Student and Mummy...

Obviously.

I had this conversation with Grace last night.....

Grace; Did Grandad Len get buried under the ground?

Me; Ummmm no

Grace; Where is he then?

Me; Umm *quickly adding up the pro's and con's of telling her the truth*
He was cremated...........*awaits the obvious next question*

Grace; Oh, what's cremated?

Me; It's like a big oven (yes I know not the best phrase), they put the coffin in there and it all gets burnt. Then you have ashes like we have after we've had a fire, and you can scatter them in a special place........

Grace; That's not very nice is it?

Me; Well there's only a body in the coffin, nothing else (meaning the spirit has since departed)

Grace; Where's the head, arms and legs then?

Me;

Yesterday Thomas was absolutely dreadful.

Grace goes swimming on a Saturday morning and recently I've been taking Thomas along to watch - BIG mistake.

The pool was packed with parents all watching their kids. There is a rail seperating the viewing area and the pool - this acts as a magnet to any child that happens to pass. They have to climb on it. There's a socking great notice asking parents not to let their children climb on it for obvious reasons, but some parents continue to let their little angels, climb on it, stand on it and sit on it. Thomas wanted to do this aswell, I being a good notice abiding parent wouldn't let him and put him in his buggy.

He screamed

and screamed

and screamed.....................in the big echo'e pool...........for the entire half an hour.

You cannot leave your child in the pool alone, you cannot abandon your toddler outside either - what's a mother to do.
I tried beeee bo, I was hit in the face, I tried distraction - this worked briefly then he screamed louder.

Everyone was staring at me, normally this wouldn't bother me but alas feeling claustrophibc, VERY hot and stressed it did bother me.

I left the lesson feeling crap, we then braved the supermarket and all was going ok until I said they couldn't have any sweets then all hell broke lose again.

So I'm looking for a good parenting manual - preferably one that swallows you up in very embarassing situations when all else has failed.

My stepdad just phoned, to tell me he's home from Thailand (very long story for another day) and needs his tools for work (he keeps them in my garage).
We haven't spoken for a while so briefly caught up. Meanwhile Grace and Tom are in the bath.

I don't make a habit of leaving them in the bath, I was hovering in the doorway!

Anyhow, Tom threw the sponge out of the bath, it fell just behind the door (I didn't know this)I opened the door and squished a fully soaked sponge all over the carpet. Grrrrrrrr.

So people out there, don't phone while I'm

- Bathing the kids
- Feeding the kids
- cooking their dinner
- Doing my homework
- watching Holby
- having a bath
- eating my dinner
- reading my book
- snoozing on the sofa
- rushing to go out

In short phone while I'm at college let someone take a message and I may or may not call you back

I'm blogging this cos I obviously wouldn't say it IRL............

It's sleeting here where I am.

I hate sleet it's neither rain nor snow it's just a mess.

It's also soooo cold, I stood in the playground this morning waiting to drop Grace off and I was even to cold to chat

So anyway............

Presentation done. It turns out it wasn't the last presentation and I have weeks of this to go. We have to do a group one next week.

Oh one other thing before I bore myself to tears - I actually have nothing to blog about

My friend - a fellow Mum at the school has just gone and got the same coat as me
Don't you just hate it when that happens? mind you I have to say it looks better on me

She knew it was the same as mine - why buy it, we look a right pair of twats standing at the school now

Overkill on the emoticons?????????

Ok I've decided that the presentation I'm doing tomorrow night that needs to begin with Dis will be.........Disposables Vs Reusables.

Nappies that is!

So I logged on to tinternet for some research - like you do, to my utter amazement it's an absolute minefield.

There are fanatics out there.

Warring factions on both sides, there are forums and the women in them attack like wild dogs.
Admitting on certain forums that you actually use "Dispicable disposables" is almost on par with admitting that you indulge in satan worshipping.

The Environment Agency recently (last May) did some research into the effects on the environment of disposables and they actually reported that with the excessive use of fossil fuels used for washing reusables and the chemicals needed to clean them sufficeintly, hey are ctually no better for the environment than the disposables that take 500 years to degrade in landfill.

The pro reusables argue that the environment agencies study was actually funded by the multi national nappy makers including Pampers and Huggies..........Not too sure about this theory!?

I'm just thinking that these people have far to much time on their hands......

Oh and I use disposables ;o)

I must admit that I'm not looking forward to it.

His wife isn't going - no idea why

I think there is only going to be 7 of us there. Not much to show for nearly 90 years on the planet - still I suppose that the important people will be there.

I seem to have lost it.

I've got a Maths assignment and Maths homework to do. I also have a presentation to do on Wednesday on anything beginning with Dis....

It's taken me all weekend but I've finally found some motivation from somewhere to do the assignment and homework but the presentation prep's still hanging over me.

I do enjoy the course but it's hard to keep it going with a job and two young children.

The recent statistics of 1 in 4 nurses dropping out before they qualify is also filling me with dread.

What if I put in 2 years of effort and don't get a place at uni?

What if I get a place and drop out cos I can't manage it with the kids?

Are the kids missing out because I'll be busy?

Will family provide the support that I'm going to need?

Should I wait until 2008 when Toms at school full time?

Am I being stupid and foolhardy thinking that I could actually do this?

I'm not usualy this de-motivated, I think I'm just tired. That flu really knocked me for six.

I have to have my say on this issue.

It's actually the only thing this government has done that I wholeheartedly agree with.

Banning smoking in enclosed public places can only be a good thing can't it?

Firstly I used to smoke. I smoked about 20 a day for about 7 years. I quit, cold turkey. I haven't smoked for 6 years and I will never smoke again.

Giles smokes, my Mum smokes, my Grandad smokes and my uncle smokes. One of my Sisters in law smokes an some of my friends smoke. I don't have an issue with them smoking - I think they are stupid but I don't preach. I wish Giles would quit purely because of the health implications and it's no role model for the children.

No one smokes in my house. They are welcome to go into the garden, Giles included, which they do.

I don't care if people want to smoke as long as it's no where near me, I hate it. I hate the fact that it's so dangerous and they don't seem to understand the health implications, I hate the fact that I smell when I come home from a restaurant or pub and I also hate the fact that I managed to give up smoking only to have my lungs filled with second hand smoke from others.

Giles is very "anti" the ban, obviously he is - he smokes.

He argues it's his human right to smoke, well that's as maybe but surely it's my human right not to have cancer passively inflicted upon me by others?

He argues if non smokers don't like it don't go to the pub, when did pubs become the property of smokers? Is going to the pub all about smoking?

He argues that he is contributing more to the National Health Service in tax by paying high duty on his cigarettes, lots of people him included buy their cigarettes duty free from abroad. paying no tax at all therefore contributing nothing to the Health Service but sucking it dry with smoking related diseases.

Come on smokers understand that this addiction will not only affect your health but that of others around you aswell.

I've just finished reading a book called "My Childhood Hell inside a Magdalen Laundry" by a lady called Kathy O'Beirne.

It's a shocking look inside the abuse that she suffered as a child. Beaten by her father she was taken from her loving mother and placed into a reformatory school at a very young age - about 6 I think. She was then sent to a mental institution for standing up and saying that she had been abused by a priest. In the mental institution she was drugged and given electric shock treatment. Finally she was sent to a Magdalen Laundry aged just 8 years. She was again raped at the age of 13 by a priest and became pregnant - the child was looked after by Nuns but later died aged 10 years due to a bowel condition.

She is out now and living her life as best she can with the memories of such abuse in her past, she is also campaigning for justice for herself and others many of whom are still incarcerated to this day as they have become so institutionalised they couldn't live alone.

It is a truly harrowing read.

Something that I find equally disturbing is that she is the same age as my own mother. This is a fairly recent thing. The last Magdalen Laundry only closed it's doors in 1996. How could this have been allowed to go on?

How exactly do young children manage to live through truly horrendous times like she did?

I did feel a little voyueristic reading the book, but it is a very inspirational read.

Back in the land of the living FINALLY!

Well I think that we certainly had the "flu" last week. Everything went pear shaped on Tuesday night. I felt dreadful on Wednesday as did Grace. we managed to get Giles Mum to come and collect a very lively Thomas and we just slept all day on the sofa. Wednesday evening I should have been at college but couldn't make it, luckily my Mum was coming to look after the kids so she cooked the kids some tea and bathed them for me......What would we do without mums and mother in laws? We've only really started to feel better in the last couple of days - although I'm incredibly tired.

Wednesday afternoon also saw the passing of Giles grandad. He'd been ill in hospital for over a week and we were all expecting it but it's still very sad. At least he's not suffering anymore. his funeral is on Tuesday 21st Feb. His family have decided against having anyone take a service, Giles, his Mum and Dad and his sister will get up and say some words instead. I think Giles is a bit nervous about what to say.

On Saturday Grace had a party to go to, it was at a soft play centre not that local to us. I managed to blag a lift with the little boys whose party it was. I've never been to the centre before and it when we got there I was astonished at how huge it was. There were about 5 levels within an enormous rectangular shaped thing. There was rope covring the sides so that the children couldn't fall out. There was a multitude of slides, rope swings, playhouses, tunnels, ball ponds and the like. It was massive. They were all playing very nicely and then it was time to come home. Lewis whose party it was, was asked to go in and find Grace as we were heading home. About 10 minutes later he came out saying he couldn't find her. Matt, Lewis's Dad agreed to go in and have a look for her, I walked around the outside with Lewis's mum looking. I must confess at this point to starting to feel a little panicked. the place was so huge and there were kids everywhere. Matt came out and said there was no sign of here in there we cheked the toilets although I knew she wouldn't have gone without me, we checked the smaller childrens area the shop - everywhere.

So now I'm having full on Adrenalin symptoms - pounding heart, dry mouth, heightened senses and lurching tummy. kelly one of the other Mums said she'd go in and have a look for me so we had 2 parents in the climbing area and 3 on the outside looking. I started to imagine that maybe someone had taken her - up unitl now I was convinced she was here somewhere. Children DO get kidnapped what if someones got her?

Finally a full 35 minutes after we started looking Matt found her, she had been in one of the playhouses, he'd looked in there once but hadn't seen her. The relief was immense I just cuddled her and cuddled her. She was oblivious to the fuss, bless her.

I will never go there again. It's too big.

On one final note, we've started Tom on the naughty step regime. His spitefulness has reached fever pitch this weekend.

I took him and showed him the second step up on the stairs and explained than naughty children have to sit here if they do something unkind. I was quite sceptical at first as was Giles I think, however I've ginev the warning a few times but only had to carry out the action once since Saturday (early days I know). To my utter amazement he sat there, ok he tried to get up twice and I put him back. Eventually he sat there until I went and got him 2 minutes later. He apologised for his bad behaviour and all was calm again. Fingers crossed it works!

HELP................
Ok, I have coughed, sneezed, ached and shivered for the last 3 days as have my kids.

I have to admit that today I am feeling a little better although my ear hurts!

When are we going to have a cure for Flu?

A Cold I can cope with, a decongestant and some painkillers and you struggle on.

This horrid virus I cannot.

Come on all you geneticists out there mapping our genes, all you Nasa scientists putting man on the moon (allegedly - although that's a whole new post) and all those doctors out there providing face translpants - where is it? A cure ......PLEEEEEASE................

Another day on the sofa

All we've done all day today is slob on the sofa. We all have high temps, sniffles and coughs.

Tom's been really hot between doses of Ibuprofen and Calpol and so clingy. He's sat on the sofa all day clinging to me.

Grace has been the same, last night she gave me a scare though. About 10.30 I was sitting down on the sofa and Giles and I heard an awful noise. I recognised it as a croup cough and thought it was Tom, this happened when he last had a cough too. I ran upstairs only to find Grace sat on the edge of her bed barking and gasping for breath!

I took her into the bathroom getting ready to put the taps on and create some steam. Luckily she calmed down, I gave her some Tixylix and she was fine. I was on the brink of calling an ambulance at one pioint though, it's very scary.

This bug certainly seems to have a hold on the three of us.

I think I spoke too soon about not catching the lurgey.

My nose is feeling itchy, my throats sore and I've had a headache all day .

Grace was sick all over me last night, I got her up bout 10pm as she was burning up, I duly administered Calpol and allowed her to lie on the sofa with Daddy while I had a bath. Once I'd finished I came down to get her carried her upstairs and she threw up all over me! Ewwww.

Tom's slept all day mostly. I took advantage of the fact that he wanted to go to bed this afternoon and left him sleeping for nearly 3 hours. I finally peeled myself from under Grace's duvet on the sofa and woke him. I'm now paying for that as he won't go to sleep!

I'm now off to make a cup of tea and get myself a Sainsbury's Lemon Bakewell - they are absolutely lovely.

I'm going to sit on the sofa and carry on plowing through Dan Brown's Angels and Demons, I'm bored with it but can't leave a book unfinished. I've got 3 new books from Amazon that I'm desperate to start so I'd better crack on .

Yep I passed my Maths tests. 90% no less!

I'm off in a mo to paint a big black cross on the door, yep my house is contaminated. Not with the black death - I should be thankful for that at least. With this flu virus thing that's doing the rounds. Last week we were infected with the sickness and poop thing. Aren't we lucky to have been blessed with both viruses doing the rounds.

So Grace looks terrible and Tom's been laying on the sofa all day complaining that he's cold, even though he blatantly had a temperature of at least 39 degrees.

I'm anticipating a hard day tomorrow with two little sicklies, Calpol and lots of cuddles will be the order of the day I think.

Right off to paint the cross - and I'll erect a sign I think............

Beware all ye who dare to enter

Mmmm.

We started this module last night in Biology, and to be honest I'm not too sure that I'm going to like it. Although I thought that about cell biology and absolutely loved that in the end so perhaps I'll change my mind.

I love fascinatingly interesing facts, but I think this may be slightly too fascinating iyswim!

It seems very complex and obviously we only study up to A-Level standard so I'm not having to learn the real complex stuff - I'm not expected to understand fully the Human Genome Project, just have a little understanding.

I have briefly visited wellcome's site on the Human Genome Project and it's amazing, although something that I find slightly unnerving is that you can now actually buy gene's testing kits on the internet to diagnose some genetic disorders .

Surely sitting at home in your lounge with a testing kit, looking for genetic disorders isn't a great idea

Well hello there.

I'm Jo, married to Giles rearing two littlies known as Grace who is 5 and Thomas who is 2.

I'm a working Mum, and I'm also studying. By day I'm a credit controller and by night I'm an Access student studying for an Access to Nursing and Midwifery qualification. I'm hoping to apply to uni to start my Adult Nursing Diploma in September 2007, all being well.

I usually keep a blog at www.20six.co.uk/jopolley. But they are in the process of having some changes so I thought I'd try somewhere new, although I will still keep that blog going aswell.

My blog's mainly features my kids, my day to day life and my studies - occasionally my husband aswell!
With all this in my life I'm tremendously busy and I find the blog gives me a place to reflect, aswell as serving as an outlet for my often stressed emotions.
So that's me really...........let my rambling commence