5

I've been living in two worlds. For one week each fortnight I am a pauper and I travel to and from work on the express to city bus. I get on at the Modbury interchange after lining up with all the other meercats. Then bury my nose in the flesh of my fellow sardine (thankfully a fresh bunch, not stinky). I briskly travel to the school from the bus stop in my 4 year old deadly treadlies (sneakers) and trade them for a small heel a little closer to my destination.

Then the next week I go from dog house to penthouse.

For one week every fortnight I get to drive to work in a little piecce of heaven. Let this picture speak a thousand words.

The school holidays are over

These holidays the cousins spent a lot of time together. Play days and sleepovers were the order of each day. There was even one day when I was in charge of every single child while their beautiful mothers were working hard. What made this day so memorable to me is that my Zac didn't injure, beat up or generally lose 'it' at the expense of the safety of any child in our home. Yay Zac.

This is a photo of them all together on that day. A commemoration of Zac's triumphant day. Xander was in the photo until he scream and cried and bucked himself off the couch.

Every other day of these holidays this:

is where I have spent a couple hours each night.

Reading and typing have been the only items on my holiday 'to do list'. With 4000 words due in the last two weeks and an exam in three weeks with my final piece of evidence of learning (a 50 page powerpoint) due at the same time I have had a fair amout of work to do.

But the end is in sight. If only I didn't have to worry about one minor detail...getting a job.

Have a great 4th term everyone.

Gus had a birthday

Gus is pretty cool. He was born with all the patience God was going to give him and he used it all up in the first thee years of being here. I have to admit that I helped to run his resources low. Like when he would wake up from a sleep 4 hours after his last feed and wimper as if to say 'I'm here, please don't forget to nourish me.' I would be busy dealing with Zac's latest drama and would say to Gus 'Just a minute.' A minute would turn into and hour and I would hear Gus wimper again as if to say 'No really, don't worry about me. I'll wait here until you have time to feed me.' I would feel so bad when I realised that it had been 5 hours since his last feed that I would nuzzle him and let him suckle til he was full to the brim. I would sit with him a devote my whole being to him and completely ignore the little 2 year old using my shoulders and head as a climbing gym. So now he is five he is quick to anger, yet as equally quick he will turn to show me affection.

For example I'll stub my toe in the kitchen and cry out in pain. Gus will leave his 'time-out' spot and walk into the kitchen having heard my cry and ask me "Do you want a kiss Mum?" How can I refuse him.

He's funny too. He was telling knock knock jokes at three and at five he still loves a good joke telling session. He'll hide something before I walk into a room and as he looks at he his eyes will dart to the hidden item. He can't help it. He gives it away everytime. But he laughs and thinks it's all great fun.

I hope he remains as loving and tender as he is today and I hope he gets a refill on the patience soon.

Too Chicken to Post

Hello Neighbour

I'm really sorry to bother you but I feel impressed to let you know that either yourself or someone of your acquaintance performed an impressive burn out at the corner of *****St and *****Gr last night. I do not wish to quash the youthfulness of the driver of the vehicle but I ask that this person be mindful that my husband is a shift worker and as a parent of three young children he seriously covets what little sleep he can catch. The antics of the driver last night disturbed his sleep and I ask that you or your acquiantance please refrain from this type of behaviour in the future.

Thank you for your consideration.

Just because you asked so nicely L-J

I'm getting much better at this teaching gig. Since I last posted I have done another 25 days of teaching practice and I have learnt so many lessons. I have a new mentor teacher and a new classroom. This time I am teaching the year 4 girls. They are beyond gorgeous and every morning when they say prayer (Catholic school) at least one of them prays that Miss Vojnovic (me) will have a nice day. They also pray for the dead loved ones of friend's families. Like one girl's mum and the teacher's cousin every week if not evey day. They have not a single deceitful bone in their bodies combined. For example today I took in money for the introduction to this topic for maths and when they had finished handling the $100. $50, $20, $10, and $5 bills and discussing then I moved onto a different subject and left the money sitting in plain site at the front of the class (I know , stupid) but when I realized my mistake I went to get the money and it was still there (all of it!) (I know, unbelievable). Hearts of gold. These pictures are of the display we made today to mark the beginning of our space project. I'd like to thank Corrie for looking out for some science stuff for me eventhough she has been super busy summer studying and getting her class ready for the new school year. And thanks to mum for fielding all my phone calls of late about resource stuff.

'Our Solar System' title is all glitter.

We added some whimsy to our solar system with martians and various other fantastical space objects.

The planets are to scale (sort of) as though the sun were 4meters in diameter.

Reflect, reflect, reflect.

I learnt my first two big lessons in teaching last week.

1. don't try to fit a whole unit of work into one 45 min lesson



2. don't do a really cool activity with 1/4 of the students and not think the other 3/4 will really want to do it too.

Other than these two biggies I'm learning a lot from my two mentor teachers. Today Amanda taught me that not every moment needs to be a teaching moment. Some task are for discovery. I have been watching two very good teachers over the last three weeks and my stress pendulum is starting to shift. I don't spend so much time in panic mode anymore. I'm beginning to spend more time in 'I could probably do this' mode with short burst in panic mode before I put on my teacher inner voice and say 'I can do this. I don't have to be all knowing and all wonderful. These girls have been doing this job for a very long time. I'll get there too.' And most times I believe it and when I don't I fake it.

I got my ass back

Ass = Uni Assignment

I haven't written a uni essay in 10 years and this assignment is the infamous last minute one. Before I got my assignment back the lecturer posted some general comments for all the sudents. The basic gist of the lecturer announcement was that there are some people who did well and others who did not. Because of the speed with which I produced mine I was certain that I would be in the later category. Turns out I wasn't. I got a credit which is better than a pass. I was so pleased, it gives me just enough boost to think that I could possibly do alright in my studies this year. To top it off I have done two quizes and in both I got 29/30.

Yay Me!