no chinese for me

As I was told on Thursday that I would be called on Friday morning I kept my phone close to hand (even not letting Evie play on my phone went I went to get  a drink while we were out).

I eventually got called at 12.45 pm and was told that it was very close but there was someone else with more experience.

So no chinese takeout for me (well not yet anyway... :)).

charity interview

Yesterday I had my interview for a paid job with a charity...

...like interview #7 the charities base is in a house (the houses next to it are all boarded up where the whole block is due to be demolished.

There was one really oddball question (the others were to do with addicts).

How would I feel if I got offered the job?

I said that I would say hooray and get a chinese

and then they asked...

...how would I feel if I didnt get offered the job?

I said that I would keep on looking and that this is my 11th interview so Im used to getting rejections now :)

I also said if I get the job I get the job and if I dont I dont.

I really cant work out what answer they wanted :)

I will find out this morning (after they have slept on it)

They also said that there were 70+ applicants so I did well to get an interview :)

she didnt need a toilet break

Yesterday we got into town in good time to go to the cinema...

...we still (or rather I told Evie that I thought that it would be the better film) decided to see Despicable Me 3.

I got us an aisle seat and one next to it :)

Everytime I looked around at Evie she was staring at the screen and event better than tht she didnt need any toilet breaks (which is a sign of a great film) :)

Evies favourite part of the film was when Gru & Dru were camouflaged, and my favourite parts were when the minions were in jail :)

Evie says that she doesnt want to go again but we will see if anything good takes her fancy :)

I forgot the best bit

I was sitting there watching tv after doing yesterdays blog post and realised that I had forgotten the best bit...

...I weighed myself on Saturday and had lost another 3 lbs so that is 1 lb short of my 4 stone target target or 55 lbs in total :)

A little bit later there was a knock at the door so I answered it and it was Evies teacher Mr F saying that he had forgotten (with all of the rush on Friday) to give the kids their leaving presents...

I called Evie to the front door so she could say thank you to him so that was good :)

...Evie got this book :)

Me & Evie are going to the cinema today - we are planning on seeing Despicable Me 3 but it could always change.

tears and interview #11

When I picked Evie up for the last time from the Early Years gate at her school it suddenly hit me that it was the very last time I would be picking her up from there...

,,,she will no longer be in reception year :(

I think that all us Mums got a bit tearful (there was no actual sobbing) and the teaching assistants were getting tearful too.

Her teacher even gave a speech saying how proud he was of all of the kids and how he would still see them about the school and enjoying seeing them grow up.

He even gave each kid a hug on their way out and so did the teaching assistants so it was all really lovely.

I dont remember getting goodbye hugs from my teachers...

...I think they were just glad to see the back of us :)

We went to the playground on our way home and as I usually do I checked my e-mails...

...and there was an invite to another interview...

...this time for a paid job with a charity.

It is 3 and a half hours a day five days a week.

So I will have to see how it goes.

My interview is on Thursday and James will have to leave work a bit early so he can look after Evie as they didnt want to leave it to after he had finished work.

one more day of school...

...one more day of sorrow, one more day at this old dump, we will be home tomorrow" :)

Thats what we used to sing at school on our last day of each half term etc :)

It is strange what you remember when you think about it.

Yesterday Evie came home with a bag full of drawings and painting and other craft bits that she has done throughout the year :)

James has taken it into work with him so he can scan them (he has been doing that with all of her bits.

There was also a leaflet in her bookbag about what to expect in Year 1 (basically more structured learning and less playing) and after the first couple of days we arent supposed to walk them to their classroom either, but you do have to go to their classroom to pick them up at home time.

And Im sure there will be more things to bring home tonight too :)

gym trail continues

Yesterday when I picked Evie up from school I asked her teacher if she would carry on going to gym trail in September (after the summer holidays), and he said yes she would continue, apparently she will carry on going until they decide that she cant get any more out of it.

Her teacher also said that he could see the benefits that she is getting out of doing it and he is really pleased how she is getting on so thats good.

Because she has gym trail tomorrow we will take in the sun catchers (that Evie decorated) and the cards that she has written in for the teachers and 2 assistants today.

So it looks like the early starts (2 days a week) will carry on :) I am glad that she can carry on going as she is enjoying it.

interview #10 - Alison looked the part

Yesterday I had a dinner lady interview at a church school...

...as usual I got there in plenty of time.

Once I was signed in I sat down and there was a lady sitting there (she looked very much like a dinner l was then shown around the school by one of the dinner lady supervisors.

When she took me back to reception she told me that I would be seen after Alison had her interview.

I saw Alison leave and then it was my turn.

There were 3 jobs that they were interviewing for...

..2 dinner ladies and a one on one with a kid with downs syndrome and would I be interested in considering that job also (I said yes I would).

In the Interview was the head teacher another dinner lady supervisor and a SEN leader.

As the SEN lady could only sit in for a few minutes she asked me if there were any games that I would make up to play with children?

So I told her about the sip and guess game that I play with Evie (when Im trying to get her to drink her drink when we are out), basically you take a sip of drink (or mouthful of food as it is adaptable) and then do an impression and the other person has to guess what it is :).

I was then asked by the other 2 the usual questions.

At the end of the interview I was told that they would let me know by the end of the day.

At 8.50 pm I get a phone call...

...I didnt get the job (lack of experience again) but I did come across as a lovely lady :)

a 2 party weekend

Evie had 2 parties this weekend :)

a magic one yesterday and a disco one today :)

She had a great time at both parties so thats good...

and only one week left of school and no having to rush around for 5 weeks yipppppeeeeee :)

interview #10 and annual report

I have an interview on Tuesday for a dinner lady mid day assistant job at another school :)

Its the school that I looked at that had the chickens :)

Evies school report was as expected...

...she observes before trying new things :)

He also said that she has some great ideas and that she is now having the confidence to express them :)

He also said that her letter formation needs to improve (although it is getting more readable now) and that she needs to form more friendships...

...although by what she tells me she has a few friends in her year now so I dont think she has such a problem with that as what Mr F thinks she has.

she knew her name

As it was open evening yesterday at Evies school most of us parents hung around (snacks and drinks in hand) until they were ready to let us in...

...at 3.30 they opened the doors and we filed around to the classrooms.

As it was a day for meeting the new teachers as well all the teachers (including Early Years) stayed for the duration :)

Me & Evie found a space on the floor (there arent enough seat for each child/Mum to sit down together and with them being 4/5 year old sized seats too) :)

I got Evies folder with all of her work in.

She enjoyed showing me all of the bits in her work books and everytime a photo of her appeared on the white board she was shouting out (thats me!) :)

Her teacher was talking to the kids too telling them how well they were doing (including Evie he told her how well her writing had improved when we were looking at her writing book).

We then went into her new classroom...

...Miss B was really nice and even remembered Evies name and said about the things they were doing on class swap day and that she looked forward to teaching Evie in September.

We get the annual reports tonight...

...Im hoping it says lots of good things :)

open evening

Today is Evies schools open evening :)

...not only do we get to see the classroom (although in Early Years the parents evening is held in the classroom anyway) and the book look is in the classroom also.

...we also get to see her new classroom and meet with her new teacher Miss B :).

It will be good to see how she is getting on now :)

a shortish notice party invite

Last Friday I opened Evies bookbag and found an invite to J's party...

...it was for today, with an apology for the short notice.

So I quickly sent her a text saying Evie would love to go and checked to see if she has whatsapp so I can see who his Mum is :)

I also asked her what J is into so I can buy him a suitable present and his Mum said cars and football (so last Saturday James got him a present in Tesco) so that got sorted too.

This morning I wrapped up the present and Evie wrote out his card.

exploring cars and fairy tails

By Evies behaviour yesterday morning (not getting dressed until 7.50 am and crying saying that she wanted to cuddle James) she was more anxious about her new class than I realised.

By the time we got to school she was fine (so that was good).

When we were waiting for the teachers to open the reception class doors it was lovely seeing the little kids come in for their final transition session :)

I gave Evie a kiss goodbye and told her to enjoy herself :)

When it got to pick up time I saw a few Mums on the grass outside with their kids where they must have just finished their session and were waiting for siblings to finish school for the day.

Just before Mr F was about to let the kids out I saw one little boy run out to his Mum and Mr F went to chat to his Mum - she must have thought that he would be there until the end of the school day! I hope that he wasnt too traumatised by not being picked up with everyone else.

I remember my sister being upset (she must have been about the same age) when my Mum forgot to pick her up from a birthday party and got me to go and get her.

I asked Evie what she did with her new teacher, and she said that she drew a fairy tail character, so I asked her what she drew and she said a witch, I then asked if she had a witches hat and she said no she had a cape.

She also said that they were exploring cars - I will try and get out of her later what she was doing with them.

She said that she enjoyed her day so that is good and she got dressed quickly again this morning too :)

class swap day

Yesterday Evie found out who her new teacher for next year is...

...its Miss B (she is very happy :))

Today she has class swap day...

...so she goes into her new class for the day, and the reception kids have their hour and a half session and the year 6 kids have their first of 2 transition days at the Secondary School :)

The letter from the school said that they swap the classes around in Year 1, 3 & 5, and they keep the same classes in years 2, 4 & 6

Evie has 2 of her friends in her new class so thats good, we have been talking about her having her new teacher today and Evie wants the animal groups to be unicorns and dragons (in reception they are monkeys, elephants and lions and she is a lion *roar* ;)), she wants to be a unicorn :)

...the search continues

The other day my Mum suggested that I should do a teaching assistant job (or learning support assistant in schools speak)...

...so yesterday I googled how to go about getting a job.

One of the suggestions is getting an apprenticeship...

...I found an apprenticeship at a childrens nursery that I have applied for :)

I will keep checking as well as the job websites that I look at regularly :)

...so as they say "the search continues" :)

100 mini beasts

At pick up time yesterday I got to school early so I could see the 2 coaches come back from her trip (there was one for each class).

The first coach emptied (from the other class) then it was Evies classes turn, in typical Evie fashion (although I realise now because she was in Mrs S's group) she was the last to get off :).

On our way home I asked her if she had a great time and she said yes :)

She pond fished with a net and got something green :)

And she looked at mini beasts :)

A's Mum asked her how many mini beasts she saw and she said 100 :)

We had stopped at the playgound at that point.

Luckily there were no mini beasts in her lunchbag (that would have been very typical of her :)).

She has also shown us how crickets jump :)

school trip day

Evie has her very first school trip today :)

I wasnt chosen to be one of the parent helpers - which is a bit of a shame - hopefully Evie will enjoy herself more if Im not there cramping her style :)

And Evie is having a tantrum because she cant wear her school dress!

Evies lunchbag is by the front door and her lunchbox is in the fridge and an icepack is in the freezer (I just have to do her water :)).

I8 a no go too

On Friday I got an e-mail regarding interview #8...

...it said that unfortunately I wasnt successful...

...I am not too bothered as they fibbed about the location and it would have been difficult for a mornings work.