getting things ready

Yesterday while I was helping in Evies class I was helping to get things ready for the parents evening that was last night and tonight...

...our parents evening is tonight...

I did some filing (a number colour picture of the crucifixion).

I had to put new crayons and coloured pencils in the toolboxes on the tables and put the work books in their drawers :)

Then came a teacher chat!

Her teacher thinks that Evie has some sought barrier to her learning and wants me to get her assessed :(

I have asked her teacher to write down all of the things that she feels Evie has problems with (that way I cant miss anything out).

I rang the doctors when I got home and the earliest appointment they could do is after the school holidays.

Im popping into town today anyway so I will ask the doctors if Evie needs to be at the appointment (Im hoping that she wont so she doesnt hear anything negative) and I will hopefully be able to get the assessment on its way.

I was always in the bottom classes in senior school so Evie has got my brain rather than James which is a shame.

I was a bit tearful at hearing this but at least its being picked up on now...

flu jab

As Evie is due to have her flu nasal spray done on Monday, I decided yesterday as I was in town to get my jab done (so as not to be too ill for Evies birthday).

I have also had my appointment through for Evies first Year 1 parents evening (its next Thursday), in EYFS the meeting was in one classroom and her work was in the other classroom, but from Year 1 onwards the meetings are held in the school hall and you get 10 minutes before your meeting to look at the maths and English work (again in the hall) and you go to the classroom to see her other work.

Evie cant come with me so she can stay at home with James and I will go by myself.

interview #15 and brown paper bag

I got to the interview, and whilst telling me the details of the job he said its a fixed 22 hours per week but you have to be flexible with your hours, some days you will need to be in for 7.30 am!

Woah...

...I told him that I thought the job was 5 hours on a Sunday, he then looked again at my form and saw that I was there for the Sunday job :) I thought that the recruitment company messed up again like they did with the location.

The job is to be on hand when a church hold their weekly meeting in case their are any issues and to clear up the room after and to arrange the rooms for the next day.

I think it went well and will find out by the end of the week.

Evie had a great day yesterday and came out clutching a brown paper bag :)

her brown paper bag with a purse, a wish, a friendship bracelet and a a square that she traced her initials into

you can see them closer here

Evie has her school photo taken today too :)

the Y1 walk

Yesterday was the year 1 walk...

...I arrived at the school and told the school office what I was there for, and they told me to go around to the classroom.

So I went in and saw a couple of other Mums and one of them told me to find my bits (there were laid out on a table in piles) and there was a sheet to sign to say that I had read the risk assessment (keep the kids safe type thing).

I then noticed the kids sitting on the floor and Miss B was going through road safety :)

She got them all to go to the toilet (in their tables, Evie is orange :)), and then once they all had their coats on they had to line up (with their grown up) our group was me, Evie, I and J.

We were the second to last group with the teaching assistants group being at the back.

We were looking at different buildings bungalows, semi detatched, victorian terrace house, cottages and maisonettes.  We had to talk about the different characteristics of each type.

I even found out that a manor house nearby had been converted in to 3 houses and then into flats :).

I told me that she lives in a flat and they have to go through a tunnel to park.  J told me he lives in a house and was telling me what each car was...

..it reminded me of brother #2 he knew all of the car badges :)

It was then back to school Evie helped me to take off my safety jacket and wanted me to stay, I told her that I want able to stay and she was ok with that.

I didnt have that long until home time so went home had something to drink then it was back to pick her up again :)

the parent helper ladder

On Monday I volunteered to be a parent helper for the local area year 1 walk this Wednesday.

On Friday when I looked in Evies book bag I saw a slip of paper in Evies home school diary to get there for 1 pm on Wednesday to go through the paper work :).

LOL when I got turned down for Evies school trip in July My mum said that you have to grovel to the teachers to even be considered...

My phone call tomorrow is at 11 am, I just hope that I dont get tongue tied or waffle on too much :)

monday phone call

Yesterday I got an e-mail on the back of a job that I had applied for (at the same place that I had interview #4).

The lady said that she would like to have an informal chat on the phone with me to discuss what experience I have :)

Evie was just watching (yet another toy advert) and piped up that I will have to go to John Adams to buy a chocolate lolly maker for her :)

I remember wanting a chocolate lolly maker when I was little :) we got scalextric instead which was much more playable :)

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 :)

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 :)

an energetic day

Today not only has Evie got Gym trail and her swimming lesson but its also sports day day :)

Her green t-shirt is in her bag and a named bottle of sun cream (that her teacher said that they will apply after lunch) :)

here is the activity list

Evie is starting where it is highlighted in green :)

I was hoping the water hole was something like a paddling pool, but its somewhere for the kids to have a drink of water :)

It is much more interesting than when I was at school...

...I was down for the flat race but I wasnt allowed to do it because I had a heart problem (I got a prize for it anyway :)).

helicopter train copper

Last Thursday on our way to school I saw an air ambulance....

a stopped train

and a police car with flashing lights

Im glad that I wasnt held up in the delays...

non interview and dream job

Yesterday I went to my non-interview to register with a recruitment agency, she just asked me to complete a form saying that I was happy for them to look for a job for me.

We also discussed my salary expectations and what sort of work I was looking for...

...basically Im not too fussy as long as it is local :)

While on my way home (I happened to walk past my favourite chocolate shop), and saw a sign in the window that they were after a sales advisor, so I went in and gave them my CV :) I even mentioned that I was a member of their chocolate tasting club...

...and if by some miracle I get an interview then I will mention the dream that I had 6 years ago :)

That is bound to sway them :)

she said it was pleasant meeting me

I was checking my e-mails and saw that I got one about the interview I had on Tuesday last week, she said I was unsuccessful and it was pleasant meeting with me., perhaps I will mention it in my next interview :)

I am not too bothered about not getting the job as I think that with upto 4 people working in a small room we would have got to know each other quite well :)

Im guessing that I didnt have enough accounts experience (I worked in the accounts building of a large corporation as a YTS when I was 16),

I can find out for sure

Yippeee I have booked our holiday :)

Were off to Majorca :)

So I can find out if the water really doesnt taste like what it outta :)

relieved

With the invoice for the next terms tap dancing lessons came details of this years end of year show.

Last year there were two shows on consecutive Mondays one for the toddlers and one for the school age children.

This years there are four shows (two on Monday and two on Tuesday) but the children have to do their show on both days! Theres an afternoon show for the smaller children and an evening show for the bigger children/adults.

And on both days they have to stay all day too!

So yesterday I asked Evie in an upbeat voice (as I didnt want to put her off if she did want to do it again) and she said that she didnt want to do it.

I just showed her the photo of her dressed like a bumble bee last year and she said that she still doesnt want to do it.

My friend whose daughter is the same age as Evie is hoping that her daughter wont want to do it either.

Im glad that she did one year anyway and she hopefully will want to do it again when she is a bit older if she is still enjoying doing her dancing.

school picture day

Today Evie has her school photo done :)

I have written her name on her hairbrush and will pop it into her bookbag (for if they need to do her hair).

It will be the first time that I havent been with her for her photo being done.

I remember when I was at school my Mum would always tell me to make sure I took my glasses off for the photo (but I dont think I ever remembered :)).

teacher visit day

Evie woke up this morning and asked me "mummy, what are we doing today?"  she normally asks and I always tell her in a upbeat way what we are doing :)

So I told her tat her teacher Mr F was coming today and she started crying saying "not today" and I told her that it will be ok and on Friday we will have her first afternoon at school.

We were then chatting about all of the fun things that she had done when we went to the transition sessions.

The lunch (which she now has decided she didnt like), story time and her getting to know her new teacher session

I just hope she doesnt decide to run upstairs when he comes (perhaps I will close the stairgate) but I think she is too nosey and will want to know whats going on :)

the chocolate teapot place

When Evie woke up this morning she asked me what we were doing that day...

...she does ask every day :)

And I told her that we would go to the cafe where the other Tumble Tots was, and the same place where she had her hot chocolate in a teapot :)

And perhaps we will have some cake also :)

Evie hasnt been given her voucher yet

Today is World Book Day and unlike last year her pre school has got the tokens and packs to give out and looking at the website it does say that the tokens are valid until 27th March so at least she wont miss out.

Today we will be going into town so I shall pop into Waterstones and buy Evie the 2 pre school books that are available and I will use her voucher to get a KS1 for her for next year (if they are still in store on Sunday).

Last year the bloke serving in the shop actually gave me the vouchers for the books so I didnt have to pay for them ;o)

flat hair valentine

Yesterday I went to the hairdressers...

...when they do my hair they always use straighteners to smooth out my hair ;o)

when I come home James always gets Evie to tell me that my hair looks nice ;o)

As well as telling me that my hair looked nice Evie also said that it looked flat...

...so I asked her if she liked it looking flat and she said "no I like it when it goes up"

It reminds me of when brother #2 and my sister were little and one of them (cant remember which one) said that when I wore contact lenses that I didnt look like "Amber"!

When I picked Evie up from pre school on Friday one f the ladies told Evie to check her drawer as there were some bits in there and when I looked in there there was a valentines card ;o)

the valentines day card that Evie did for us