for G

is for Gifts

As a teacher we are often lucky enough that students and parents do like to buy us gifts, especially at the end of the year.

Now it is such a lovely thought but please let it be known we do not expect it and it certainly is not the reason we became teachers in the first place! Heaven knows if it was I would have quit years ago! But for me it really is the thought that counts. The thought that a child has (possibly) pestered their parents to buy me a gift, or that the parents have appreciated what I have done for their child that year really is lovely.

Looking back over the years many many gifts spring to mind... There are always the abundance of candles, coffee mugs, dust-collectors tricket boxes and smelly soaps.  One year from a class of 21 students I got 2 presents at the end of the year (again...not that I expected any, but 2!...) and they were the exact same bottle of talcum powder.... *pulls confused face*....talcum powder... I was about 26 at the time, what did I need with talcum powder (what does anyone need with talcum powder??? Please enlighten me??)

Another present that springs to mind was from one of my favourite students of all time (I don't care what any teacher says, we have students we just click with more than others! Doesn't mean we care any more or less)... Well his status was quickly reduced upon opened his Christmas present... He had 2 presents for me so I opened one and it was a gorgeous bracelet, pink and silver, my favourites! Was so pretty... then came present number 2...a silver pen - OK, I thought, this is nice (looks a bit tacky but nice..)  I should of known something was suss when he insisted I write with it straight away... Upon pushing down the button at the top I recieved a god-awful zap and shock right up my arm!!! Little turd had bought a shock pen for me and thought it was the funniest thing in the world, his poor Mum was horrified and didn't want to give it to me (and apologised profusely afterwards) but he convinced her that I would see the funny side! I did, but I certainly didn't push to pen down again despite all the begging and pleading from the students. (I believe it may have been 'accidently' put in the bin when all the students had left!)

So to all those parents out there, your child's teacher does not 'expect' presents from you but it is nice to know that their work is appreciated and what better way to do that than with a large bottle of alcohol  perfume, movie vouchers, flowers, chocolates, massage vouchers...

Am linking this A to Z Challenge post up with Essentially Jess for IBOT!

for F

is for Farm

I had the joy of growing up on a farm. We were around 70km out of town on what was predominantly a sheep farm. I was born in central QLD but when I was 9 months old we moved to the farm between Inglewood and Stanthorpe.

My older sister, Jody and I not long after we moved to the farm.

As I've written previously I went off to Boarding School for High School, so all of my Primary School years were completed while living on the farm. We were always up early to be on the bus around 7:30 in the morning. Mum had to drive us about 12km to the bus stop, we were the first stop in the morning, so the last stop in the afternoon, not getting home until around 4:30, making the days very long. Dad was often gone before we were and not home til after we were and always popping off to do other jobs.

I was the youngest member of our local horse riding club and loved going there and riding the horses at home. The older I got however, the less time I had for riding and when I went off to boarding school I barely rode at all.

 

Our family continued to grow (me on the far left, then Linda, Kathy and Jody). As I grew older it was at times hard being so far out of town, we rarely got to see our friends on the weekends, or have sleep overs.

Our family cat "Panda"

No pet dogs around here - all dogs are working dogs was what we were often told

What's a farm without chooks! And I remember them pecking your foot if you fed them too late!

We often had to rear lambs and calves who lost their Mums for whatever reason! So cute!

 We spent our weekends on the farm riding our bikes, exploring, playing houses down by the creek.

If you look carefully you may just spot me having a swim!

Even still to this day I miss the country sunsets! Nothing more spectacular!

Mum and Dad left the farm about 14 years ago but it will always be home to me!

for E

is for Evacuation

It has been suggested that I also share some stories from my teaching careeer throughout this challenge, so this is the first of them.

Emergency Evacuations are an important part of any school. If there is ever a reason to evacuate the students need to be ready. There's one story that comes to mind when I think about evacuation procedures.

We have always done fire drills in schools, what to do and where to go in the case of a fire. For the most part the kids wander out aimlessly with no matter of urgency, knowing that it's just a drill and nothing to worry about..

One day my year 4 class had to be evacuated after smoke was coming from one of the powerpoints a the back of the room. A student sitting near the powerpoint alerted me to the smoke coming from the powerpoint and so I immediately moved the students away from the powerpoint and then we evacuated the classroom while it was checked out by a staff member who just happen to also be the local fire chief...turned out that as the powerpoint was so old and one of those ones that protruded out from the wall and there was a small gap and the student sitting near it had, unbeknowns to me, been dripping liquid glue into the gap and into the powerpoint! Needless to say we were not impressed and his desk was promptly moved!!!

for D

is for Dominic

Dominic is my oldest Nephew and first Godson...

I was there when he was born and that's another one of those memories that I have that I remember as if it was yesterday.  

It was the Christmas holidays and I was home from teaching in Mt Isa, staying with Mum and Dad in Warwick. Jody was due just a few days before I was due to head north and I was hoping and crossing my fingers that she would 'pop' before I had to leave. 

It was late one night and I was sound asleep when I felt some movement and I realised it was Jody hoping into bed beside me. I mumbled "what are you doing?"..."oh just having a baby" was her reply. Dazed and confused I fell back to sleep, only to be woken a few hours later and told we had to head to Toowoomba. She had asked if I would be there with her during the birth and I didn't have to think twice. 

We took off to Toowoomba and presented at the hospital. Jody was examined and told that it would be some time yet and that we should go for a walk. We did and it wasn't long before we were back in the hospital and being taken to the delivery room. Jody hopped in to the shower while the midwife got the delivery room ready, however we never made it back into the room with Dominic making a very quick entry while she was still in the shower!

I had never felt more joy, pride and love for both my big sister and her gorgeous baby boy!

These are some of my fave pics of Dom from over the years!

This is one from his Naming Day where I dressed him and didn't put his nappy on properly and he peed all over Jody during the ceremony! Whoops! lol...

He loved this 'rainbow' headband that I had and for ages refused to take it off claiming it was HIS RAINBOW!

First Day of Year 6... my how time has flown!

I asked Dominic a few years if he will let me kiss and hug him when he's older and he replied that I wouldn't be able to because he will be too big and taller than me! I fear the day is arriving soon! He is growing up so much but am happy to report I still get a hug every time I arrive and every time I leave..

for C

is for Coke the Cat

When my relationship ended while I was at University I thought it would be a great idea to get a pet to keep me company! I found an adverstisement in the paper, paid $10 and got myself the cutest little black kitten in the bunch! 

Her fur was pure black, there was not a speck of other colour on her and so I named her Coke. She was so cute and I remember her waiting for me on my bath mat while I showered and then when I got out she'd lick the water off my feet before getting in the shower and licking the water off the bottom of the shower recess! lol....

Coke travelled with me to Normanton when I got my first teacher posting, while I taught in Mt Isa she had to go on a holiday to Mum and Dad's (I wasn't allowed to have her in my share house) and then to moved with me to St George when I got a transfer there.

It was there that the unthinkable happened... She used to come in for dinner about 5/5:30pm and then I would lock her inside. There were far too many feral cats and dogs for her to be out at night and she had already had a run-in with another animal a few months before. One night she came inside for dinner as usual but then she was whinging at the door, reluctantly I let her out and even remember saying that she had to come back.....

..... she never came back.....

To this day I still have no idea what happened to her... 

She had a habit of sleeping in the weidest places...

for B

is for Boarding School.

It was inevitable that when I hit Year 8 I would head off to Boarding School. My older sister was already there and I could not wait to join her. Growing up on a farm about 70km out of town and our local high school only going to year 10 anyway meant that we had to go away to school and it seemed easier to make that change at the start of high school.

Boarding School is not for everyone, and I am sure there were times when I complained no end, but for the most part I loved it. What could be better than living with your friends you go to school with! hahaha...

In 'researching' for this post I dug out my old High School diaries and Year Books...wow....what a trip down memory lane! I was hoping for some quotes that I could use to explain life at Boarding School but all I seemed to find was a tragic tale of High School loves. I think some of my entries could be used by the writers of Puberty Blues! lol....

Year 12 was definitely the highlight for me (as it is with most people I'm sure!). I was voted Girls Boarding Captain, School Prefect, Mackay Clan Captain and Tennis Captain. I guess someone somehow saw leadership potential in me! lol...

And just what you have been waiting for....tragic photos from the '90s!

Five years in the Army Cadets

Can and will rock that bandana!

Not sure where we were going but obviously somewhere we were not allowed to show any skin! lol

With the beauty of Facebook I have been able to get back in touch with a lot of these girls!

Workin it!

Belle and Beau of the Year 12 Formal!

for A

is for Aunty...

On the 5th of January 2003 I became an Aunty for the first time and the joy has been bestowed upon me 5 other times since then with a total of 5 nephews and 1 niece!

 Dominic was the first and I was blessed to be there for his very quick arrival, was so sad that not long after I had to head back to North Queensland and thousands of kms away for work..

 Jack was next in 2005 and oh my he stole our hearts! Those eyes....! I was living out west when he was born so was a few weeks before I met him..

Benjamin John arrived in 2007 and once again I was there to experience the arrival! We thought we might like to call him BJ when he was first born but Dominic insisted that his name was NOT BJ, it was Benjamin! Now he's just Ben..

My one and only niece Jorja entered the world in a quick and dramatic fashion in 2009...Stand by for J for that story!

Then last year the Twinnies were born!!! Bradey (left) and Fletcher (right) were a little more reluctant to grace the world with their presence and took some convincing but arrived safe and sound in the end.

All 6 of them with my older sister (and Mum to the 4 big ones!)

Of course!

If I can't be a Mum, being an Aunty is the next best thing! 

Love all these kids to the moon and back!!

Linking up this first of my atozchallenge post with Essentially Jess for IBOT.. and if you want to check out other A to Z Challenge participants check out the official website here!