Still sorting

out my life and my scrap room!

Back to work at the nursery today, hopefully for the last week. For a change they let me go in with the wee babes this afternoon, which was very different.

I am also still sorting stash. I have run out of Asda boxes and having already bought 12 thought I better do something about usinding some of the stuff I already have. I am not an altering person but I have some really strong gift boxes that have nothing wrong with them apart from being the wrong colour theme for the room (blue with silver snowflakes). They are perfect for storing my ribbons so I have painted them and hopefully will get some photos up tomorrow.

July break

We have just had a break away for 5 days in flood wrecked Gloustershire. We had been invited to the wedding of two of the people who worked with Martin when he was out on conversion so decided to make a bit of a midweek break of it.
We booked in at the Wyndham Arms in Clearwell for two nights as the couple were having the whole thing at Clearwell Castle and this hotel was in walking distance, meaning we would not have to worry about drink/driving or taxis.
Then we decided that since we had never been to the Forest of Dean we would go down on Monday (wedding on Wednesday) to have a look at some of the tourist sites. So we booked a nights stay in B&B at Symons Yat.
We were a little concerned when reports of the flooding started to come in but not enough to have the sense to phone ahead and make sure our accommodation was still available. To be honest, although not taking anything away from any of the many many poor people effected by the disaster, it obviously wasn't as widespread as the news reports would have us believe. The way it was being reported, the whole of the county was underwater but we drove round most of the Forest of Dean, Monmothshire and the Ross/Wye valley and only saw one flooded road sign, which had actually been left up from the month before when the river had broken its banks locally.

Fast flowing water but no flooding

The heavens opened and continued to rain on us for most of Monday so we didn't actually get to see any of the attractions we wanted to see, but our B&B was brilliant, we were the only ones staying there and so had very personal service, a really comfy self contained room and a fab breakfast with heaps of trimmings. The sun shone for a bit so we did the self drive tour of the Forest and then went off to the Wyndham Arms on the Tuesday.
OK I am sorry if anyone knows anyone from the WA's but Martin reckons it was the worst hotel he has ever stayed in (and he's been in a few while out on conversion for 18 months) so take what you can from that and I shall say no more about it.

The conversion team

The wedding was lovely but very long, there was food and more food and even more food so we were stuffed full and very tired by the end of the day. It finally stopped raining for the fireworks - although I had given up with the camera by then so didnt get any pics of them, and Martin's friends were good company.
On Thursday we had arranged to travel into deepest darkest Wales to stay with my friend and former TA Judy for the night, not realising just how far it was. 3 hours later we arrived at her gaff. 6 years ago her and her son and daughter-in-law bought a cottage, which consisted of little more than 4 walls and a rotting roof intending to do it up. It is really out in the sticks, just this one house, no bus route, no more than a mile long muddy lane to get to it and fields, flora, sheep and a river for company. Sadly circumstances mean the place still hasnt been finished, most of the interior work still needs doing, and I think Martin was a bit taken aback by the 'rough' and 'ready' way we had to live for that one night, but Judy really loves the country life. I take my hat off to her because as a woman the wrong side of 60 she is out in all weathers, chopping her own firewood and dragging it home from the woods, fighting the wild woods for her little veggie plot and living the kind of hard life many of us left behind with the computer/techno revolution.
8 hours to get home because of the amount of accidents on the M20 and the comfort of our own bed makes you wonder why you go away but when I download the few photos I took I know there are going to be lots of good bits to remember and enjoy reminsing about.

Pets

I was a tad worried when Kelly posted on her blog about the 4th wedding she had been to this year - thinking "4 weddings and a funeral" and my premanition was correct, she phoned at the weekend to tell me the her Rabbit had passed on -:( . Coupled with Laura's rat problem I waited for the third thing.

I didnt have to wait tooo long, last night when I got in from work it was to the sad news that my dad's faithful four legged friend had had to be put to sleep. They have had Ben Charlie dog for 12 of his 13 years and dad dotted on him. He had got to the stage where he was overweight, covered in fat lumps and suffering from exthma but he still seemed happy enough and tried to gamble about like a puppy when he was pleased to see visitors. However a tumour on the liver is not something an old dog can fight off and so we wish him well on his journey across rainbow bridge.

This evening Kelly is off to Wales for her FIFTH wedding of the year so I have to go mind her animals tomorrow, and then Monday we are off to the Forest of Dean, the wedding we are going to there being on Wednesday. Then we are going to Wales to see my friend Judy.

Rats!

The kids have seen rats in the garden of their new house!

Gone for good?

Well thats it, both girls have finally moved out and onwards (although there are still a few bits of Laura's stuff about the place). You would think that Hubby and I would have lots of time to spend with each other with just the two of us here now but I have been so busy cleaning up after the lack of any practical housework during the puppy period, and Martin has been so busy at work. They are loosing an Assistant Manager so top team will consist of only 2 during the holiday period not the usual four, making for long days and tired husbands. He was doing quite well on giving up the weed too but this week has seen him back up to 5/6 a day :(

The nursery are still begging me to stay on, and Kelly is hankering for me to leave work and register as a child minder. Doesn't seem a bad idea but I have looked at the LEA site and it makes no sense to me whatsoever. It seems to send me round in circles.

I have now got the scrap room back into some semblance of order - still quite a few bellies to put into boxes but at least the table is clear and I have scrapped!!! Nothing exciting, only the other sides of some doubles for Kelly's wedding album. I want to get a fair way with it before we go up to the Forest of Dean next week. We are off to a wedding of someone Martin used to be on the Safeway/Morrison conversion team with, then we are going to make a bit of a holiday out of it and go see my old TA and friend in Wales so I would like to take the album with me to show her.

Story of my life!

Ever since I started my teacher training - and the reason I trained for 3-8 year olds and not 5-8's was because ultimately I wanted to be in charge of my own nursery. Not an easy ambition because those of you who have children to educate in Kent will know what a diverse system for pre-school care/education there is in the county, and there are very few proper Nurseries even now. 16 years ago the situation was even worse, but in the final year of my TT the LEA opened 5 state run Nurseries. They opened only a few months too soon for our year group to apply, but it gave us all hope that more would follow.

Sadly this didn't happen and it is only now, following on from Every Child Matters that Children's centres, Nurseries attached to Schools and Surestart centres are springing up.

So last week I applied to a Children's centre attached to a School that was just starting up for the job of Teacher in Charge. On paper I had everything they wanted so I wasn't surprised when the Manageress of the Nursery I am supplying in told me she had received a request for references from them. Excited I rushed home to re-read the advert. I was rather surprised to see the ad stated the interview date was for the very next day. yet I hadn't heard from them. Why ask for references then? Had they printed the wrong date in the ad?

So I waited...and waited..and then concluded that having got my references they hadn't short listed me.

Today I got a hand delivered envelope, containing heaps of info on the Centre plus an invite to an interview ...... on 5Th July!!!!!!!

I have phoned them, (just in case I should ever want to apply to them again and not wanting them to think that I just hadn't bothered turning up) and they told me the Head was meant to put it through my door herself on 4Th July.

Oh oops!!!!!!!

They are meant to be ringing me back. Not that they can do anything about it now.

Do you think heads may roll?

And this just about sums up the story of my life!!

Life changes.

Or at least I have a plan!

The kids have announced that TONIGHT they will deffo be moving into their own house, so that will be a major change. I think they actually mean it this time as last night I took them to Asda and bought them a barrow load of basic goodies to fill the kitchen shelves with. I shall miss having the two of them around. I shant miss having the dog tearing up the house, he is welcome to leave though!

All this means I can finally get the house sorted out. I have made a start in the craft room, removing the hanging pockets from the walls and storing all my bits and bats in those wonderful Asda sorting trays (£1.97 for a compartmented plastic box, fantastic for storage of little things). Nearly all the wire cub storage is fixed together and I intend (eventually) to 'alter' all the storage boxes to the same colour, and make fancy labels for everything, including my albums so I can find everything easily.

Then it will be the great furniture move, some things (like the pc) into the craft room, somethings into the 'guest' bedroom (cant really call it Laura's room any more,) and then a new wardrobe for our room. After which I want to hire a carpet cleaner and get all the carpets cleaned. Alongside spring cleaning the whole house and touching up all the paintwork. So just a small job then.

Someone came round to look at the Nursery for the permenant job yesterday so the other change will be for me to get signed up with a few agencies and to start putting my cv around the local schools.

And one other change - I hope - a new thinner me, as I have started my WW diet AGAIN today. Just off to go get my bowl of cornflakes now.

No job

The Nursery finally got themselves organised enough to tell me they are going to advertise for a permenant position for the job I am covering as supply. I was invited to write in if I wanted to be considered, I would not need to sit a formal interview though.

So after due consideration (30 seconds) I have written and told them I do not want the permenant job. I am now going to get myself signed up on all the supply agency lists and see where that takes me. To the realms of poverty I should think.

On another note, we suddenly realised on Tuesday evening that my car should have been for its MOT, so it had to be rapidly booked in and poor Laura (who is suffering from a heavy cold) would have to take me to work and pick me up. Anyway the sickly car had to have quite a bit (nearly £300) of work done to it so ended up being in the garage for two days.

Luckily we didnt drive it to Westward shopping then. It was Laura's birthday on Tuesday so I took her out to buy her a birthday pressy. She really needs heaps of cloths but refuses to spend her money on anything but the house so I insisted she had an actual present from us. Had we thought of it earlier we could have all chipped in together to get her some GHD's but as it was Smiths were doing a 3 for 2 deal on every book in the shop so we spent a delightful hour choosing books for her. This may not seem a big deal but as a dyslexic she has not really been as into books as I would like, so it was lovely to see her struggling to choose just 3. We could have both spent a fortune in there. As it was she chose a Gary Rhodes cook book (on the basis it was the right size for the kitchen shelf and would look funky) Ronnie Corbet's autobiography and a novel. I restrained myself as I had already ordered Delia Smiths Pudding collection from The Book People at work and am looking forward to the last Harry Potter in a fortnights time.

I am also nearly there with the craft room. I need to buy some Tuff boxes for my rubber stamps but my 12x12 cropper hopper's turned up so its just a case of tidying it all away now.