3/4 way through 2013....

Well i do have to say I'm really proud of myself.  I have taken up the challenge of doing my studies with two young children, medical problems and lots of other things going on in my family.

Semester one was hard, i had to juggle mum and a friend to watch the kids while i went off to course or to do my hours in a centre, that was hard, really hard.  Yup it worked in the end as i had no other option really.  But i found it hard not doing it myself taking my kids to preschool and picking them up again, i found it hard not being home when my kids got home instead i had to get home after then and start dinner i felt i was missing out on lots.  Having days off was hard cause i had to make up hours and then find someone to watch the kids while i caught up on hours. Doctor trips, hospital trips you know the list goes on and on.

First semester was hard with lots of changes, Damian came home which put another spanner in the works with Lukas and his toilet training, with everything changing he went backwards, daddy was home, someone else was picking him up at preschool and spending the afternoon with him instead of mummy, it was all challenging for him.  Dont get me wrong he enjoyed it but his body didnt really want to cope with it, he doenst do change well it seems.

I do thank those that helped me out in semester one, i did well with my marks nothing under a B so i was happy and my highest was A+ i never thought i would get that high but i did not once but a few times.  I worked hard, studied hard and did everything i could to get these assignments done.  Yup which with me means throwing things across the room and sorting my head out to start again.

Semester two was new again, Dakota started school and Lukas started daycare at the daycare i volunteer/ relived at.  Of course i went to course aswell, but for the first two weeks i finished early and started late to get Dakota to and from school before she started kids club (before and after school care).  Once Dakota started kids club she was happy, she enjoys going in early and being picked up later on, i get told off if i get there before 4pm so i leave her till about 4.30/5 most days.  Lukas loves his new daycare but again a change so back to pooing or wetting his pants even though he stopped though the 2 week hoilday when i was home.  So its back to giving him a treat if he comes home with the same clothes on he went in, which seems to work then i stopped giving the treats he was a trooper and really good, 99% of the time i would get him and he was clean.

Then it came the day i had my operation and Damian had to take over the morning drop offs for the kids and my mum picked the kids up in the afternoon, Lukas went back again to messing himself every day if it wasnt at daycare it was at home later on, yup another change so i really have put it down to change, he doenst do change well at all.  But with that aside im able to pick him up now and he been good again with the "treat" thing again for a little while until he feels everything is back to normal for him.

This semester i have done well so far even though its only 2 assignments we have actually done and one of those is part of a 5 task one.  Im very proud of myself im working hard to get it all done, plus doing the mum things and wife things.

With Dakota loving before and after school care I took her to pippins to have a look at and to see if its something she would like to do, after a term she is loving it and wants to go back.  She has had one event with them so far sadly she ate something she shouldnt and got sick for a short time she was saying she wasnt going back to pippins but with encouragement she was happy to go back but nana had to pick her up from her last night of the term.

Lukas has been playing rugbytots for a while but with the price of it, and what they do i dont think its worth it, so he is going to play softball next erm (tee ball for the little ones), he had a great hit on him and i think he will do really well in this sport, and we will find another rugby club closer to home for him as his winter sport.  This boy LOVES sports, which is great but hard on the pocket sometimes, but we make it work.

This semester is half way through already which means, Lukas will be 4 soon and Christmas will be here before we know it and im not ready for it.  But being at course i have made some great friends and we get on well, thats a bonus with everything right?

Good note for this year is im loving being a member for KIWIreviews i have won a prize every month this year, i think its great and the kids love it too.  First was the sodastream and then its small bits and pieces from there that i have put away for later on.  Another thing i love with KIWIreviews is the review products i get to try out and write a review about and then keep the review item, i have gotten some awesome items.

Right time to get through the rest of this year to start it all again next year right?  another 1/4 of the year to go and that will be Year one under my belt for this degree...i would be crazy to want to do another course after these three years.

Holding strong and doing well....feeling proud

Resources for course

Well for my course I have to make 2 resources for children, they have to be homemade.

Well I love making things so got my thinking hat on for so many ideas and finally came up with what I wanted.

So for the Toddlers I've done matching boards, one with colours and one with number with the English and Maori words.

With some valcro dots the toddlers can pull off pieces and match them back up

And then for the infants I did a touch and feel board.

So many textures going on. In this photo the glue is still wet.

Marks.

Ok so I've had my marks for a couple of weeks now and only decided to post them up.

For my Treaty of Waitangi I got a A+ 30/30 with my partner that I did it with.  Which I'm really wrapped about

For my Semi Essay I got a A- which I'm really happy about as it was hard for me to do, as I hate paraphrasing and i cant get my head around it most of the time, but guess its sinking in.\

For our meal plan group one and we had to prepare a meal plan on our own aswell, it was another good mark.  I got a A once again very happy.

So with my 3 marks so far I cant say I'm unhappy I'm really happy, infact I'm so happy I will keep aiming for those high marks.

So far I have

A+, A and A-

At the moment I'm working on my part of other group assignment which i have done and handed in to my group and they have liked it so far that is due on the 14th May with a class presentation  I have a 1500 word essay to do and that due the day before we are back at course on the 6th May, and have a case study to do aswell, which looks pretty simple to do.

Im feeling pretty good about these ones so far

Assignments

Well today was the day for 3 assignments/assessments to be handed in.

First off was Treaty Of Waitangi and that was a pair assessment that we had to get up in the front of the class and speak on what we had learnt and presented.  I was a nervous wreak, I couldnt stop shaking and you could even hear the shaking in my voice, not good at all.  But we did it and completed it.

Next in the afternoon it was time to hand in menu plans, one for a standard menu which was done in a group that we had to do a role play with, then we had to do another 3 week menu with special diet requirements my one was hindu, so I had to do a little research to find out what they cant eat and then adapt my menu.

Handed that into the box so it was over and done with and I didnt forget to do it at 5pm and take it home lol.

The role play we did was we had a group of 6 of us, we had to do a morning tea and had to keep in mind we had two vegeterian children.  This went well we had fun and was under the 5mins was meant to be between 5-10mins but sadly we didn't click to that till after we did our role play.

Now I have to wait for all my marks to see how well myself and my groups/partner did.

Good luck to me I say

Almost there

Only 12 hours to go and I will be a student once again at MIT studying Bachelor of Education (ECE) the last time I was at MIT was in 2005 and then I tried again in 2008.  This time Im GOING to finish it, finish the 3 year training.

Yup Im a little nervous going back now at 27 but I should be finished and be an ECE teacher just after I turn 30.

I have everything sorted, kids are sorted with who is looking after them each day I'm at uni then I will need to sort out my 12 hours unpaid work aswell.  Everything will full into place.

I have all my stuff ready, just gotta buy all my text books.

So today was my get everything sorted day, got the house cleaned, made bread, made a choc slice, yoghurt, and jelly, all ready for lunches during the week.  All i have to do is make the lunches before I head to bed and pop them in the fridge ready for the day to start.

Now I just have to get over the fact I will be getting out of bed at 6.45 on uni days instead of 7.30ish