Settling into January
Got our last - probably - Xmas card this week. Our decorations are all down and stored away which makes the house look about three times as big. Yay! Oddly though we seem to be in something of a minority. The civic lights are still up and still ON! The Trees have come down and most of the larger stores have their decorations down but the pubs, restaurants and smaller shops seem to be hanging onto the Xmas season way past what I ever remember seeing before. Is it just 'end-of-the-world apathy? Because bloody hell but the state of the country is pretty damn lousy and we could use some twinkly lights to cheer us up.
The house is unnaturally tidy because the mortgage company for our buyers sent their valuer round today. When it is neater like this - though it never makes it all the way to 'neat' - it seems far more possible to live here.
Class was good this week. Got some comment and discussion from everyone. As usual tried to shoehorn too many books into the picture book session but it went swimmingly and I did not put my back out lugging the big bag of handouts and books along with me. (Taxi home though.) Funny how some students have no sense of humour though. One of BB's all time favourites is a little book called 'Time for bed' and is about a baby bear who says 'nah!' a lot and who doesn't want to go to bed. Eventually of course he ends up lovely and asleep and all is well but my class were very stern about the pedagogical message this might send to young children. As far as I can tell the message is that it is Ok to express yourself but tantrums and denial will get you just as firmly 'bed'ed as compliance but that your Dad still loves you even when you drive him to distraction. Perhaps you have to have kids ... God! I hate that argument! It's a woeful argument.
The house is unnaturally tidy because the mortgage company for our buyers sent their valuer round today. When it is neater like this - though it never makes it all the way to 'neat' - it seems far more possible to live here.
Class was good this week. Got some comment and discussion from everyone. As usual tried to shoehorn too many books into the picture book session but it went swimmingly and I did not put my back out lugging the big bag of handouts and books along with me. (Taxi home though.) Funny how some students have no sense of humour though. One of BB's all time favourites is a little book called 'Time for bed' and is about a baby bear who says 'nah!' a lot and who doesn't want to go to bed. Eventually of course he ends up lovely and asleep and all is well but my class were very stern about the pedagogical message this might send to young children. As far as I can tell the message is that it is Ok to express yourself but tantrums and denial will get you just as firmly 'bed'ed as compliance but that your Dad still loves you even when you drive him to distraction. Perhaps you have to have kids ... God! I hate that argument! It's a woeful argument.