Thursday 26 June 2008

Tiredness

In conversation with friends tonight, I was trying to remember a certain word. I know exactly what it means. I can think of other words which mean the same. But I can't bring to mind this particular word.

It stumped one of my friends as well. Both of us knew exactly what we were thinking of. Neither of us could remember.

I'll probably remember at 1 o'clock in the morning, or some such time.

I can't remember because I'm tired. It's activity week at school. I'm enjoying being with different children from normal. It's good fun. But it's VERY tiring.

Apart from the hectic, full-on atmosphere that comes with being with dozens of active little boys, I've been on my feet, non-stop, for up to six hours or more at a time. Even a cup of coffee, or lunch, has been taken on the run. We've been to Jersey Zoo; scraped glue off hundreds of tiny tiles and then made mosaics with them; run around our medieval castle at dangerous speeds; gone ten-pin bowling; made sand sculptures on the beach.

The weather has been beautiful: hot and sunny, with a strong, cooling breeze.

Much as I've loved this week for it's variety and fun, I'm glad it's Friday tomorrow!

(PS: the word was oxymoron. How simple was that?!)

Saturday 21 June 2008

Friends, daughters and sisters

Sometimes I don't know how to 'label' people. Not that I particularly like to do that, but it IS convenient sometimes.

This week I've met with a number of different women, all who need labels.

My sister-in-law and my niece came to stay for a couple of days. I have three sisters-in-law, but how to describe them? The one who came to stay is the sister-in-law who 'lives in Kenya and is a Christian'. Then there is my sister-in-law, more than a decade younger than I am, who is the most perfect little mother to her two young sons. And another, highly intelligent mother of teenagers who runs her own business and copes bravely with her widowhood. There is no way of accurately and succinctly 'labelling' them.

Today I went to a women's breakfast, hosted by another church with a nationally acclaimed speaker. I was with sisters-in-Christ: one very close friend from my own church, others from my church and yet other 'sisters' from other churches on the island, some of whom I knew, some I didn't.

With me was the 'Dottie' and her best friend.

But how do I describe the best friend Mary?

Mary has been on holiday with us several times. She is so much past of the family that she stays over at the drop of a hat and makes tea for us all when she comes round. She is a real gift from God to our family. How do I label her?

Simple. My God'sdaughter.

Thursday 19 June 2008

Priorities

Until yesterday, I hadn't been on here for a while. So when I clicked that little arrow/triangle thing next to the bar that shows a website URL, www.mamampira.blogspot.com was way down the drop down list which emerged.

It was interesting to see what this little laptop had been looking at.

First was my school email. There is so much going on in the last few weeks of term that I look at the school electronic calendar and check my school email from home as well. I need to be prepared: sometimes, 'stuff' happens at school and I don't manage to look first thing in the morning – usually when there really IS something urgent I should have known about.

Then was the University of East Anglia website. Ah ha, Cat has been using my computer to check up on her course work marks and exam results. (Pity I can't check up on that one as well – she's out now, so I can't ask her and satisfy my curiosity.)

I'm glad to see that www.biblegateway.com comes before www.jerseymet.gov.je . At least I have my priorities right – a God forecast (looking to see what God is saying) before the weather forecast.

Then there was www.thisisguernsey.com/ecycle . Our wonderful website for recycling unwanted items. Only been going a year or so, and 8000 items recycled. I'm hunting for unusual containers to put herbs into, so I trawl it frequently. Nothing much has come up, but I could have collected, for free, a 22foot yacht, a wireless router, a children's climbing frame, a new car tyre, a set of gym weights, kitchen units, deck chairs, light fittings and any number of furniture and furnishing items.

Then there was my hotmail address. I've had it for years but don't use it much now, so I check it infrequently. Now, it's a quick reference for messages I'm sent on www.facebook.com as well. That was the next one down.

After that, the list becomes quite garbled. Amazon and Boots (shopping). A website which helps sort out router problems (we've been having difficulty getting online). Google – I'm surprised that wasn't further up the list. I just love finding out information in seconds.

Lastly – www.magicseaweed.com, set at the Guernsey page. Instant surfing news: how good the surf is expected to be and when, the height and frequency of the waves, tide times… everything you need to know.

Interesting to see my life in terms of websites most frequently visited. It's not a true reflection – just of my relationships and activities through my laptop.

Wednesday 18 June 2008

Busyness revisited

I haven't written on here for a while. Jonny came home, then it seemed we were on a helter-skelter of activity, rushing on and on from one day to the next.

The usual hectic getting Jonny off – but he’s now out in Tanzania, with his ‘brothers’ who he has known since before he – and they – were born. They’re planning a camel safari, setting off in a couple of days. It’s quiet here.

Meanwhile, school has kicked off big time. Reports to be done – hundreds of comments – with ten days notice; speech day prizes to be decided and organized; work to be finished off as activity week – and end of term – approaches; gardening club demanded weeding, planting and watering; appraisal time with the head…

Social functions added in meant that I was out almost every night last week. So busy I can’t remember what I was doing without looking at my diary!

Yet it was all GOOD. Good to celebrate the children’s achievements in their end of term reports; good to award prizes for outstanding effort, work and – best of all – progress; good to have fun and laughter with friends.

I am so grateful to God for all His goodness, even when I am so busy I hardly have time to draw breath. But now, in a spare few minutes, I can catch up. That’s good, too.

Sunday 8 June 2008

The Dottie - a dot on the landscape

I wrote here a few days ago that the Dottie was back. She started work the next day - as did I, of course - reappearing at the homestead by 5 every evening.

But visits back home were just temporary, prior to a change of clothes, a few phone calls and possibly - but not necessarily - a bite to eat. Then she was off again. And again. And again.

Even over the weekend she has been out most of the time.

It doesn't matter. She's been having fun. And so have we.

Saturday morning - some of her friends came round for a beach barbecue breakfast. Which turned out, instead, to be a full English cooked at home (it was sunny, but rather cold and windy.) The Parents were invited - great to have the coffee made for us. We had a great time sitting and chatting for most of the morning before they all vanished again.

Then, in the evening, Cat's friend Helen came back with her.

There is nothing quite as good as sitting with your daughter and her friend, having a catch up session.

Now Jonny - aka The Naked Surfer - arrives tomorrow.

Wow - full house!

Boys will be boys

Actually, I suppose boys WILL be boys. And these boys are nearing the end of the summer term. We had school exams a couple of weeks ago, and they think they're done. With everything to do with school, so why bother paying attention to anything - unless it involves cricket.

Yes, this particular Game has taken over the brains of the majority of my class. They think about cricket all the time. Every time there is a cricket match, and these seem frequent, I am left with...2 boys out of 15.

These remaining two draw funny little sketches. All the time.

I think I'll just have to go with the flow. But not cricket. Too tame for me. No, it's surfing season. I think I'll play my Jack Johnson CD in class tomorrow morning...

Friday 6 June 2008

Irritations

Boys. They can be just SO irritating sometimes.

The behaviour I've had this week is just ridiculous. It's nothing major - just lots of little things, as wearing as water dripping on stone over the millenia. Which feels like my age.

There have been boys writing on their hands, their knees, their legs, their desks, chairs... all in lessons, while they were supposed to be listening. They don't even do it discreetly - they could at least pretend to pay attention, keeping their eyes fixed on the teacher, while their hands are busy. But they don't - their focus is fixed on whatever they are doing, heads down.

Then there is the drumming. Great skill - in the drum lessons. Tapping fingers, pens, pencils, feet, knees to make any kind of sound becomes extremely annoying.

Add to that singing (tunelessly, for the most part), humming, whistling, air wheezing out of squeezed water bottles and sucking noises - even the very occasional loud fart - and I have a new type of orchestra going in my classroom.

It's not even musical - just irritating in the extreme.

Thursday 5 June 2008

Time

I'm constantly amazed by time. How it changes. Slowly, dragging - or flashing by. Often there's no rhyme nor reason to why some things take for ever and others vanish like a flash of lightning in a puff of smoke.

It's the time of year when the pace of the treadmill is picking up. Parent meetings, after less than pleasing exam results. Some meetings called by me, others by worried parents. Reports - by next week please. Children to be put into groups for activity week coming up.

The curriculum to get through, in spite of cricket matches, concerts, art events, visiting speakers... and a pack of boys who are de-mob happy now that exams are over and summer has arrived.

The next few weeks will call for great reserves of patience, tolerance, forbearance - and energy.

Sunday 1 June 2008

The Dottie

I tried to write on here this morning, when I had 1 hour and 27 minutes until 'the dottie's' arrival. (The 'dottie' is my daughter Cat, so named by my school's French caretaker who, after over thirty years in Guernsey, still speaks his own uniquely accented English. He needs a whole blog post all to himself. At least.) But my dear husband had started a scan on my computer – which took a couple of hours rather than the twenty minutes he had envisaged – and then the internet decided to go slow. Very slow. After it took several minutes just to load one page, I decided to abandon the attempt.

So, several hours later, and she is home. Exhausted: up most of the night travelling after going to the annual church ball, getting down to Gatwick by coach. Then, several cups of coffee later, the flight to Guernsey. Unpacking, then reorganising her room, took some time, as did more cups of coffee with homemade Guernsey gache, lunch, and catch up.

Now she is crashed out, asleep. The house is as quiet as if she was still away. But it is so good to have her back.