A very different outlook on Old People

I wanted to celebrate Abigail's Birthday in this blog today, but it was just too busy a day. I am planning tomorrows lessons at 12.30am and thought I would share this poem with you.This poem always brings a lump to my throat when I read it out at the start of my lesson on Old Age.

What do you see?

By Phyllis Mc Cormack

What do you see? What do you see?

Are you thinking when you're looking at me.

A crabbit old woman, not very wise,

Uncertain of habit, with far away eyes;

Who dribbles her food and makes no reply

When you say in a loud voice, 'I do wish you'd try';

Who seems not to notice the things that you do,

And forever is loosing a stocking or shoe;

Who quite unresisting, lets you do as you will,

With bathing and feeding, the long day to fill;

Is that what you're thinking, is that what you see?

Then open your eyes, you're not looking at me;

I'll tell you what I am as I sit here so still:

As I move at your bidding, as I eat at your will;

I'm a small child of ten with a father and mother,

Brothers and sisters who love one another;

A young girl of sixteen with wings on her feet,

Dreaming that sooner now a lover she'll meet;

A bride soon at twenty, my heart gives a leap,

Remembering the vows that I promised to keep;

At twenty five now I have young of my own

Who need me to build a secure, happy home;

A woman of thirty, my young now grow fast'

Bound to each other with ties that should last;

At forty my young sons will soon all be gone,

But my man is beside me to see I don't mourn;

At fifty, once more babies play round my knee,

Again we know children, my loved one and me;

Dark days are upon me, my husband is dead,

I look at the future , I shudder with dread;

For my young are all busy, with young of their own

And I think of the years and the love that I've known;

I'm an old woman now and nature is cruel,

'Tis her jest to make old age look like a fool;

The body it crumbles, grace and vigour depart,

There is now a stone where I once had a heart.

But still inside this old carcass a young girl still dwells,

And now and again my battered heart swells,

I remember the joys, I remember the pain,

I'm loving and living life over again;

I think of the years all too few, gone to fast

And accept that stark fact that nothing can last,

So, open your eyes, open and see

Not a crabbit old woman, look closer - see me !

One of the reasons our teenage pregnancy rates are so high..

Lack of Education!
Or rather the right education.
Rather odd as I am a secondary teacher to say this perhaps, or is it?
I am not making light of a very complex issue. I also realise there are many other factors, but I know this is one.
I teach Childcare. The unit we are now covering is Human Growth and Development from Birth to Old Age. I have to go through pregnancy. and always start as Julie Andrews famously sang 'from the very beginning'..
Okay, first questions then
'Why do we have a period?'
Silence.
'Does anyone know when they ovulate?'
Silence.
'Can anyone tell me any of the signs of ovulation?'
Silence.
'Does anyone know when in the month it is more likely you can get pregnant?"
Silence.
'How long does the woman's egg live for once it's released?"
Silence.
' How long does the male sperm live for once ejaculated?"
Silence.
'Does anyone know what stops the contraceptive pill working?"
Silence.

In seven years of teaching this course I have not had one child able to answer these very simple questions.
This is worrying.
After I have explained this part of conception, which takes about half an hour, all the students comment on how they wish they had known these facts and how a lot more about their bodies makes sense.
My daughters have often had to explain these facts to their friends too.

What a shame our young ladies have so very little knowledge, and it begs the question as to why not.
I am not saying this will stop teenagers getting pregnant, but it may go a long way to helping those of them that have an 'accident' be able to prevent this!

This is an excellent website if you want some help.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Yourchildshealthandsafety/WorriedAbout/DG_10015927

Mair and Ella's view on prison.

Children can be so utterly innocent, it makes me laugh.

I collected Mair (5) and Ella (4) from school today with the twins. I needed to drop off my phone to get fixed, however because it was cold and windy I told them to wait in the car whilst I ran across the road to the shop. Knowing what they are like I locked the car.
I was gone 2 mins tops.
The car alarm started.
I raced back to the car to see Mair and Ella sitting in stunned silence looking unusually petrified.
'Mair did it' said Ella.
'Did what' I asked dreading the worst.
'Set off the alarm Fofo, she was waving her weapon"
I hasted to add the aforementioned 'weapon' was the cardboard inside tube from Christmas wrapping paper.
'It's okay' I said, 'The alarm goes off if there's any movement in the car'.
'But we thought the police were coming to take us to JAIL' wailed Mair.
Hmm..okay, did I miss a chunk of this conversation?
'The police car went past going nee naw' said Ella.
'We thought they were coming to take us to jail for setting the car alarm off' chipped in Mair.
Oh dear!
' No' I said,'You have to do far worse things than that'
'REALLY' they said (looking visibly calmer)
'Like running across a road without your mummy' Mair said.
'Gosh no far worse' I was regretting starting this now...
'Like what fofo?' said Ella
'Erm like lying or hurting someone'
' Oh' said Mair ' ____  ______ does that. Why don't they come to my school and take him away'
' I am sure he doesn't mean too' I said, hastily adding 'anyway you have to be much older'.
Thank God we had reached home by this stage and the conversation died as they raced to the dressing up clothes.
I love that innocence children have. The strong moralistic code and sense of right and wrong. It is so funny and yet so touching as well.

The Memory Tree

The inevitable painted pine cones

Our Christmas tree is the brunt of many a teenage joke.

Why?

Because they like the 'Next' or 'M &S" christmas trees.

You know the ones.

All sparkly and completely colour co ordinated.

....and in my mind STERILE! with absolutely no creativity or feeling (I apologise if you have one of these)

Ours isn't like that, and as I took down our decorations this week I thought I would share our memory tree with you.

Beautiful bells in a variety of sizes and colours

Many of our decorations come from Prague. I scoured the Christmas Markets there to find some wonderfully unusal things. When we lived in Eastern Europe, health and saftey was virtually non existent. Christmas Tree lights were little copper clip on holders that you put small candles in. I bought the copper holders but never quite had the courage to light the candles with so many small children running around!

All these little decorations come from Germany and Austria. I loved the markets in Salzburg at Christmas but they were very pricey!

Pottery and ceramics are very traditional in The Czech Republic, so many of our decorations have broken now after so many years of being humped in and out of boxes and attics. These are some of the remaining ones.

Little Mole is a very famous Czech children's TV series. It is featured just before children go to bed around 6.30pm. We have all the videos, dvd's and hand puppets and our children still love these cartoons.

Many decorations in The Czech Republic feature fish as Carp is the traditional Christmas Day meal. When we lived there, huge barrels of fish would appear about a week before Christmas. In temperatures of -22, the fishmongers would let you choose your fish. You could take it home alive and keep it in the bath for a few days or they would clock it on the head ,  and gut it for you then and there, washing the remains down the street with a hose pipe, colouring the fresh snow with a bright red tinge.

This is the traditional style Czech Pottery that everyone has. There are many little decorations based on the most popular designs,

Wooden cut out shapes are very popular with the children who paint these and give them out as gifts.

Woven corn decorations are also very traditional and very beautiful.

Bead decorations with little leaves and ribbons.

Every year we choose a Christmas Decoration for Joshua. This is what we have collected over the years. There is also a little one for Lily, the baby I miscarried in between Joshua and Mair.

What Christmas tree would not be complete without a selection of the crafts the children have made at school. We keep a box of these in the attic and rotate them alongside the new ones each year.

Beautiful little wreaths from Salzburg, Austria. I love buying these every time we visit but it's hard to know how to display them other than on the tree.

I belonged to The International Women's Club in Prague. Every Winter they held a fair, with each country represented by a different stall with traditional goods from that country. It was an amazing event as there were well over 40-50 stalls and the most lovely Christmas things on display. I raided as many as I could. This first set are all from the American Stall.

These filled Walnut shells were from The Czech Republic.

These are all from Africa.

And of course our kangaroo from Australia!

This one rather speaks for itself and was a present from a student.

These were from Scandinavia.

These are a little selection of what the children have chosen when they were little.

These decorations are all from my own childhood. The santa candle is particularly special as my father bought me it in Germany (where we lived at the time) the Christmas before he died.

This is St. Nicholas, and the devil. Traditional European figures.

They come with the angel on December 4th and children all around Europe celebrate St. Nicholas Day. In Prague all the teenagers go out on the streets dressed up as one of these characters (the devils are particularly scary) and give out sweets to children who have been good and can sing them a song (Abigail and Miriam can still sing the songs they learnt and remembered for this event). If the child was naughty then the devil gives them coal instead. Christmas is then reserved for baby Jesus who brings their presents on Christmas Eve.

And finally our Santa Lucia candle holder, another gift from a Swedish Family. Santa Lucia is celebrated in Sweden on December 13th, the shortest day and celebrates the fact the darkness will now get shorter as the days get longer. Swedish children bake very tasty saffron cakes for their teachers! I like this tradition.

I hope you have enjoyed our unusual Christmas tree.

I love it!

It holds so many happy times and memories for us.

Don't tar us all with the benifits brush!

The one pleasure I really enjoy whilst on maternity leave (or now reduced hours) is the fact when the kids have gone to school and the babies are happily playing on the change mat I can have a lovely cup of coffee and switch on my kindle to read the daily news. One of the few luxuries of life! Sad I know.
Not today however..
Clicking through the articles I stumble on 'The 190 families with ten children who cost you more than £11 million in benefits a YEAR"

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2083998/Benefit-cap-190-families-10-children-cost-taxpayers-11m-A-YEAR.html#ixzz1j15M1u6

Fantastic!

Here we go again. Yet another stereotypical article about large families...yawn.

Only this one really REALLY made my blood boil as the couple they had chosen to represent were unemployed because she has a curvature of the spine........so do I! In fact I have a large one, and after an incredibly painful 6.5 hr operation when I was 20 resulting in two 12 inch Harrington rods and 10 nuts and bolts holding my spine together, I was advised to lead a very quiet life and not have more than two children.
Of course I took heed of this! Not.
However neither have I been stupid. I have stopped bowling, skiing, and ice skating (I was trained in the latter to a high level), and was very careful in my first pregnancy, but fortunately had no backache or problems. I have bent the odd pin here and there, mainly through lugging a quad buggy up and down the disability unfriendly metro stations in Prague!
The woman quoted obviously had issues with her spine, so much so her husband gave up his job after their third child to be her carer. This begs the question, why then did she go onto have 7 more. They complain about their lack of space (join the club) and how they should be given a larger house.They also have their breakfast delivered (why?) and complain about this as well.
I huffed and puffed all day and could bear it no longer. I phoned the journalist at the Daily Mail and set the record straight that we are not all like this! I felt a ton better for doing so.
What exactly are we teaching our children if they see us 'expecting' larger houses, free hot meals while we sit at home all day?
We have, by choice, had 11 children. Never for one moment did I expect anyone else to look after us because of this. It was our choice, so we have to make it work. And we do! very hard too!
I could go on.....
In fact I will.
My father grew up way before the welfare state existed, as the youngest of three boys, in adverse poverty. Both my grandma and grandfather worked, although my grandfather had his arm blown off in a mining accident. The boys had one pair of 'good' Sunday shoes. Too big for my dad so he and the middle brother had to stuff newspaper in them when it was their turn to go to church to represent the family. All the boys got jobs. My uncles in the mines, my father in the civil service. He was very strict with me and always taught me the importance of a good education and never letting anything go to waste. Perhaps in this day and age he would be considered too harsh, but I think he taught me well.
I wonder what that generation would think of this article and the people featured?
I can just see the look my grandmother would have given!

Mair gave birth!

Susie does work experience twice a week in Mair's small school. She often goes into Mair's class as there are only two classes in the entire school, so there's not a lot of choice!
Last week they were all playing with the dollies. All that is, apart from Mair, who had decided to educate the class.
She was pregnant, complete with dolly stuffed up her pinafore, hand on hip and back, slouch and waddle (oh dear!).
Susie, not wanting to show any bias, got on with her tasks, until the deputy head came running in with tears in her eyes, and said she had to come and see this.
Everyone was there.
Surrounding Mair.
Watching........ her give birth.
My daughter had laid down on the floor, made a bed, and was lying on this moaning and groaning.
Finally Mair decided the baby wouldn't come and calmly announced she would need to be cut open like her mummy.
Susie said she lifted the baby out, said 'there we are ' and got up and continued with her colouring.
All the teachers, including the headmistress had tears running down their faces.
I hazard a guess this is not because they witnessed the miracle of a birth.
I have absolutly no idea where this child gets her ideas from?

My Hobbies

 I thought I would share today some of the things I enjoy doing. As you can imagine I don't really get an abundance of time , however the snippets I do have I try to make the most of. Since on maternity leave with the twins , this has been harder to achieve, so I have cleared out the study, kicked out the teens and all their revision notes and commandeered my art table back!

 I can now dive into the little room whenever there is a spare moment and do a little bit of painting. So far Mair hasn't attempted her own creative impute over it...yet!

 I started by doing Abigail's Wedding invitations, well all the Calligraphy and layout designs, and if I say so myself they came out great. Next I moved onto a few canvases for Birthdays and Christmas presents. Then some sewing as well.

 Finally I painted some decorations for Joshua's tree outside. I really enjoyed doing these and got some lovely comments so decided to paint more.......

 From these little beginnings I have now a Facebook group 'In your memory" where I have managed to bless other ladies who have lost their precious babies with crafts for their homes as well as their babies final resting places. This my sound a little morbid, but there's not much out there to buy when you loose a baby and want to honour and remember them and decorate their grave.

 I really hope over the next year to expand this hobby into a businesses for myself. Already I am also making baby shower gifts and wedding favours and gifts as well. Over the next few months I will be posting a few of these as well.
It's been lovely to just escape for a few minutes each day and do something creative! It has been a long time coming and I am really enjoying it again.