Liliputian??

The other evening, Youngest was  checking to see whether the baked potatoes were cooked, and needed an oven glove. They live on the shelf over the Range, which is just within the reach of the Shorties in this household! Youngest stretched to reach the oven gloves and then complained that she must be shrinking because it was a farther stretch than normal.

I snorted.

Or perhaps I had moved the shelf?

Don't be daft.

Or...wait for it...the walls had stretched!

Yeah, right!

No! No! She had it! The floors were SINKING!!!


Would sinking floors be a problem in your house?????!

Duuph...!

The temporary school has a lovely big yard, all evenly tarmacked over, with no uneven surfaces, potholes, or stretches of slippery mud.

Unlike the previous yard.

AND YET...yesterday we had a collision between one child's teeth and another's head, and every day sees a continuous stream of grazes, bumps, cuts, and mishaps. Thank goodness for bulk bargains in plasters and antiseptic wipes! I was actually wondering whether I should put a red cross on my office door?!

This afternoon one of the builders was going around checking for possible visitors' entrances- of the rodentish variety. Teachers had discovered several, I said there were none in the office and went off on an errand. Returned to find him with a big grin saying he'd found a lovely 'front door' right under my desk!!!

So much for being observant!!

Beeeeeeeen Busy Busy!

You know how some weeks, or even months, disappear, and you wonder what there is to show for the time that has gone? Well recently I've the opposite situation! Looking back over the past month, I'm wondering just how I managed to do everything which I had to do!

A fortnight ago, the Youth Group and the school children did the Sunday Morning Service in the Cathedral. It turned out grand! We had one hundred children in the Choir and they were just amazing! The Youth Group did me proud too, both in writing the Service and then leading the worship on the day, and also performing two sketches.

We celebrated by having lunch together and watching the World Cup Rugby final...I think perhaps that the young people gave me more entertainment than the match did!!! Am I allowed to admit that???

This week the School packed up and moved premises- lock, stock, and one steaming Principal! Packing has been going on for weeks, and on Thursday a group of parents came to the school and removed all the shelves and boards from the walls ready to transport. We have eight Classes, so you can imaging there was a lot to dismantle.

Friday, more parents turned up with vans and trailers and everything was moved to the temporary site in the course of the day. One teacher said that we should have sent out party invitations as the whole thing went so well and everyone treated it like a fun outing. I tell you, there wasn't a cross word spoken all day, and it was SOME DAY!!!!

This morning the children all arrived back from their mid-term break, sooooo excited with their different school! It all went very smoothly, entirely due to the Teachers spending the last two days unpacking and setting up everything ready for this morning.

And so it goes- a VERY busy month...and now I have to unpack the School Office and put everything in order!!

Antidote to boredom??????

Look What Arrived in the Post!!

So there I am, trundling wearily in from school, grocery shopping, doing errands, and then waiting for Youngest to finish her after school activities...and guess what is on my door mat?

A parcel from ULLA!

Isn't that just the best surprise to come home to?! All beautifully wrapped in pretty paper, with twirly ribbon and a lovely card...

...and such very useful things inside!

A tote bag, which is Teflon treated to keep it clean and longer-lasting...and a really useful zipper bag, both made from Marimekko fabric, which I just love!

This tote is going to school with me tomorrow, for sure!

And aha! A bar of chocolate from Finland!...and look! Ulla has even sewn on a 'Kotkarankki' label!

How great is that!

Thank you so much, Ulla! I will really enjoy using these bags, and I will think of you often!

And I will really enjoy tasting the chocolate bar too!

Now I need to get back to my sewing table and make the PIF Treats for my People!!

Afterthought: I have a fridge-magnet in my kitchen which says: 'The one thing better than a good friend, is a good friend with chocolate!'

I reckon that makes Ulla one of the BEST!!

Heckety Has A Job, Begorrah!

So did you think I was lost? Or were you just enjoying the quiet?????

Actually, you'll never guess what!

I accidentally got myself a temporary job which PAYS me to work!!!

Whoop-di-doo and all things amazing!

It was like this: At the end of August the secretary of the school where I teach Music, suddenly handed in her notice. One of the teachers leaped into the breach....or was she pushed?... and held the fort for a fortnight or so, but she was neglecting her students, of course.

One day when I was in, I offered to help out as a stop-gap, as they were becoming somewhat stressed, and there really is a lot to do at the beginning of the school year- between paperwork and dealing with new parents' enquiries. They accepted, temporarily, probably because I've taught part-time, full-time, paid, and voluntary, over the last eleven years, so I know the place and they certainly know me...(the expression, 'better the devil you know, than the devil you don't,' does spring to mind here...).

Finding a reliable, professional secretary, who is happy to deal with endless interruptions and constant children visiting the Office, is a bit of a tricky job. For the moment it is 'on hold' due to the priority of  so much other 'stuff', primarily the moving of the entire school into temporary accommodation at the end of October, so that building work can be commence on the permanent site. Of course that was meant to happen during the hols, but.....

Anyhow, to my astonishment, at the end of the first week of my tenure (!!!!!) I was paid! Imagine! Being paid to orchestrate absolute chaos, tease the children, play tricks on the staff ,and get the secretarial work utterly wrong!?!?!

Example:
Phone rings, 'Hello? Berry School.'
'Hello, could I speak to the Principal please? Its Claire McDee.'
Heckety trots into the Principal's Office: 'Its Sarah McDee on the line for you.'
Principal: 'Are you sure? I thought she was Claire.'
Heckety: 'Ummmmm, you could be right, I can't remember now.'
......Claire it was....

Another Example :
A very small, very serious new boy arrives from class with a request for photocopying, and while its clanking away he asks very politely whether I'd like to hear a joke? Ooooh yes!
'What do you call a penguin with his head stuck in your letter-box, Mrs H?'
H: I don't know!
Solemn little boy: 'A bill.'
H: Ha Ha, that's great! Where did you get that one?
Solemn little boy: 'I have a book of jokes, Mrs H.' and off he goes clutching the photocopying.

Good variety,eh?!

Size Matters...or Not?

This morning I was in School doing my usual Music teaching, as well as winding up sundry children...and got a real inadvertent wind-up myself!

I hadn't gone in to talk to the new Junior Infants last week, so thought I would do so today. I must admit that to teach them would, for me, be akin to sitting in a can of live worms, but in short bursts they can be terribly funny. After a bit of chat their teacher asked them whether they knew my name? To which one bright spark exclaimed: 'She's The Piano!'

Of course I am!

Does it give a whole new meaning to, 'Does my bum look big in this?' or what!!!

A Long Cut Home...

I'm trying the new Blogger interface, so let me know if anything daft...dafter than usual....transpires on this post after publishing!

On Thursday our road home was closed for work so I had to use the Dromahair road, longer, but gorgeous scenery. I stopped above Colgagh Lough (pronounced Kol-ga) for photos. It was a fairly overcast afternoon but you can see the spread of the valley.

Looking north west...

Looking north...over the hills to the north east (right of photo) would be our place.

If you can enlarge this, it gives a bit of information on the valley.

This van I saw in a car park and had to take a photo- isn't Dripsey just the most brilliant name for an Irish town?????

On Tuesday and Thursday of this week I have put in several hours of work in the Cathedral Churchyard: weeding and clearing the borders by the Main Gate, clearing two of the larger graves which were choked with weeds, and digging back collapsed banks and replacing stones. A man regularly cuts the grass, and another parishioner keeps the edges of the drive clear of weeds, but maintenance is up to whoever has the time. Since at present everyone is trying to get the Hall painted and cleaned for use while the Cathedral is full of scaffolding and paint buckets, it seemed fair for me to mount an attack on the holy weeds!

I'll take some photos next week, just 'afters' though!