Bit of randomness

This is gonna be one of those posts where I just ramble - so bear with me!

My cough is still driving me insane - but it does seem to be beginning to clear thankfully. All the mums at work were all really sweet yesterday about it - very motherly and concerned. I thought I had picked up the stomach bug as well yesterday because I felt so sick and it was a different sick feeling to how I'd felt all week due to the coughing. It continued to last night and I half expected to spend the night puking - but luckily I woke up this morning feeling fine! *sigh of relief*

One of the babies are nursery adores me and I adore her (not that I don't adore all of them - it's just I seem to have a special bond with this one - I know, I know I shouldn't - but I do!) Anyway I was talking to her mum yesterday and she asked me if I was gonna be there for the long-term as so many of our staff keep leaving and I told her I would like to but I can't afford to and so have had to start looking for new jobs. It kind of made it more real saying it to a parent - and also even sadder. She also told me she has a huge amount of respect for us - which is nice because not all of the parents do and the nursery sure doesn't! She said sometimes she'll come in and think it must be wonderful to spend the day with the babies (which it is!!) but then she'll come in and find them all ill and screaming and us running around between them all and decides actually she'd rather not - lol bless her!

In other work-related news my police check finally came through yesterday so I am now officially able to be left alone with the children rather than having to make sure there is always someone else in the room with me (which made nappy changes difficult). They now know that I have no criminal convictions against me - whoo hoo!

I also told my UC that I thought we should try and learn a few basic words and phrases in the languages of our foreign children. I suggested this would be a good thing for all of us and I have an active interest in it as a linguist. In fact I learnt yesterday how to say "Have a good weekend" in Spanish as one of the mums in my room is teaching me bits and bobs in her language. I also told my UC that if there were any way to take on more responsibility in order to get paid more I would. She suggested that perhaps they should create an "Equal Opportunities Officer" position. I wonder if she'll look into it? I'm not halting my job search for it but I am gonna try my hardest to push them into finding alternatives for me as well. We shall see - short of a massive pay rise they can't afford me - period. I keep returning to my ideas when I returned from Germany of running my own language classes for mothers and toddlers and school-aged children as in the UK languages aren't taught until the age of 11. I had asked the careers centre at uni about this and whether I would need qualifications and apparently not, if I was teaching outside of the education system. I would love to do this but the money is the problem - the setting it up and making sure I get enough people to take part. I could only teach German really - but I thought I could ask at the local churches if I could hold sessions there and perhaps contact a couple of schools to see about doing lunchtime clubs for the children. If I could get enough interest I wouldn't need to charge too much per child to cover my costs.

Ummm what else? Oh yes I have 3 days holiday this coming week and 3 days holiday the week after so I have 2 2-day weeks ahead of me *sighs blissfully* and am gonna enjoy resting. relaxing and going home one week to see my family :o)

And this weekend I'm gonna be attempting to once again sort my room out - seems like a constant battle, doesn't it :o( and crochet a gift for my mum for mother's day which is next weekend here in the UK. I got some new crochet hooks off ebay the other day so all I need now is some more yarn and I can get cracking - I've only recently learnt to crochet so I am very excited to start making some proper projects rather than simply trying the new stitches I've learnt!!