The builder’s progress (and some general moans). November 25, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in Birthday, Building work, EA300, OU, TMA02, The Principessa Files.3 comments
So as I’m procrastinating with my essay progress, I thought I’d get round to the building update. Here’s how it looked at end of workday 25 (last Friday).
Day 25 - Exterior.
Day 25 - Interior.
I think that considering the time of year and the crappy weather we’ve been having lately, the buiders are doing fabulously well getting this extension done. This week they are fixing up the stud walls and the plumber and electrician are trying to sort out their first fixes. Woohoo!
Yeah. Moans. So far, crappy birthday. Princi woke up with the intention of being incredibly difficult and argumentative, shouting at Grandand and then refusing to eat her breakfast. It didn’t really help when I told her that her behaviour was the cause of her not being allowed to come to my birthday meal this evening. There were tears in the coco pops. Sigh. I had to change tack and say that if she could be good all day at school then I would change my mind. This had some success as she started to eat her breakfast. At least she was good when it came time to getting her into her uniform.
As for the essay… Well, I’m blogging, so it’s not being written. I have managed to write a fifth of it though. Only another 1600 words to go! I’m hoping to crack another 200 words before lunch. At least I’ll feel as if I’ve done something then. If I can get a first draft done by the end of the week, I’ll feel so much better. As it is at the moment, I am at panic stations (the essay, btw, is due in next Thursday) and this is causing a horrible block. I need to destress! The idea of not getting the essay done is causing me to have anxiety dreams where I am the first female Doctor Who! I don’t see how that’s going to help me write this essay!
Anyway. Must get back to it.
What’s going on? November 13, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in EA300, OU, TMA01, TMA02, The Principessa Files, bed.2 comments
The poor blog. I’m neglecting it a bit with trying to get through the reading for the kidlit course. So I think it’s about time I posted again. (To the sound of an angle grinder… Or maybe that’s just the sound of my tired brain.)
Well, the new mattress finally turned up last Friday. Yay, I thought. Comfy sleep, here I come! Yeah. Not so much. The mattress was about three inches higher than my old one, and had a button-quilt effecty thing on top. Nice, yes, but practical? Not in my terms. The top of the mattress is done in such a way that it feels like traversing a mountain range. Now, you’re probably thinking “Just stop whinging already!” And you’re probably right. A mattress is a mattress. But it’s important to understand that with the muscular dystrophy, I get used to things in a certain way, move onto, off from, and across things in ways that accomodate my limited muscle strength and movement. A simple, flat mattress would have done me fine. This one looks comfortable, but it’s incredibly impractical and difficult to move on. The one plus is does have is that it’s easier to get up from. But that’s it. It’s not even particularly comfortable. Well, not for me it isn’t, either. I suppose that is what comes with asking another person to pick out a mattress for me. I’ll know, next time!
As for the kidlit course, well, good news. I received TMA01 back on Tuesday to rapturous self applause. I had been hoping to get around 60-70%, but the mark came back as 83%. Woohoo! I was very pleased. I’m not sure how I’m going to keep that standard up for the next one, but I’ll try. I’m struggling to get through the reading at the moment, let alone get my head around how I’m going to answer the essay question, but hopefully I’ll get there. I need to get past the next essay as I am looking forward to having a go at TMA03, which is focused around poetry for children. But first I need to fight my way through ideologies and focalisation.
As for Princi, she is still my little star. Her reading is going great guns, she has now learned to break difficult words down into smaller, managable fragments before trying to say the whole word, giving her lots more confidence reading aloud. Not that she didn’t have confidence before, but she is now needing less help and can happily sit and read quietly to herself, although she much prefers sitting with someone and reading to them. She is also practicing her writing more. The school sent a homework book home with her last week, so we do a letter (or two) each morning before school. At the moment she’s not too pleased about the writing, especially when she gets to the end of the dotted letters and has to try writing the letter herself. But she does try after a little moan. It’s also good that the school uses the Jolly Phonics system, as that is what we have at home too. Yay!
As for the building work. Here is it as it was yesterday morning:
Day 19.
Right. Now I’m off to prop my eyelids up with Acme matchsticks and continue on with Little Women.
Picture books, poems and Princi. October 21, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in EA300, Instructions, Neil Gaiman, OU, The Principessa Files, books.4 comments
So I’ve just pre-ordered ‘Instructions‘ by Gaiman and Vess. Oh, how I am looking forward to getting this book. But, I shall have to wait until next June. Such a long wait. And such a pity. If it had been released in February then I would have been able to use it for the picture book essay on the kidlit course. As it is, it’s just hard luck. Ho hum. But still – eximacited!
It’s getting very stressful here. There’s still loads to do with moving things out of the back room, sorting the little bedroom out, and general decluttering, yet no matter what we do it feels like more stuff magically appears. There is just TOO MUCH STUFF! It’s even come to the point where I’ve had to start thinning down the book collection to make room, so Skidaddles dropped a big bag of books off at a charity shop the other day. *Sob* My beautiful books! But I suppose it’s better that way, I doubt I’d ever read the books I gave away again. After all, there are plenty of other unread books that need my attention.
Speaking of attention… Gaz came around last night, so that meant a climbing frame for Princi. Not an actual climbing frame, but tall, lanky Gaz! At one point she jumped on Gaz’s shoulders, grabbed under his chin, and started to lean backwards (good job Gaz happened to be sitting down). Gaz asked Princi, “Are you looking for attention?” To which Princi replied, “No, just trouble!” Little terror!
(Oh no. The postie has just delivered a box of choccies. I will have to remember to cancel that membership to the choccie club – although I thought I already had. Now I’ll have Princi begging for chocolate all day.)
Well, I should go and do some Jolly Phonics and learning to write with Princi. I may call radio silence Twitter and blog wise over the next week while I fight my way through the end of the LRRH essay and its further rewrites. I think I need to give myself some away from the internet time before it makes me feel paranoid.
A shortcut to mushrooms. September 29, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in The Principessa Files.4 comments
Earlier today:
Princi playing on the laptop. All of a sudden she starts rubbing one side of her head. Then the other.
Me: What are you doing, babe?
Princi: I am rubbing like this.
Me: But why are you rubbing your head?
Princi: I am rubbing my ears because I don’t want mushrooms to grow in them!
Cloud fluff brain. September 25, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in EA300, OU, TMA01, The Principessa Files.8 comments
We’re nearing the end of the second week of Princi’s full days at school. All I have to say is I’m exhausted and it was all a terrible, vicious lie. What, you may ask, was the lie? The false hope that Princi would also be exhausted from spending all day at school. Oh, no! In fact, she has been even more energetic when she gets home from school. It’s also playing havoc with her bedtime routine in that she is now opposed to going to sleep. Argh! It’s knackering me out!
Still, all this free time has allowed me to get ahead with the kidlit course. I’ve worked through the first three weeks of study and later today I will make a start on the first draft of the first assignment. I’m almost certain that I am going to work to the Red Riding Hood brief, as I think this is the only time that fairy tales are covered in the course and I can go back and work with Northern Lights for the fourth assignment. I’m actually looking forward to writing this assignment. Problem is, I know what comes next and I am not looking forward to that! So the plan is to get the first draft of this assignment sorted by mid next week and then start trawling through Little Women again. Yipes! I hope I can do myself justice on this course!
Silence? Golden? I’m not so sure. September 15, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in EA300, OU, The Principessa Files.4 comments
Right now it is 12.30pm. Usually, at this time of day, Princi is back home from school and we would be eating lunch together. Today it is a lonely lunchtime. It’s so quiet it’s sullen. I miss my Princi! By the time she gets home fron school and shopping with Grandand, she will have been out of the house for over eight hours. I have never spent that much time away from her before, it’s usually been three-four hours when I’ve gone to the cinema, or when she has been in school for a half day. *Sigh* It’s ever so lonely.
I have, however, managed to get some reading done for the kidlit course. So there’s a yay! I’ll get back to it after lunch, and work through the next couple of exercises. I hope something clicks soon, I feel like I’m reading in Japanese – and I only know a few Japanese characters. Eeps! Saying that, though, it’s interesting stuff. Despite my fears of messing up my degree, I think I might enjoy this course. I just can’t wait to get through this little bit I’m doing now so I can move onto the Little Red Riding Hood section. And to add to it, this article from the Telegraph has further piqued my anticipation!
With that in mind, I’m going to forage for food and get back to work.
Yay for Friday! September 11, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in Supernatural, The Principessa Files.1 comment so far
I’m knackered! The return to the back to school routine is killing me! Princi, however, is as energised as an energiser bunny. Going back to school hasn’t slowed her down one little bit! Argh! I need some of her energy. Still, I’m hopeful that the transition from half days to full days on Monday might tire her out a little, although I’m not putting any chickens in baskets. At least Princi is loving being back at school, which is something to be happy about.
I had been planning to get started on the kidlit course this morning. Well, when I say started, I mean getting stuck in. I have done the first exercise, but that didn’t include any heavy reading. That I was going to do this morning. Until an ‘introductory’ thank you letter came back with Grandand after dropping Princi at school. As she is going to be starting P.E. lessons soon she needs some shorts. I had bought some shorts, but they resembled black football shorts. Yep, she’s not allowed to wear footie shorts. So I trawled the net for about an hour looking for some other shorts. (It didn’t help that my computer was running slower than a dead dog with no legs.) Most places only had football or cycling shorts and Princi’s size was sold out of those who actually stocked plain shorts, but finally I found a place that sold them. In the words of Princi: phewie! Then I had to get her some new plimsoles and wellie boots that are to be kept at school. But it’s all done now. Thankfully.
By the time I had finished it was nearly 11am. So, as I had scheduled time to watch the new episode of Supernatural (while I enjoyed it, it seemed a bit disjointed. But, I suppose, the series can build on it), there was no longer any time to open the books. Oops! Maybe Princi will go and bug Nanny for an hour or so later! I can live in hope!
Well, time to go and fill a bowl with some popcorn for a little popcorn Munchkin before she gnaws my ear off.
It’s oh so quiet. September 7, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in EA300, The Principessa Files.1 comment so far
No TV. No radio. No noisy four year old. Bliss! But bah at the no change on the course materials, I wonder when I’m ever going to receive the damn coursebooks.
Princi went back to school today. Oh! How I have waited for today! It might sound cruel, but I think we started grating on each other’s nerves about a week and a half ago. And from what Grandand said, it sounds like she’s happy to be back at school. Although if her name hadn’t have fallen out of the popped balloon to be one of today’s special helpers then it could have been a different matter. Still, an hour and a half before she comes home and tells me all about her (half) day.
As for me, I’ve got to sort out party bags and skateboard lessons and try to finish the first read-through of Treasure Island. So, I suppose I best get to it and stop wasting time blogging!
(But I’m still going to giggle at the title and publisher of Philip Pullman’s new book. Supposedly called The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, it will be published by Canongate. It sounds like a scandal in the offing to me!)
Rararararar! Grumble, grumble, grumble. September 4, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in EA300, OU, The Principessa Files.4 comments
Grrr. Seems I am one of the unlucky ones who might be lucky enough to receive the course materials some time next week. Hmph. Not impressed. Grumble.
Still, I suppose that gives me some time to get back to reading the set books – something I’ve been pretty lax in doing over the last few days – in order to give me a feel for the stories. So that means finishing Treasure Island and getting moving on Roll Of Thunder, Hear My Cry. It seems I might also need to buy Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd, as is seems that it is mentioned in one of the options for the ECA. Grrr, why could they have not sent everyone the course materials at the same time? Sorry, I will stop whinging now.
And I shall also leave off here. Grandand and Princi have just got back from the park.
But not while I remember this from last night:
Princi is pretending to be a doctor. She has her stethoscope hanging from her ears like an unresponsive, green and white, two-tailed snake. She runs holding the head of the stethoscope out towards me.
“Mummy, are you OK?”
“I don’t know, Doctor. You’ll have to tell me,” I say to her.
She places the stethoscope on my chest.
“Oh no,” I say. I start tapping the hand holding the ’scope. “My heart is going ten to the dozen! Di-dum, di-dum, di-dum! Can you hear? What is wrong with me?”
Princi looks at me, her big blue eyes feigning sadness.
“I’m sorry, Mummy. You have a monster in your brain!”
I pretend to be shocked and scared.
“A monster,” I say, as Princi walks away, “in my brain? Oh no! What kind of monster?”
Princi turns back to me.
“A black monster with red eyes and a curly tail,” she says, making curly tail swirly motions in the air.
Maybe I shouldn’t let her watch any Studio Ghibli stuff for a couple of weeks! But then, she did manage to find some Dragonball Z on youtube the other day. I think it might be time for some Totoro instead.
The books. The books are coming. September 2, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in OU, The Principessa Files.11 comments
Eeks! The EA300 course will soon be a bigger reality. Some peeps on the course have already taken delivery of their coursebooks, so despite my reservations about my academic ability I now wait in petrified anticipation of the book delivery.
Since being scared by that last critical essay, I have started reading Philip Pullman, Master Storyteller (PPMS). So much easier to get my head around. I think I was trying to walk before I could crawl by looking at the complex essays first! At least PPMS (sounds like a monthly occurrence, that!) is by far more readable and is actually quite enjoyable. Hopefully Re-reading Harry Potter by Suman Gupta will be as accessible. I’m still not sure if I’ll be using Northern Lights or Harry Potter for that particular essay when it comes around. But for me it’s better to be over-prepared than under-prepared. I’m a panicker and worrier otherwise.
Talking about worrying, my worries are with Princi today. She is her normal self, but she is rather flushed around the chops and seems to be running a slight temperature. She’s not feeling sick and is happily munching a tuna and twiglet salad right now, so I am hoping that she isn’t suddenly going to start chucking up at some point today. I wonder if she has used somthing on her face that she has had a reaction to? Hmmm. Might have to go investigating. It’s not like she’ll tell me if she has used anything on her face, she’ll probably think she’s going to be in trouble and that I’ll confiscate her computer. Ho hum!
Well, time to be driven crazy by Playhouse Disney again. *Sob*
