Today I've mostly bin...

[kingsley]

I sometimes lose my mag tricia. What's even more confusing is that there are two other magazines in the house, and it's very easy to get them mixed up!

[Biscuit]

hi tricia

what crafts do you do? I wish I had time - hoping to end this dam course soon so might have time especially as two oldest are going to uni. I used to like Xstitch. Useless at it but loved the counting. Isn't it convenient to have spare copies of the puzzles online for these occasions.

Biscuit

[Looby]

I wish I had brownies who tidied up for me!

[tricia]

I used to knit and x stitch - but not able to do theat now because of arthrits in my fingers - I tried bobbin lace and managed some bookmarks - unfortunately the bobbins are too much a distraction to Olly who just plays with the bobbins and ties me in knots.

So I now try some Card making and I now have some 50 cards to sell at work in aid of McMillan Cancer nurse.

Persevere with the course Biscuit - it will all be worth while in the end -I know I did an OU science degree

Tricia

[Biscuit]

wow a science degree - i would have loved that but not much good at science. cse grade 2 chemistry.

I am doing a business one as I work in business and it is very useful althought a lot more work than I thought. I didn't do v good at school only 3 cse grade 1 and a grade 2 and 4 but I am trying hard - my essays take a long time but I passed the level 1 course last year and so far on my level two course the lowest mark has been 70% which is much better than I thought i would do - must be all the brain exercise with puzzlebrains!!

I certainly appreciate all the work involved for my oldest two who are studying at uni.

Just had brilliant news. My mum has stepped in and said to my dad that as my son has been quite ill I should take holidays off from work to make sure someone is always there for him. That would be brilliant - I just feel so guilty if I am not giving 110% at work and dad has always said I need to work 44 hours a week which with three children is pretty hard going. Perhaps I can work from home. fingers crossed.

Rambling on a bit here excuse me.

Biscuit

[tricia]

Hope you son gets better soon - Is it not possibe to get time off from work at the moment because of his illness - surely its not against business needs to keep you at work whilst stressed

Your results are excellent - Well Done
Tricia

[Biscuit]

family business is pretty stressed as well. My son is well - just probably needs a lot more of my time and attention than I am giving him. Perhaps this is a wake up call. but each time I have mentioned this my mum has usually said "well your'e dad is 78 and he is still working full time and the weekends and evenings ". so it is pretty hard to complain especially when she mentions dad's heart problems and I don't want him under too much stress. Brother and sister are not of the same mind.

It is difficult but perhaps things will change now.

Biscuit

[Bunnylump]

You are in a difficult situation there, Biscuit. But just sometimes you do need to put yourself and your son first, don't you? I hope everything works out for you. And yes, well done indeed on the results so far. That is truly impressive.

BB, your day sounds blissful. I'm just hoping your client doesn't end up with answers to the puzzle by mistake...


Today, I've mostly bin...completing the nightmare timetabling for all my staff. So now I can get on with all the OTHER stuff which has been building up without having people continously coming and pestering me "You're not putting me in there with THAT lot / THAT teacher / THAT subject, are you??" I finally managed to shut them up by showing them the hideous selection I've given MYSELF. Which includes...wait for it... A LEVEL PHYSICS with a savant and year 11 single science with a class containing 10 special needs pupils including one with a reading age of 6, and a girl who has just moved here from Africa who doesn't speak English. Still, I'm always up for a challenge. Anyway, timetables done, sleeves rolled up, and in we go!!

Oh, and btw if anyone read that recent carp about Teaching Assistants making pupils perform worse... All I can say is that they must have asked teachers who hadn't used / directed them properly. Of COURSE the teacher is the specialist, which is why it is essential that they don't leave the "difficult" pupils in a corner with a Teaching Assistant. What they need to do is to employ proper professionalism, plan properly, in consultation with the TA, and then FANTASTIC results are achievable. And it might not just be in academic results. It might be, e.g. making a school refuser attend school, improving social skills or interaction with other people, improvements in self confidence, anger management, etc. etc. etc. That report just made me seethe. They had asked the opinion of teachers - who in my opinion should be ashamed of themselves. They have abdicated responsibility for THEIR jobs and then blamed the fall out on the TAs. RANT RANT RANT >Back off soap box<.

[Biscuit]

Didn't see the report you mention but I think that you certainly make a difference to your pupils. You have proof of that. Don't know how I would manage the demands of a savant. I watched a prog on it once and it was all about how they saw in extreme detail.

You are right re my son and he will become more of a priority; it has just been difficult with my dad and not wanting him under any pressure. We had a good chat when he was in hospital. I think that although it looks like teenagers dont want to chat they do really. He's a lovely boy, just needs a bit of extra attention which should be easier as he will be the only child left at home.

I might be asking you for some advice. have taken on board that it is v different when it is your own child. He was explaining that he never says he hasn't done his homework as he will get detetion but instead pretends he has computer problems, disorganised etc so they just give him more time or get him to do it in his lunch time. As a parent it is v difficult to get an email from school saying "I understand they Josh hasn't done his homework because of the problems you have with your computer" - do I shop him or just pretend we had a problem.!!

are you falling into the same trap as me in that you are taking on all the jobs that the others do not want to do.....

Biscuit

[Bunnylump]

Biscuit I am pming you.

And yes, I do end up taking some of the more difficult challenges. But I quite like it that way. My speciality is working with the real "naughties". I think I identify with them because I was such a nightmare myself at school. (They tried to expel me twice) .

[tricia]

Just popped in to get some last minute hints - puzzle magazine packed - extra prints of puzzles packed - Im off to Holland for a birthday party at the Hague.
Flight time 6am Saturday morning - party starts 2.30 saturday afternoon - pause for a Boat Trip then continue party in another part of th Hague in the evening - no time for sleep or puzzles
Monday off to Nordwjk( I think that's how you spell it) to see some Sand Sculptures, much quieter day on Tuesday(I hope) Return to Clydebank Wednesday - Sleep all day Thursday then maybe try to do some puzzling Friday
Tricia

[maisie ladybird]

Wow, it sounds like you're going to be busy for a while - hope you have a good trip

[Laura]

Well, last night I went to the most bizarre theatrical production I've ever seen (and trust me, I've seen some odd things)! My friend bought a job-lot of tickets for different ballet productions, I think to see with her mum. However, mum didn't want to go see this one.

Dracula, the ballet!!! Wierdest thing ever! The dancing and staging were extremely impressive. The story was just wierd - well, what I could make of the story anyway. And the music was very bi-tonal for a lot of it. In the nice bits, the music was lovely, but some of the rest of it, I wanted to put my fingers in my ears!! However, it has convinced me that I might like to go see a 'normal' ballet sometime!

[giraffe]

(Dracula the ballet)

[Bunnylump]

I've only ever been to see one ballet in my life - thing was it was the Kirov Ballet doing Swan Lake. So probably anything else will be a bit tame after that! (Even if I did put my back out as we went into the theatre, and couldn't sit down, so watched the whole thing LYING on the steps)!!

...I have a self inflicted headache from my nephew's 18th birthday party yesterday. Today I have people coming round (in about 3 hours) who have been invited for cake for my daughter's birthday (which was on Friday). Better go and make them really. (HOW do I have a daughter who is 22??? )

[Scurra]

For about seven years we lived almost opposite Sadler's Wells Theatre in London and as a result I went to quite a few dance/ballet shows there through buying cheap "stand-by" tickets on the day.

The best Ballet I ever saw there was the original production of Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake (the one where he had male dancers doing the swans.) But it does only really work if you have seen the "proper" version often enough to appreciate quite how clever he is being.

[MBH]

(HOW do I have a daughter who is 22??? )

Well..... about 22-and-three-quarter years ago...

Today I've mostly bin... about 65-miles North towards Berwick to visit the Chain Bridge Honey Farm. Not keen on honey myself, but OH and friend headed up there - facinating display of the facts, history, and oddities about bees, honey, etc. (Including the sheet music opened up to The Bee Song )

http://www.chainbridgehoney.co.uk/

Wandered across the Chain Bridge as well, which has England on our side, and Welcome to Scotland on the other. So - almost out of the country

[Scurra]

...trying not to drop my nephew...

[Wulfruna]

And managing very well..... although the poor little mite was at first clearly puzzled by this new and mysterious hairy visage
He is just learning to recognise faces and beams broadly when smiled at - which is totally irresistable

[gill216]

Can't wait to hear what happens when little one's co-ordination sets in. That beard will be get some tugging at