Personal space and plain speaking

I was attending my regular aerobics class this morning, in the rather large aerobics room. Only one other participant and I, rattling round in the huge space. A third chick walked in - ten minutes late - then stood right in front of me, barely a metre away, and whichever way I moved so I could see the instructor this latecomer with the personal space problem moved back on me. Half way through the class I think she told the instructor she was from Sydney. I had a stuffy Melbournite /Nanna moment where I tsked in my brain about Sydney aerobics manners, but this made me laugh at myself. I don't really think you're rude, Sydney people. But I hope she goes back to you guys soon or my toes are in danger.

I was sitting next to Cherub at the kitchen table when he glanced over at me and said oh you're not in your jarmies. No, I said, I've had my shower. He gave me the once over and then casually and slightly contemptuously stated I don't like you when you're in your jarmies. Sheesh! They're posh Peter Alexander ones and everything. (you can see a bit of them in the kitten pic below) But upon further questioning we established it's a hair thing. He prefers it when my hair is in a ponytail. When I wear my pyjamas my hair hangs loose, and this is not to his liking, apparently. So much for my crowning glory.

I have a deal rule with Climber about the Harry Potter movies; he's not allowed to watch them until after we've read the book to him. This is because I love those books and I wanted him to have the experience of picturing it all in his mind's eye first without the movie doing all the work for him. Anyway, we've recently completed The Order of the Phoenix and on Sunday morning I mentioned that he could watch the DVD, at which he made to disapparate into the lounge room. So I had to call him back and tell him he'd have to watch it at a time when the Cherub was not around, as the HP movies are too scary for the little boy (not to mention the whole book rule thing which I'd quite like to implement for the Second-born but may have trouble enforcing). He agreed politely, but as soon as humanly possible, when Cherub was elsewhere occupied, Climber slipped away very quietly and put the movie on. When I later walked in on him I thought I'd reinforce the No Watching While Cherub's Around agreement so I asked what he would do if Cherub came in, hoping for a turn it off reply. But kids are honest, aren't they? Looking at me as though to check he'd got the right answer he said tell him to get out? I bet he would have, too.

Show and Tell

Every Tuesday morning I help out in Climber's classroom. It's part of the 'parents as classroom helpers' program at our school. In our first year at school, under the super-organised Tim, we:

• had a roster.
• had 2-4 parents on each day.
• heard reading from a group of kids, usually including our own child within that group.
• helped out with a variety of literacy activities.
• were greeted when we arrived and thanked when we left.

It was great fun.

Our teacher this year, K, is less talented administratively and thus the 'parents as classroom helpers' has been far [far!!] less structured. This year:

• I think it's only me who does it on a regular basis.
• It took a few months for K to work out what he wanted me to do.
• I ended up working predominantly with the kids who are struggling with reading, which given that I am not a literacy specialist was slightly daunting at first. NB They are both getting a LOT of specialist literacy support, the school is really well set up for these situations.
  
• I was never greeted or farewelled, which I missed because it's so cute ..."Good morning Caroline" ... I've taken to engineering my own greetings etc by announcing breezily as I walk in "Good Morning 1K!" And they all answer in chorus, they know what to do even if K doesn't.
  

K thinks I'm a good thing now and always looks crestfallen when I say I have to leave, and has muttered forlornly once or twice about how nice it would be to have help every day. Which, you know, K, if you'd been organised you could have had... there were well-trained parents willing to volunteer at the start of the year who drifted away, so to speak. He's a nice bloke is K, but he needs to get his act together.

I still have fun. I like hanging out and getting to know all the kids, plus I get a bit more insight into classroom dynamics (like for example the fact that K has now separated Climber from Angelina because they got too distracted together.) And I've developed a special little relationship with the 2 boys who can barely read. Today I had quite a result with one of them; I got him to read a 'd' level book to me (he is still on 'a' level with his home readers) and afterwards he was just SO proud of himself, and all fired up about reading. It was great.

But the real bonus to doing all this help is that I get to watch Climber doing his weekly Show-and-Tell. I love the concept of Show-and-Tell, the fact that the kids are getting up and articulating in public about things they like or have done. The reality, however, of Show-and-Tell is fairly humdrum. Oh look, another boy has brought in his Footy Swap cards. Oh and here's a little girl showing us the latest addition to her sticker book. Wow. And here's another lego creation. Seeing as how I get to witness K's ennui at this sort of presentation, I do my best to send Climber off with something mildly interesting. Which is not always easy to do, especially when you only remember what day it is 10 minutes before you leave for school.

But I am pleased as punch to announce that Climber blitzed his Show-and-Tell presentation this morning! And it's all thanks to Nell and the way that she follows through, in a practical manner, subjects in which the boys have expressed interest. (We are very lucky to have her.) So, stemming from the Harry Potter fixation round our way, the whole concept of writing with a quill and ink became reality for Climber recently. Nell's mother Daphne made Climber a proper quill from a goose feather and Nell bought some ink.

Turns out that the class has been focusing on The Olden Days and K's eyes lit up when the quill and ink were produced this morning. A lively lesson ensued, to which the kids all paid fascinated attention. No squirming, wriggling or talking! And Climber was thanked at the end of it for bringing in such a great Show-and-Tell and his little face beamed proudly as he sat down.

Way to go, Nell and Daphne!!

The Last Book.

If anyone has finished reading it and wants to talk about it, please email me!!! I finished it in 7 hours to the absolute neglect of my family. I liked it. But that's all I'm saying, because I don't want to spoil it for anyone.

Last book I nearly drove Nell insane, because I so badly needed to discuss it with someone and she absolutely would not let me hurry her. Don't think I didn't try. I'd ring her and say have you finished? and she'd tell me to shut up and leave her alone. So then I'd ask her where she was up to, so I could discuss up to that point. I believe I pestered my sister the same way.

So you know, I'm here. Needing to talk about it.