is now, and be happy with it. Being happy with how things are rather than focusing on how you want them to be is such a skill. Kayla Aimee wrote recently about this - that sometimes, you have to choose to be happy.

So I'm working on being patient. On appreciating having to wait. On thanking God for the life I have right now. I don't want to look back on this time, which actually is pretty perfect, and wish I'd appreciated it more. I'm going to trust that a career, a house of our own and children will come when we're ready, and when God is ready. And I'm going to appreciate the journey.

Blowing in the Wind

There are a lot of things going on at the moment, and there are a lot of feelings and thoughts going round my head and heart.

I'm exhausted - we had a great (energetic) time at playgroup this afternoon. We had a parachute out and the kids loved it. Have you ever seen a three year old cry with laughter? He was just bubbling over with joy. It was wonderful.

I'm praying - it seems like a lot of people are having hard times at the moment. Whether its exams, job troubles or personal struggles, I'm thinking of you and praying for you.

I'm scared and excited - I've decided to train as a teacher. I'd really like to do a course starting in January because I've been doing a lot of "floating" since graduation and I want to get going with something. That means I need to talk a school into taking me on, and do the whole application process before the 5th of June. I will be talking to a couple of headteachers tomorrow. Please pray!

I'm hopeful - that my driving licence will come this week. Then T can start taking me out driving. It's only been three years since I last drove. Did I say hopeful? I meant petrified.

I'm happy - T and I spent a great day out at the Science Museum for his birthday on Saturday and I spent most of Sunday afternoon on the phone to my family and Shiv. Lots of laughter, lots of catching up.

I'm looking forward - this bank holiday weekend we're going to visit my family for three whole days, partly to celebrate Mum's birthday. Then I also get to spend some time with Lulu - which means a good few hours of the West Wing, a great lunch and lots of catching up.

Psalm 139 just came to mind. It's one of my favourite chapters at the moment and this bit is especially wonderful...

O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.
You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
Psalm 139 v. 1-10.

Escapea

I like Jelly Babies A LOT. I could disappear a whole pack in less than half an hour. Easily. I always eat the legs first and my sisters and I used to say that was so they couldn't run away. If you were eating the head first it was so they "couldn't scream for help".

At lunch with the kids yesterday, one of the little boys had a gingerbread man. The others found it highly amusing when the gingerbread man lost his legs so I told them it was good - now he couldn't run away. The little boy eating the biscuit looked at me, thought for a second and then said, "Yes, he can. He can just sit on a horse and it will carry him away. Or he might use his arms as leggers."

Of course. I'd never have thought of food using arms as leggers. I'll just have to start eating my Jelly Babies whole.

Show and "Tell"

One of the things I'd really looked forward to about working at the playgroup was that they do Show and Tell. I never did this as a child and I'd envisaged children bringing in beautiful shells found on their holidays, pet rabbits and red shoes. (I read that last one in a story once.)

Sadly the reality of modern day Show and Tell is very much removed from this...I've seen more plastic boats and trucks than shells. The closest we got to a pet rabbit was a slug (today). And as for red shoes - instead I've had yet more plastic trucks.

So the Show part has been a bit of a downer. The "Tell" usually isn't much better - when asked "What do you have to show today?" most children have to have a good think before (after prompting) they mumble "A truck." It's not what I'd imagined.

But today's Show and Tell was quite amusing. The slug was thrust in the faces of most of the other children by its fascinated owner. There was also a cricket bat and ball - "I know that sport - baseball!" was the first guess. Not sure where that came from as we live in England but ok. Another girl brought in a book about butterflies prompting an animated discussion which culminated with this story from a very excited boy...


"My mum..." [Long Pause]

"Yes...?"

"My mum....Her mum..."

"Your grandma?"

"No! My Nana. My Nana...when we went to her house - I saw a baby caterpillar."

It's gripping stuff. It really is. Prizes and glory* for the first person who can tell me which book this caterpillar is from.

*Actually just glory. There's no prize.

A Lovely Weekend

Six people filled up our little house this weekend. We spent Saturday enjoying some beautiful weather and scenery with a long walk around the park...


We had a late lunch and dropped by a local artists exhibition. We were a bit late so we only got a quick glance at the paintings before they started to clear up, but it was fun anyway. The girls had some school work to do so T and I introduced Mum and Dad to our 3D Settlers of Catan set (a wedding present from some friends). We had Chinese takeaway for dinner. On Sunday we went to church and then came back for roast dinner and an afternoon of playing games.

It was lovely to spend a whole weekend with my family, just relaxing. Last year when we'd see them there was often wedding planning/discussion to be done - this year we don't have anything to do but catch up and enjoy ourselves. It really felt like a holiday, a very lovely weekend...

Today we are back to work after the Easter holidays. I'll drop by Besom before I have to go to my first afternoon session of playgroup. It's a beautifully sunny day, and as we only have a week at work before we're off on holiday again I'm feeling very relaxed.

Planets

Everything has changed since we were young. And by everything I mean that Pluto is no longer classified as a planet. The world isn't too different then. I did have an interesting conversation with a boy at playgroup today though...

"My brother and I have a club in his bedroom. A planets club."

Really? This is a great opportunity to steer a conversation away from Ben 10 and...well, Ben 10*. So I ask what the planet club does...

"We look at planets."

OK, that was a dumb question - which planets do you look at?

"Heaven. Gryffindor. And Ranus!"

Ahh, how times have changed.


*Really, this is all "kids these days" talk about. If you aren't clued up on Ben 10, lucky you. I really hope this programme has stopped by the time I have children.

Bossy Boots

Yesterday I mentioned that one of the girls had made me laugh at playgroup. A couple of the boys were dashing around in the main hall - they're not supposed to run inside but had plenty of space as most children had gone outside so we were letting it go. However the little girl I was sitting with made her feelings about sticking to the rules quite clear in a scarily accurate imitation of one of the teachers....

"Booooooooooooooys! We do not run indoors. If we want to run we must go outside!"

They completely ignored her and she repeated it very loudly every few minutes. It's always funny when children pick up expressions and phrases from adults. It must be quite scary as a parent when you're suddenly shown what you sound like.

I was at a school doing work experience a few months ago and remember a hand writing session when one child who usually struggled was concentrating really hard and doing really well. The very bright and well behaved child next to him turned round half way through the session and said "Well done, that is some beeeeeaaaauuutiful writing. You've been working very hard and I'm very pleased." Teacher in the making there I think...