Bonjour 2012!

Hello 2012! We welcome a new year with high hopes. I have had so much happen since I was last spotted blogging something down, and hopefully I can share all that in a few sentences. 

I am now a very proud teacher of a wonderful Year 1 class in central Birmingham. They are an absolute delight, at times a bit lively, but they are 5 years old, what do you expect?! It all just came very suddenly so I have been busy planning, planning and planning. Mike and I finally took a much deserved holiday to Roma. One of my most favourite places in the world. I think it has something to do with its beauty. Every where you look a rustic building, beautiful cobble streets, sun always shinning, and it just amazes me that a wonderfully old and historical city just exists in a busy metropolitan. The food was never a disappointment. I had the chance to visit Rome while I was in university and even after seeing it again in December I would gladly go back. I think Italy is one of the countries I would love to see every part of. There are so many other cities I want to visit, Tuscany, Milan, Sicily, Pisa, and the list could just go on. There is nothing quite like Rome. Mike had a blast. It was his first time and he enjoyed every single minute. We walked all of Rome, which really is not that big. Its just every step you take you feel inclined to take a picture, so it takes you three times longer to get to a destination. But we took this vacation for exactly that, to relax and enjoy life. To take a step back, to get out of our busy city lives. We arrived back home in Birmingham on Christmas eve and we spent it with one of my closest friends. 

 

New Years was quiet because we already had such a busy and amazing time in Rome and great Christmas. We went to see some fireworks in the city but that was a big flop. 3 fireworks went up and something caught on fire and it was the end lol. But ah well, Mike and I had time to just be together before going back to the daily grind of work. Although for me, I still had another week off, which I used to plan my next term. 

Its always hard for me to make a new years resolution because I am never good at doing it.

So instead, I am going to do what I always do, just hope for a better year and try to be happy in what I have. I think thats my biggest issue, always wanting more. And I am so happy I have Mike because he is one of those people that can see the good in the smallest thing. I am very excited about my classroom, but I think I am finally looking forward to coming home. My one year abroad turned into 2 and I think im done. I can't wait to have my own place in Canada now. Although, six months in Rome wouldn't be a bad idea either!

This year I am looking forward to welcoming in a new family member, baby Huerto will be born in February and its very exciting. Still not sure if it will be a girl or boy, but either would be very cool! Its weird to think that my parents already had a family started at my age, but I am nowhere near that. There are still so many things I would like to do before I sit at home with a kid. But I think being abroad and having 30 children every day is a factor. I feel like being abroad will maybe keep me younger in some way, but I know its not. I am just a travel nut. I want to see the world. I've always wanted to see the world, and I don't forsee that ever changing. I am so grateful that I have dipped my toe into different parts of the world, largely thanks to my parents, but they have created a monster :p 

All I want to do is see new things, see old things really because the old things are just beautiful, they are a one of a kind and I think thats what I love so much about it.

Well, only time can tell what the future brings. All you can do is make the right decisions, see where the wind takes you. And so far, its been a pretty good ride :)

little bit of happiness

Happy Saturday morning, ah well afternoon all!

I know its been ages since I've posted anything, lifes just getting busier, in a good way!

In case you haven't heard the news yet, I am the new Year 1 teacher at a school in Birmingham :) Poor kids have had 4 different teachers since September, but they are remarkably good behaved, well relatively speaking. They will be much better by the end of the year :) I hope. I actually got a classroom over haul, and because so many different teachers were in the classroom, everything was just everywhere. The school had a team come in and take everything out and reorganized, labeled and put into the proper places :) So part of the week I've been trying to get it to a reasonable liking of my choice. Pictures will come up soon. I have 30 little babies, and babies is exactly what they are lol. 5-6 years olds complain about EVERY LITTLE THING, from so and so is not my friend, to so and so said bum face! OMG lol, but thankfully I have a wicked TA who is so helpful and I could not do this without her. The staff at the school is fantastic! People I don't even know were telling me they all missed me when I was off for a day. So glad I went to this interview a few weeks ago because I almost skipped out on it. I guess you really cannot predict the future and you need to try every opportunity given to you.

I have my first encounter with the parents this coming Tuesday for numeracy week. Year 1 is putting on a workshop so parents can come in and learn some numeracy activities to play with their children at home. This will be interesting because I've heard some stories lol. Can't wait to see what happens. 

So other than that great news, Christmas holidays is soon approaching and we still have not decided where to go. I need a holiday lol, at least for a week and the other week will be planning time I'm sure.

Tonight I cannot wait for! Who ever is left of our group is coming out for some tradition drinks at a pub (which btw means public house in case you didn't know, I only found that one out a few weeks ago lol)! It used to be a much more regular part of the week but everyone slowly either got busy, or broke from lack of work, but I am happy to say that everyone right now is in a good standing! yeahh! Since my last presence online, we have made loads of new friends, and by we, I mean Mike lol. So hopefully this year is a new chance of faces, but also keeping in with the original peoples :) 

I will try my best to keep you all up-to-date, but this classroom is keeping my hands tied, but thats ok, they are worth it. 

Cheerio!

next on the list?

I know the school year has really just begun, but today I started thinking about where I want to be next year. As I was surfing the net for job posts I was reminded of the jobless summer that must come before next school year. Crikey. But I am thinking of popping to a different part of the world for September 2012. Those remote teaching jobs pay off years of education bills that for sure. I know I'm sitting thinking, hmm how bad could it be? But I am gonna guess far more than anything I would ever expect. Whats more important? Financial stability or being in a city with more than 200 people to keep you sane? Hmmm. lol. I would love to teach in Italy, but then again, not going to help me financially. Teaching in Italy would kind of be like this year. Being anywhere in Europe I think will tempt me too much to travel and what not. I want to learn Italian, which is probably why I've been looking for jobs there. Although, as I was researching possible positions, I came across a past teachers experience. In a nutshell, imagine teaching in Toronto, London, Birmingham, any inner city school and magnify that. Not to mention the natural tendencies of Italians to just be much louder. Kinda turned me off that whole idea. So now I'm thinking of where else I can go, thats not the middle east. hmm, well, only time will tell. That's it for my ranting today, I've gotta prep work for my nursery class this week. Oh so little, and so needy
:p

first final product

I have finished a project! yeah! I've started so many things and it just takes me forever to actually get it all done, so yeah me :) I actually completed this on day two. I was on such a roll I did not want to stop so I ended up making a headband :) My next attempt will be a blanket, and I plan on keeping it forever regardless of how ugly it turns out to be :)

So stay tuned!

possibly a granny at heart?

So its recently come to my attention that I think I have the soul of an old person. Well, in some respects at least. For instance, I have recently taken up crocheting. What 25 year old just takes up crocheting? ME, thats who! And my word, it is a tremendously harder than it looks. I started yesterday after seeing a friends blanket (which looked AMAZING! Go Lisa!) and thought, hey, how hard can that be? *YIKES* Well my first attempt looked like I had just tied the string in a bunch of knots. I think I probably stitched and undid my work 5 times before I figured it out. And at that, I thought I was doing an OK job, until today. I decided to try a different video on Youtube, which was much, much better. This is the video I watched today! I realized what I was doing wrong. Your supposed to double stitch into a double piece of yarn, not a single, and that is probably why my piece from last night looked so wrong. If the first lady would have said that I would have been much further today. If she did say it I must have missed it, or she wasn't being clear! :p 

By the end of this I hope I can make a blanket, or throw, thats my goal :) Oh right, yesterday for some reason I tried to do a wavy afrghan blanket.. whoa nelly, I think I will go back to that after I have made myself a headband! 

Now, back to my original thought... being stuck in a old persons mind. Going to bed early I think I can contribute to work, the school day starts at 9am, and unlike those of you who roll in at 9, I have massive amounts of prep work to do which means I really start at 8am. Not having a car also means I need to take the glorious public transit system :( Add an hour to that, plus getting ready... so I am up at anywhere from 5:30-6:30am. Its blows. Hand in hand with that, I get tired real early, lol, so I go to bed early. I have also noticed my lack of ability to withstand the next day after drinking. OMG. If none of these signs point to old person, this certainly does! Its feels like I have been run over by multiple trucks and the only thing I can do is sleep. SO needles to say, not a lot of drinking happening these days. But glasses of wine are still great to have in the evenings :)

Pictures of my progress, or lack there of :s 

 So to the left was probably mt second or third attempt at chaining and single stitches....

 Which then turned into this eventually... trying to double stitch then today realized it was ALL WRONG :(

 

This was my attempt at an afghan wave blanket.. which will be revisited sometime in the not so near future.

This is what I did today... my double stitch :) Its actually green and all the other yarns of blue and purple :s 

I am quite proud of this! Not sure what it will turn out to be, but at least its getting somewhere! 

I find the hardest part is keeping the yarn at the right amount of tension, because all my above pieces are very loose. This one is coming along!

two cats, in love?

The most outrageous thing happens on our street. Every once in a  while, two cats, one black and one white, get together under the street light (the same exact spot each time, under that certain light). And what do they do? They Talk. For hours. No joke. And they are loud, you can hear them from down the street. So last night, it happened again. Half way through watching them I decided I would try and capture this on film because it is just too funny. One bloke actually walked past them, and the cats stopped talking, as if they knew they were being watched lol. As he walked further away the cats resumed their conversation. The last time we saw these cats chat about under the street light, it seemed as if one was breaking up with the other. One cat would take small steps away and look back and say something and the other would follow trying to convince him/her to stay. It really is the best thing to watch. Its weird to think that animals talk to each other, I wish someone would invent some type of device that translates animal talking into human speech! That would be amazing. I think I just found my new lifes work. hahaha jk. Check out last nights episode lol. They get into a bit of a quarrel near the end. And note, this is from our flat, 3 stories up and across the street!

stumbling...

So as I sit with my morning coffee I ponder what to do with myself. Did the job search all day yesterday so I thought I would take a brake. So, reverting back to my student life habits, I turned to Stumble Upon and came across a very neat arts and craftsy website which I am going to ad to my [people to watch] links. In the above picture she shows you how to make this magnificent paper flowers and much more. 

Great art lesson teachers! Possibly for mothers day?! :) Check it out!

jonesdesigncompany.com

Also, if you've never been to Italy, now the Sistine Chapel can come to you virtually. A much nicer experience than the real thing I tell you that! -->  Sistine Chapel

LADIES... This is an amazing, creative website that teaches you how to do cool hairstyles, make your own pieces and what not... very cool! Check it out! And named quite appropriately lol, lets face it, we are all a beautiful mess at least once a day! :D
a beautiful mess