Blog Love

One of the things I love most about social networking and my blog obsession, is the sense of community you get with people you may never actually meet.

Whilst I wouldn't what to pigeon-hole myself as someone who exists primarily in a virtual world - SIMS to me is a computer programme I take the register on, not something to build an imaginary family with - since becoming a 'blogger', I feel that my social circle has expanded. I see a lot of people's homes/families/pets/dinners and get opinions on all sorts of things from politics to potty training.

It was lovely this evening therefore to receive a tweet from Charlotte to let me know I feature on her blog today. She's also been displaying a handy link to FOTD on her aptly titled: 'I'm Only Saying What You're Thinking' site.

I am thrilled to appear on such a well-established and brilliant blog: check it out. Such blogging philanthropy seems to be par for the course in this little corner of the virtual world. Plus, I now feel a teeny bit like a celebrity, and I like it.

Thanks, Charlotte, for spreading the blog love!

Young Master

 

Dexter has suddenly discovered 'drawing'. He's got a large box of colouring materials in his room purchased with some Early Learning vouchers that he received for his first Christmas; he was ten months old. They remained untouched for quite some time.

Now, at just turned two, he actively likes to grab hold of a crayon/pencil/Biro/Mummy's special marking pens and have a bit of a scribble. We went for our second appointment with the speech therapist on Friday. The first thing the boy did when he walked into the warm and inviting playroom/assessment room, was take the lovely therapist's Biro from her hand and start scribbling on her notes!

He's a fan of a circle/spiral, and big on colours too. Dexter's paternal grandmother is a very talented artist; we have loads of her work in our home. I'm hoping some of those creative genes will have been passed on. Not sure that the ten-out-of-ten I got for my still-life broccoli when I was fifteen will influence his talents.

The above photographs were taken by Daddy on Sunday while I was out horse riding - am hoping that hobby will be genetically predisposed too!

 

Monday Snooping...

 

One of my favourite things about other people's blogs is the 'home tours' you find on them. I am fascinated by interiors and have very aspirational taste when it comes to houses. I can't really define what it is that pleases me so much about having a good old nosey, but I have always been very driven by the aesthetic - something my darling boy seems to be sharing as he is obsessed with colours.

Our Brighton home is definitely not interiors magazine- worthy, but we like it and it's very us. Inspired by Alice's lovely lifestyle blog and her 'Corners of My Home' feature, I spent Dexter's nap time today making the most of the beautiful light and pretending I know what I'm doing with my husband's fancy camera: I don't. I also spent a worryingly long time (the boy sleeps well and was full of this morning's cooked breakfast) faffing with trying to get lettering over my photos.

I'm sort of pleased with the end results although they're a bit amateurish and I don't think Holly Becker will be banging on my door begging me to help style an interiors shoot just yet. I had fun though, and it stopped me sleeping the afternoon away.

I may develop 'Monday Snooping' as a feature, but given that my audience for this blog is still probably limited to people who know me and therefore have actually been inside my home, I may have to take it on tour. Perhaps one day, I'll share the delights of my classroom with you...

Enjoy!

 

Ten reasons why teachers need long holidays

1. Teaching is a wonderful but really demanding job. If we didn't just stop for a week or so every term, we'd combust. Fact.

2. Children are brilliant. A break from them (especially when they don't even belong to you) is equally brilliant.

3. The school day/week/term, does not allow for such onerous tasks that can be categorised under the banal heading of 'Life Admin'. For 'Life Admin', read haircut, MOT, dentist, awkward conversation with bank manager, etc.

4. Most teachers I know see half past nine in the evening on a regular week night as a crazily late night. The holidays allow us to exist as normal human beings and roll into bed around midnight: kerazy.

5. It is not natural to get up at six o'clock every morning and to start your job the very second you walk through the door. Afternoon naps are essential to well-being and are therefore a fundamental part, nay right, of the school holidays.

6. Most teachers like to be intellectually challenged. The holidays allow them to, ooh, read an actual novel - and not just a book they've got to teach.

7. Contrary to the nonsense bandied around by Gove and his slanderous minions, teachers are not clock-watching shirkers, but dedicated professionals whose daily working lives are the equivalent of being dropped into a spin dryer, mid-cycle. We need to escape the frenetic pinball machine (pardon the mixed metaphor) every so often.

8. Someone has to book holidays that keep travel agents afloat in the ridiculously over-priced slot that is the school holidays.

9. Teachers are *whispers* real human beings too. They have family and friends that they need to reconnect with. My fabulous friend, Sazzle (also a teacher) calls it 'regrouping'. It generally involves pyjama wearing and attempting to get to the bottom of the laundry basket.

10. Come into work with me for just one day and shadow me or any one of my fabulous colleagues: you won't need to read numbers 1 to 9 above.

I appreciate this post may wind some people up; I care not. If you're really that bothered, go to university, complete the massively challenging teacher training and hop on board. It's a blast!

PS. Happy half term to all you lovely teacher folk!

Birthday Wishes

 

Dexter was two on Wednesday. He celebrated by not being woken up at six o'clock in the morning as my mum is here for the week, doing her 'keeping Team Wayne afloat' bit in the run-up to half term. In fact, I didn't see the birthday boy until early evening, and we waited for Daddy to get home from work (even later), before the present-opening began.

As was the case for Dexter's first birthday, family and friends had been extraordinarily generous, and the boy received a veritable bounty of perfect toddler cards and gifts.

I was asked numerous times on the day, and in the days since, how we were planning on 'celebrating' the little man's anniversary of his time on earth. My responses have generally been of the flippant, 'hilarious', throw-away nature alluding to the fact that I intend to wait until Dexter actually cares - that is, when he's, erm, about twelve... Okay, perhaps not quite twelve, but as a busy working mummy, I have neither the time nor inclination to throw a massive party. Despite a lack of inclination, I do feel woefully inadequate when I read the blogs of women like Kate. This blog is my current favourite thing ever, but I cannot ever dream of having the talent, skill and general parenting prowess to create such loveliness and special memories for my own child.

I am slightly in awe of the parent blogging community; it scares me slightly too. Whilst I desperately want to create a life that people like me sniff at enviously through cyber space, I just don't think I have it in me. A 'Blue Peter' girl through and through (my mum threw away everything I made), a B grade student in GCSE Art, and owner of an enviable collection of back copies of 'Living etc', I just don't cut it in the world of Kirstie Allsopp crafting heaven. As my lovely (and very creative) friend Hannah knows, the very use of the word 'crafting' as a verb makes me want to throw up onto a pile of washi tape.

I have however, signed up to Emily's 'Photography for Bloggers' September workshop. I've genuinely fallen in love with the concept of blogging as a virtual diary and creative outlet. I've always loved to write, so I figured I'd try to improve the quality of the images I use for 'Five on the Door', particularly to capture special moments for Dexter. I've also got Emily's blog to thank for the children's book ideas which I put on Dexter's birthday wish-list.

For now, the above snaps of the boy opening his gifts in our living room will have to do. Who knows, maybe the blog post for his third birthday will feature a home-made galleon ship, complete with rainbow sponge parrots and a to-scale faux desert island. Maybe.