It's a teacher's life...

Well here we are in the last term of the Australian school year... I thought I'd share with you my top ten moments in teaching for 2007 (no particular order..)

1. Having a student make her dad drive her back to school (over 100km) for one of my classes.
2. A student making and presenting me with an oil painting she made, for me! And it looks good!
3. Getting a big clap at assembly for my WaterWise mural project.
4. Teaching a student called Rong.
5. Getting given a jar of placenta cream for Christmas from an Asian student. Yes, placenta.
6. Emails from parents impressed with my teaching,
7. Birthday cake, almost every week there is at least one birthday cake.
8. My workmate Moya, as (one of my bosses) Maureen says 'a living angel.'
9. Having my bag and piles of stuff carried around by eager little helpers everytime we have to move somewhere.
10. Smiling faces, every day.

It's been a short year! It's gone fast... but it's been great.

Monthly Drop In

(A piecemeal family: Mark, Lily and I at my Nan's 80th last weekend)

Hello! From the seventh floor!

So much has been going on this past month it almost feels like nothing at all has happened... if you know what I mean?

Mark and I decided to move house again, and quickly! Within one month of having a chat to our 'concierge' (read: lady that minds front desk) she came back to us with an offer: a one bedroom apartment in our block, on the seventh floor, with a full view of Sydney City's skyline and The Domain, with a peek of water too (good for pisceans like me!) So suddenly we were moving again, and now we are starting to settle once more, hopefully for a comfortable period of time.

Our new place is nestled amongst the tops of Moreton Bay Fig Trees, and our neighbours are Paul Keating (ex Prime Minister, directly opposite, yes, I ahem, can actually see into his bedroom when the light is on!) and Russell Crowe (well, we can see his place on the Wharf.) It is extremely quiet and we live behind big gates, I now understand how easy it is to isolate one's self in the Eastern Suburbs and go completely batty!

So this month we have been heaving boxes, disconnecting and reconnecting, rearranging, purchasing. For relaxation I have become addicted to looking at American homewares websites and dreaming of the perfect lounge-rug-coffee table combination. Yep, age sure is getting to me!

Mark and I went and saw the brilliant movie 'Control' a few Wednesdays ago which is all about Ian Curtis and Joy Division. It is one of the most beautifully shot films I have seen in recent memory and I recommend it... it sort of resonates in your brain for days afterwards!

Also saw The Assassination of Jesse James, I loved it but Mark thought it was terrible... I'm happy to side with Margaret Pomeranz on this one and say you get lost in the plot and feel of the film and it's glorious! but anyways.

The seasons of Christmas parties are upon us, but for teachers they are thin on the ground. Mark is off on boats, eating at fancy restaurants etc. etc. and of course there is the Christmas bonus, but nothing for me, at least I get to see all the fireworks from the windows, but overall I'm pleased to report I will be getting through Christmas relatively hangover free. It's never too late to turn a new leaf!! (And I'm still not smoking... it's been over 6 months now!)

Also looking for a new job for next year, not happy, but dealing with it by working hard for what is left of my year... something should come up... I hope! Rather than haul you through the boring details on this issue, I instead offer a quote on how I feel from my mate Bec Olive's Phd proposal:
"A beholder who lacks the specific codes feels lost in a chaos of sounds and rhythms, colours and lines, without rhyme or reason" (Bourdieu, 1984: 2).

Hope your season is not too silly, and thinking of you all!

Lots of Love, until the New Year, Laura x

I HEART: Christmas beetles, Christmas bush, giant zucchinis from Byron Bay, indoor plants, honey candles, southerly breezes late at night, Sydney Festival (coming up!), My Nana Richards, seeing the harbour from my shower, Laser Hair Removal - yes it works, chuck those razors out! http://www.hairfree.com.au/

I DON'T HEART: My cheap black thongs from Target that I keep slipping over in, storing books, changing address again, lack of airconditioning in my car.

Make a chocolate bouquet!

Christmas is coming...

My sis and I will be making one of these for the centrepiece of the Christmas table, crafty and fun!

Here is a step by step guide...

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Chocolate-Bouquet

Freecycle today!

I am moving house again next week, and as usual there will be stuff to keep, and stuff to THROW OUT.

Well, my days of throwing things out are numbered, because of freecycling!

You put your things on this website to give away for FREE! And whoever wants the bookcase, or mattress, or broken desk will come along and pick it up.. and you can also search for free furniture of your own!

http://www.freecycle.org.au/

Thank god for all of this environmental consciousness flying about right now... xx