Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally

HairyHandofDartmoor

Nicnak said:

I love your tree. My mum has hers done a certain way and is do specific. It's not cluttered but everything is just so. Nobody else could decorate it. 
I like mine mismatched and full of DD's makes x

Thanks Nicnak .

Sunshine_girl2 said:

Hope you have had a good day at school. The weather here has been dire , so dark and gloomy. All your Christmas things are lovely and hold lots of memories. 

Thanks Sunshine .

beanielou

The thing this year are letterbox trees that post through the letterbox and come fully decorated. Who know!! 

HairyHandofDartmoor

I was freezing all day at school on Monday 😨. The facilities at school are so awful and the few rooms that we do have were being used by teachers, which meant that three TAs were sat in the corridor (on infant size plastic chairs) supporting children with their work and as the door to the playground was open and I was sitting right next to it I was absolutely frozen. I had my coat on and I was still cold  😨. Myself and another TA were also printing, collating and stapling some assessment papers and we couldn't find a stapler that worked or had the right size staples despite searching in three classrooms, so had to borrow one from the office in the end 😡. We agreed that it would be easier to bring one in from home, but we really shouldn't have to. I've never worked in a place so lacking in basic equipment to do the jobs that need doing, but it's all down to lack of funding 😡.

Apart from that the day was good apart from another toilet accident incident 🙄. A child told me he'd got a bit of pooh in his pants, so I fetched him some school pants, then it turned out he had pooh on his trousers too 😱, so I went off to fetch him school trousers and a large plastic bag to drop his dirty clothes into to take home (nice surprise for mum and dad 🤣). He said he wanted help wiping his bottom 😳 but I said he had to do it himself (apart from safeguarding issues I have to draw the line somewhere). Meanwhile as one class has to use one toilet cubicle, there were two children waiting outside the toilet hopping around with their legs crossed waiting for him to change his clothes 🤣. I told him to come outside to put his shoes back on, especially as he was putting them on the wrong feet 🤣. He ended up going home as it kept happening so he's obviously caught the tummy bug going around the school. I just hope I don't catch it. There's never a dull moment  🤣.

Yesterday I was in the difficult class working with the tricky boy. The teacher asked me to keep him outside the classroom ALL morning whilst the other children did assessments as she didn't want them to be disturbed, so I had maths and english for him to do and a variety of other tasks. He was really cooperative (mostly) so I let him play with lego for fifteen minutes at the end of the morning as a reward for doing all his work. I felt pleased with myself for getting him to do all his work and leave the teacher in peace all morning, although it was more due to his good mood than my efforts probably  🤔. Lunchtime was hectic as one of my colleagues is off with a tummy bug and her temporary replacement (the PE instructor) was not so fast and kept stopping to chat to the children which put us all behind 🙄.

Today I don't have to be in until lunchtime 🙂, which I'm pleased about as I felt really tired when I got home yesterday. I've put a wash on and folded up the clean washing that was on the clothes horses. Apart from that I'm trying to relax as who knows what this afternoon will bring .

I hope everyone has a good Wednesday now we're not locked down. At least we can go shopping now if we want to (and for a pint and scotch egg 🤣😂).

milann

Have a relaxing morning. Hope you have a lovely afternoon 👍

teafor2

Hi HHD I can't bear being cold so I'd have had to shut the door. Without getting into H&S there's a certain temperature where adults and children aren't expected to be in school or in fact any place of work at all. I know that's probably difficult given the covid situation and the need for ventilation, but even so. 

Until you've worked in a school it's an absolute eye opener regarding lack basic supplies isn't it. I've known teachers have to bring their own glue in. Mind you, I've seen an awful lot of waste as well. Stacks of work books that were no longer the right colour for the subject were all binned once. Does it really matter if History is in a green or blue book? Apparently so. 

I'm glad your charge had a good morning. I know a lot depends on a child's mood but I also think how you're dealing with him and the consistency of having you work with him will be really helping him. Have a good day. xx

HairyHandofDartmoor

milann said:

Have a relaxing morning. Hope you have a lovely afternoon 👍

Thanks Milann .    

teafor2 said:

Hi HHD I can't bear being cold so I'd have had to shut the door. Without getting into H&S there's a certain temperature where adults and children aren't expected to be in school or in fact any place of work at all. I know that's probably difficult given the covid situation and the need for ventilation, but even so. 

Until you've worked in a school it's an absolute eye opener regarding lack basic supplies isn't it. I've known teachers have to bring their own glue in. Mind you, I've seen an awful lot of waste as well. Stacks of work books that were no longer the right colour for the subject were all binned once. Does it really matter if History is in a green or blue book? Apparently so. 

I'm glad your charge had a good morning. I know a lot depends on a child's mood but I also think how you're dealing with him and the consistency of having you work with him will be really helping him. Have a good day. xx

Thanks TF2 . I think it's shocking how poorly resourced we are and how many staff would be expected to sit on an infant sized plastic chair all day?

HairyHandofDartmoor

I forgot to mention that I joined a union yesterday. I've been thinking I should anyway and the changes going on at school meant that I got on and did it. It will only cost me £3.50 a week so it won't make too big a dent in my wages and it will give me some protection. The biggest problem I had was deciding which one to join!

Yesterday I also changed the duvet on our bed from the summer one to the winter one. DH and I both feel we haven't been sleeping very well lately and I thought it might have been because we were getting cold in the night. We both felt we slept more soundly last night, so hopefully the warmer duvet did the trick .

Some really good news is that DH has saved Christmas by making a sale  🎉🎉🎉👏👏👏😁😁😁. Although I've been earning more lately, he's been earning very little and I was seriously worried about how to pay for Christmas as most of my November wages went on the mortgage and bills. However we can now afford to start buying Christmas presents and a few festive food items, so I feel a bit more relaxed about it all now. 😁🎄🎅. DH has also been told that another new customer wants to buy from him, however until they've signed an order form and paid their money up front we won't count our chickens, as there's many a slip twixt cup and lip!

Lunchtime was fine, apart from very varied weather, going from light rain to sunshine to heavy rain 🌧☀️🌧. I had to take my class indoors for the last ten minutes, but they are so good and quietly got on with some colouring I gave them. I feel like I've died and gone to heaven when I'm with my lunchtime class 😇. When I'm with my difficult class I feel the opposite  😈.
My afternoon with the difficult class was as usual, a power struggle between some of the naughtier children and the staff. The staff win but it takes some effort and energy 😡. I learnt how to put away the gym equipment safely today though from the only staff member who seemed to know how to do it. I felt a bit warmer at school today so I think the temperature has gone up a bit as the doors and windows are still open. I didn't have to wear my coat today. But I'd rather die of exposure than the virus. 

Well, the shops are open but I don't really understand who all these people are who have time to go shopping today 🤔, unless they've been made redundant and then how can they afford to go shopping 🤔?  I'm disappointed about D3b3nhams as I do shop there occasionally for kitchen stuff (their Jspr Cnrn kitchen range is to die for) and clothes, plus I feel sorry for the staff. It will make a big gap in many high streets and online shopping is not the same as I like to wander around shops and look at things, sigh 😥.

It's fantastic news about the vaccine being approved for use today and gives hope for a return to normality before too long  🎉🎉🎉.

I hope everyone is having a good Wednesday  🙂.

Willowtree222

Excellent news about DH. 
That must be a bit of a relief. 
Most schools I've worked in have been under resourced x

beanielou

Great news for DH & you. 😊

foxgloves

Good news on that sale, HHoD. At least you can do a bit of festive planning now.
I agree about Debenhams. I feel sorry for the staff & this is a store we've all known our whole lives. Our nearest city centre has now lost its only remaining department store, as its House of Fraser branch had already closed down. I do think towns & cities need an 'anchor store' or two.
F x