Which hats am I wearing today?

Today, it's just Mum, wife, housekeeper, digiscrapper and nurse (Matthew is sick with flu) But I know that the other hats I have to wear are not far away ... I know that tomorrow I have to put my work hat back on and get the kids organised and off to school and head off into the world and I'm going through a "just-want-to-take-all-my-hats-off-and-do-nothing" phase at the moment. It all seems like too much, too hard. Sometimes I feel like I'd rather get sunburnt than wear a hat... I have very little motivation to do anything until I have to. *sigh*

National songs

Our offical National Anthem is "Advance Australia Fair", but it's this one, "Waltzing Matilda" that really tugs at all Australian's heartstrings. This version is the best I could find, it's also a tribute to Steve Irwin. It's performed by John Williamson, a "can't get more Australian sounding than that" singer and songwriter.

WALTZING MATILDA

Teenage years - mistakes and achievements

Well, the good thing about my teenage years is that I really lived them. I may have been a bit crazy, but I was following my heart and that is something that may have caused conflict and mistakes, but at least I had the guts to do that. I wouldn't say that I made mistakes, life is to be lived, I was following my own path... others maybe thought I was making mistakes, but in hindsight, everything I did was a great choice (just lucky?!?!?) and led me to where I am today which is ok by me. In my teenage years I was just impatient to start living - it was great in that way, though don't know if I could stand that sort of excitement now LOL

Topic: What makes you feel safe?

Where I live: The fact that our place is a real little hideaway, set back from the road, surrounded by trees, there is never anyone around. Our area is safe enough that we can leave open the doors and windows during the day if we're here, and even pop out quickly without needing to lock-up.

Knowing I have enough: At least for now, I have enough material resources to be comfortable and happy into the foreseeable future.

Knowing there are people who care about me: Knowing I have family and friends around me if I need them, and who need me, gives me a feeling of security.

Knowing that Spiderman will come and save me if I happen to be hanging 80 stories high in a NY taxi. OK, I admit, it's unlikely, but still, reassuring.

Topic: What do I think about ghosts?

Well, my first thought was I don't believe there are ghosts... my second thought was, there probably are ghosts, because other people have seen them... but I don't believe in them because I haven't seen one! I used to believe in them much more when I was a kid, I liked to read ghost stories and then I'd get freaked out. But now *shrug* just lost my imagination I guess LOL

My favourite cookie!?

Cookies? I'll have to ask the dh - he's the cookie lover around here. I really don't eat that many *shrug* I tend to prefer stuffing down cheese, chips, butter, or any of the other high-fat foods :)

OK - to choose one already. One with nuts. Macadamia nuts are nice. I quite like wafer biscuits - OK, they're not really cookies. I also like plain biscuits like malt ones with cheese... yum.. OK not really a cookie there either. I like gingerbread - OK that's my final answer - gingerbread cookies. YUM!

I rarely make cookies (or bake anything else for that matter) All of the above would be store-bought except for the gingerbread - I make that once or twice a year with the boys. There's also some yummy gingerbread biscuits you can buy with a thin white icing coating - these are excellent!!! *tummy is now growling gotta go!*

Is there a time of day when you feel most creative?

For me, it's nighttime. This is when I stay up and do my scrapping, or maybe some schoolwork thinking. Any sort of thinking works for me at nighttime. This is a blessing and a curse of course, as I have spent many a sleepless night redesigning our home, renovating a room, creating a scrapbook layout .... all in my mind while I was "trying" to sleep! My mind just gets a bit overactive at night :)

I can be creative at other times too, but I think nighttime is my best time right now because there is no-one else awake, it's quiet, peaceful and no interruptions, and I've finished all my daytime work. Therefore, I got me some guilt-free creative time!)

Topic: What is the most tedious/boring part of your job?

The part I really don't like is playground duty. Instead of getting to sit down (which I never get to do during the classroom hours) and eat - I have to stand up on cement/bitumen and walk around in a really noisy place, supervising eating of lunch and watching kids play/or fight depending on the day... Ugh!

On the day I have playground duty at lunchtime, I invariably am starving by the time I go home, as I have not had a decent lunch. It also makes the afternoon session less organised, because I don't get time to set up the materials I need - the paints or, in the case of today, the sports equipment that has suddenly been removed from it's usual spot and cannot be found in any of the sports sheds!! Also, on playground duty day, I cannot get back to pick up my own class on time, and by the time I get there the same two kids have invariably picked a fight with each other... eeek!!! And with no spare half hour at lunchtime, I get no headstart on marking, and it means an extra 1/2 hour at least after school to do that...

I also find it hard to do filing of paperwork :)

The most creative thing?? I just LOVE planning lessons - sounds silly I know, but I spend a lot of time tweaking lesson plans, making resources, searching for activities and getting the lesson to the point I think it's going to work best. I love that kinda stuff!! LOL I also love all the positive moments with my class, the days when positive thought and calmness reign supreme... and everything is flowing - the work is just the right level, they are positive, I am positive, we are all happy and engaged (AND the principal visits right at that moment....) ah bliss! LOL OK, maybe it's not that creative, but it's good :)

Topic: Are you reading anything at the moment you would recommend?

The last time I read a book was in the January holidays, three months ago! And I like reading... I'm really going to have to make time for it. I cannot read just anything though, it has to be good to hold my interest. Thanks to this prompt I have decided I will go buy myself a good book tomorrow!!

Anyway, that book I read in January was by Isabelle Allende, called Ines of my Soul. It is set at the time of the Spanish conquest of Chile. See her website and info on her books here: Isabel Allende I found that particular book started quite slowly, but I would definitely recommend it, as it became so interesting and about a time in history that I had never heard about before, and told from a woman's perspective. I think I may have read another one of her books as well, which was quite good, though I can't quite remember which one.

I am looking forward to reading everyone's recommendations, as it may help me in my search for a book tomorrow!!