Just breathe...

Well, I've managed to survive my first week of full-time teaching in such a long time.

It has only reaffirmed my decision to do supply/relief teaching for years to come as being the right one.


I still don't envy teachers.

The house is a disaster.

My puppies miss me and have been busily destroying anything left outside.  Like my spare sunglasses.

I spent all day today doing the washing.  About 6 or 7 loads of the stuff.  Blankets, sheets, towels, clothes.  You name it.  I've still got more blankets to wash (I like to wash them weekly if I can) but it can wait another week I guess.

I also spent today planning lessons for this week.  

I

Saturday we about 'me' so I went to the eco-fiesta with The Princess and we had some lovely mother-daughter time.  We ate vegetable curry puffs, drank rosella and then ginger cordial from the Herb Society stall, and got some free plants from the Council.

In fact, I got LOTS of free plants; I had explained to the man at the stall where we live, the types of wildlife we have around and the animals I want to encourage.  

I ended up going home with more than half a dozen little plants. the sign said 'one per person' as The Princess kept reminding me. Plus, I bought some plants from the Herb Society and the Permaculture Group.

So, yesterday, armed with a shovel and buckets of water, The Groom and I dug and planted (well, I directed, he dug and planted and I watered - but it was a team effort).

I planted

salad mallow

ceylonese spinach

sweet leaf

Mt Stuart bottle brush

Burdekin plum

rusty pittosporum

forest red/blue gum

native olive

weeping paperbark

river she-oak

silver wattle

pongamia

I have also got some turmeric rhizomes that I need to plant but can't figure out where.

The Groom ran out of sunlight to rig up a little fence in the chicken yard so I can plant the sweet potato vine I bought.  That will have to wait until the following weekend.

I started picking the rosellas to make jam and cordial.  I didn't realise how prickly the little things were!  Ouch!

Little Man had his first race in Motorcross today.  He came off just as the chequered flag was waved.

The phone call I got from The Groom about it was reassuring - "the ambulance just treated him and he's okay, just a bit bruised and a bit of a hole in his stomach."  

What???

He is okay, though.  Sore, tender and with bruised pride.

It's a good thing I wasn't there, Little Man assured me.  

I would have embarrassed him by running across the track calling out "baby boy!"

Hah!  He knows me too well.

Well, one week down, three to go.

At least I'm very grateful for the work and the experience of more work.

Cheers!


I think it might be time to re-read Radical Homemakers and give thanks for my decisions in life!