And...relax...(until next time).

The assignment has been sent! Cue sigh of relief and Chinese take-away. I was thinking I could give myself some time off, but have just realised I have two new assignments due in early January; one is on children's poetry, and the other is the story that I've not actually done any planning for yet. But before all of that, I really need to read a crappy book. My brain has been frozen by intellectual worthy-ness, and I need to thaw it out with some rubbish. I'm thinking Bridget Jones, or something similar. And then I'll see a mindless but watchable film - School of Rock? When my brain is sufficiently mushy, I'll get back to the studying. 

As for school - it's that time of year again. If someone tells me, yet again, how many sleeps until Christmas, they may not live to see it. We have the infants practising their play, which, admittedly is quite fun, especially when you have to play 'guess the animal' with the children in the front row. A monkey in the stable?? Oh, it's a cow, I see...You always have the child whose mum is a great dressmaker, and who puts everyone else to shame; two shepherds in Power Ranger dressing-gowns, plus one with a tunic, beard, and sandals, complete with lamb.

I must get some Christmas cards. We have a school post-box under the Christmas tree in the hall, and I have to try to remember all the children in the classes I work in. My surname is not an obvious one to spell, and I get many interesting variations, some of which I can't work out what sounding-out method got them there. The cards with additional messages like, 'You're cool,' or 'Thanks for being amazing,' I put in prime position at home. 'See,' I tell my family, 'someone thinks I'm great...'

And I really, really must start buying presents. My husband has hinted that he wants a printer. I can't get my head around presents like that. I want something for me, that I don't have to share with anyone, and that isn't practical. Or books. My friend's husband bought her a hoover once. He lived to tell the tale, but only just. I need to cut out lots of pictures of present ideas and stick them to various surfaces around the house. I'll prime the children, too. 'Ok, you need to say "I overheard Mum saying she's really short of £500 Waterstones vouchers," got that?'