Crazy Cat Lady Chapter 5 - Trying to recover from the pandemic

Buffythedebtslayer

apple_muncher said:

Hope you managed to get stuff done this week.

We've got our second set of mocks next week. By the time we have to do the third set, I'll be running the REAL orals!

Take care x

Here our second set are cancelled! hilarious! So we have the one set. 

CCL, sending love for this weekend, I hope you are feeling well, it is a tough time XXXX 

apple_muncher

The difference in performance between the first set and these (and I have only marked 1 of the 4 papers so far) is huge. Given the last two years, these kids have needed more time to be ready for exams, and if I had to rely on their first mock, their grades would be way down. I am finally hopeful for them😁.

f0xh0les

Update on NT1 please!! Is she ok? are you ok?

crazy_cat_lady

Afternoon all.
I'm ok - we're all ok, and surviving. NT1 hasn't been to the vet yet f0xh0les but I am dreading it. She is very elderly and frail now and has gotten another lump. I have already made the decision that she will not be put through another operation - she's had 4 major surgeries over the past 5 years and it's not fair on me or her. I don't even know if she'd survive another operation. She's well enough in herself - eating, sleeping and sunbathing but is definitely getting on. I don't think it's time just yet though...
I have finally, finally finished the short term exam work. That should be it exam wise now until the real deal in May - come the Easter hols I might actually get some time to relax. 6 weeks to go - not that I'm counting down before we've even gone back to school or anything
Exam performance is poor all over - our Y11 are definitely still in denial but bearing in mind that the government says Covid has gone now I see no reason at all that the real thing will not happen this year. It had better because I can't bear the idea of having to do my examiner job in my teaching role again this year without the very much needed extra money. We have mocks with Y11 next week and I really hope that they do better than they did before Christmas.
I am quite tired considering it's the last day of the holidays. Thankfully today's all day meeting was finished by lunchtime so I have the afternoon to finish getting ready for tomorrow. I need to prep lunches and sort out my finances this afternoon as they have been completely neglected for the entire month of February and I've blown my budget on takeaways while I've been so busy.
I need to pop to Mr S for a couple of things and then I'm going to sit and crochet and watch a bit of telly and forget about exams for a bit.

crazy_cat_lady

Morning all
I know I'm finished with Job 2 in the short term. But you know when you've worked 6 weeks without any sort of break and then you're still working (although less hours), and you've had a kidney infection, and Russia have invaded Ukraine and it all just gets a bit much? That. I crashed big time at the beginning of the week and have spent much of the rest of the week just drained and worn out and miserable, and lots of little things got the better of me.
I took NT1 to the vets on Monday night and it was as I'd expected. In a few words - she's on her last legs. She's lost more weight and she was tiny to start with and the vet agreed with me that there's no point in operating again as she doesn't have long left. Although I already knew this it hurt to hear it from the professionals and I spent the rest of the evening very upset and spoiling my ancient lady. On the positive side, she's still eating, still getting about ok and still using the litter tray. Vet says that when any of those things stop then that's the time. Absolutely dreading that when it comes but trying to plod on and enjoy her while she's still here.
Mocks week at work, so that has also been busy. I can tell that a lot of the kids are trying harder but the scores are all just a bit 'meh' - which is infinitely better than how badly they all did before Christmas. Plus we have 2 off in the department off with Covid which everyone just seems to have forgotten still exists. We still have to isolate regardless of the national rules so we've been a bit pushed with supply staff etc.
On top of that, I'm becoming drained with a few of the people I work with. As if it wasn't hard enough working with an anti vaxxer for the past 2 years there is now a lot of debate going on about the war in Ukraine which I didn't think would happen (but feared it might). That's hard work - it's bad enough hearing it on the news all of the time, and I also have a family member working for the press out there which is an additional worry.
And if all of that wasn't enough ds also decided that this was the week his anger would just bubble over the top. We're working on it but it was just another thing to be dealing with.
However, there have been a few positives... I meal prepped all week and even planned in a little pub meal for me and the kids on Wednesday night as I knew I was finishing late. I know there are only 5 year groups in my school but I actually feel as though I'm doing a Parents evening every single week. Plus I have ds parents evening as an actual parent in a couple of weeks as well. Roll on Easter. Pub meal was lovely and a nice little rest and relax in an otherwise really busy and stressful time. Meal planning and prep saves me time and money and I wish I had the motivation to do it a bit more often. Having said that - I've prepped a bit for next week and intend to do a bit more this afternoon after we've been to see my mam for lunch.
Sun is out - I've caught up with washing and can have the back door open and line dry. The nights are getting lighter and I'm going to be able to get out and start walking again. Just need to actually make myself do that. I have the time - just not the oomph. But I know when I actually do go then I'll like it and it won't take me long to get back into it (ankle permitting - I seem to be having a lot of trouble again with that at the moment).
Spring is coming and those lighter days and nights make a massive difference don't they? In spite of everything else that's going on in the world and my life at the moment.
Take care all of you - I hope that life is treating you kindly - I'm going to try and catch up today.

Baileys_Babe

Lovely to hear from you @crazy_cat_lady you sound so positive 😊 despite all the negative things in the world and your life.

Meal planning and prep make such a difference, yes they save me time and money but most importantly for me it saves mental energy.

An occasional midweek meal out with the children sounds good. Is this something you can factor into your budget once or twice a term on days when you are very time poor to give you some downtime and a catch up with the children?

Honeysucklelou2

Am also very thankful for the lighter evenings. Not long now until the clocks go back and evening walks will be a pleasure again.

Drawingaline

I did a 10k walk today, it was lovely, if a bit tiring. But I find it very difficult to carve out the time atm. 

Our boys are only (almost) 2, but the idea of one of them no longer being around already fills me with dread. To have shared a long time with a pet it must make that end decision heart breaking, even if you know deep down it is the right one. 

And I totally understand the anger issues with a child. Our smallest has full time one to one at school in year 5, and in year 1 he spent two terms in a special unit due to his violence. It all stems from anxiety and a need to control his environment, still makes it hard though. We have the fight ahead to get him into the special needs secondary school that has 8 spaces.......fun times!

Take care

crazy_cat_lady

Hello!
Wonder why and how I've managed to drop down to just a weekly check in. Definitely not my intention but I suppose it proves how busy I still am.
NT1 is still the same - old and frail but feisty. Eating, drinking, sleeping, pooping and getting about ok. So I am still just enjoying her. I get tearful if I think about it too much but I try to just make the most of her still being here. I didn't even object too much when she barfed on my pillow - bedding needed changed anyway...
Other than that it's been a busy work week as always but the main focus has been on dd's car. She has completely lost her faith in it because it cut out on her last week when she was out practising. We have decided to get rid of it, but that is proving to be more complicated than I thought. I'd found a garage that was going to buy it off me yesterday, but when they looked under the bonnet there were 2 hoses that were completely disconnected and when he reconnected them the car cut out. I've no idea what happened, but bearing in mind the car had been in the garage for almost a week at the beginning of February I expected it would be fine under the bonnet. So it's going back into my garage - I've told him that whatever should have been sorted at the service and MOT needs doing and that I need it functional enough to get rid of without losing loads of money. I was quite shocked because I've always really trusted him so I really hope that it's a mistake rather than my getting ripped off. We'll see. I'm just about to drop it off there and post the keys. This really needs to be the last money I spend on it. The lads at the other garage were trying to tell me I'd been ripped off but I find that so difficult to believe. I've been using my mechanic for 15 years and he's never let me down. It just feels like this car is a bit cursed. Time to bin it off... I also need dd to get her confidence back as well because she has her test next month. Ugh. I hate it when I'm so clueless about things. I need to learn properly the practical side of how a car is put together and how it works. My dad and stepdad are too old to help me and I don't know who I can trust any more.
Anyway. Full week at work, day out and about with the kids yesterday. We did our Wetherspoons Wednesday on Saturday which was lovely because the three of us don't spend much time together doing stuff any more. Then grocery shopping. I've done another week of properly planned and batch cooked meals which is excellent as my petrol budget is now almost as large as my grocery budget (something else that makes me cry if I overthink it). Today, after I've dropped the car off, dd and I are going to visit my mam. She is also starting to worry me a bit - her physical and mental health has badly deteriorated over the pandemic and she suddenly seems really old... 
Hospital appointment Wednesday next week for a kidney scan - see if there's anything untoward going on there... Well, I get the scan but I expect I'll then have to wait for another appointment to discuss the results, lol.
4 more work weeks until Easter hols. Not that I'm counting or anything.

foxgloves

Sorry to hear your Mum's not too good, @crazy_cat_lady. They are a worry, aren't they? Well done on the meal planning &.batch cooking..I know it's not really your thing, but it does save money & it's nice to be able to get a home made ready meal out of the freezer knowing that it just needs heating up.
F x