Panic Over - well it is now!!!!!

Phewwwww the last couple of days has been a right panic. I am due to fly to Gran Canaria on Saturday as D and I celebrate our Silver wedding Anniversary. Got the holiday booked, got the money sorted and the travellers cheques, did all the arranging and even checked that (laid back ) D has got his passport etc etc. On Monday night I came home after my Tap dance class and got out the passport to take a photocopy of them ( cos that is what you should do) and realised with absolute horror that my passport expired in May 2007. Shock is not the word. Don thought I was kidding till he saw my tears. I ohoned the emergency help number for the passport office and spoke to a lovely guy who sorted everything out. Got the 6.30am boat to the mainland and took three hours to get to Glasgow, was interviewed at the passport office and hey presto two and a half hours later had a passport in one hand and a missing £114 from my purse. I would have paid £314.oo I was so relieved. Thank God for that as Don was working his way through the list of who he was taking instead of me. Phewwwwwwww Big Hip hurrah for the passport Office - my Grateful thanks.

My stress levels are high, with uni, maths, holiday coming up and Xmas. Being super efficient I want it all sorted before I go. Xmas is nearly there. All cards wrtten and will post on Friday before I go. All presents bought and some wrapped - rest to do tonight. Parcels already posted. I had hoped to put the tree up before I went but D has put his foot down and said no. We have enough to do tidying the house for friends who are house and pet sitting. Hope to finish my maths before Friday so I have a clear 2 weeks when I come back to finish all the uni stuff. I hope.
Hopwe the weather here is rotten when I am away but knowing my luck there will be a heatwave here and a tornado in Gran Canaria.

Web site closed tomorrow

Forgot to say that the website will close tomorrow for feedback and pilot exhibition.
Thanks to everyone who helped and I will let you know what is happening soon.

What a bad month

What a bad health month this has been. Had that horrible tooth problem which has now cured up very nicely. Still a big lump there but very much better than it was. I had a wee night out on Saturday with a friend. Nicel Lasagne and a glass of wine at a local pub on Saturday night then another glass in the pub on the way back home and in bed by 10pm. Woke up Sunday as sick as a dog, unable to eat or drink anything. Even a sip of water made me sick. That does not happen very often to me. Of Course, D who was away till Sunday night was convinced it was a hang over. WHAT?????????? on 2 glasses of wine. I don`t think. Surely my street cred has not fallen that low. Was feeling bi better on Monday but have had a sickie week ( at work) but not feeling great. Straight to bed when the children went home and not really eating much. ( A few more weeks mmmmmmm maybe months of this and I might fit in a bikini for my hols). Very very tired . Seems to be lots of bugs going about.

In the meantime, D came home with a bad cold which has developed into bronchitis and also has larangytis. Not that I am sure how you spell both of those but the doc knows and he is now on antibiotics. D not the Doc!!!

I have gotten behind with Uni work but have been catching up tonight and am nearly nearly finished the first module. I would love to have it fdone and dusted on Sunday and maybe even submitted early. We will see.

Reading through some of the stuff from Uni during the week and last week made me even more depressed. According to various psychologists, at my age, I am having a mid life crisis. Actually my family have been saying this for a while and I have poo pooed them but hey, if the psycholgists say it (and have a chart to prove it) then it must be true. Feeling quite depressed that this sense of achievement and fun that I am having is described as a crisis. This kind of means that the crisis will be over soon! Then what? Scary stuff.

I`m not the caped Crusader

Had a few e mails re the last blog and all seem to be in agreement with my thoughts. I am not the caped crusader honest. I just feel really sad that everyone is not enjoying the ultraversity experience to the full.
I think we all did expect this year to be hard and we have not been dissapointed. I am having doubts re my abilities again and wonder if I can really do this after all. I need for something good to happen and I suppose it did with my proposal being accepted. I just hope that I can maintain the standard and get through. Would be such a shame to fall at the final few hurdles.
I think I am needing a good kick up the but. Any volunteers?

Not sure how I`m feeling

Checked into FC this morning and had a bit of a double take. A Researcher had put up work for review and got VERY negative feedback from an LF. This made me think of various things.

1 I don`t think I want to put work in C4 module chat for review. This is very very public and as I am not confident in my abilities anyway, I am not sure how I would take very negative comments so publicly. So definately the learning set for me. Although sometimes quiet it is a bit more private.
2 Just wondered how the others who gave "ok" feedback before the LF felt. Surely they can`t have got it SO wrong? This led me to think that if they can, then so can I. I would feel awful if I said something was fine and an LF slated it. Do I/we really know what is being asked of us or are we/I struggling in the dark?
3 I feel sorry for the researcher and others too but am I being selfish and cowardly just getting my head down and thinking about me?

I posted some stuff last night and will post more tonight in my LS. I am just going ahead with what I am doing and hope to have it all completed in time.

Bit of a downer all this commotion!

And my mouth is still a bit sore and the antibiotics are making me feel sick and I can`t have a glass of wine. Roll on Sunday when the pills are finished.

What a relief

Last night at 8pm my tooth and I finally parted.
After a long struggle with an abscess under my tooth, 3 courses of antibiotics, co proxamol and ibrufen the dentist finally said enough. I had tracks going up and down my face where the poison was spreading and was in so much pain that he took the tooth out.

This is my first ever tooth extraction (not counting the 3 wisdom teeth removed in one go under general anaesthetic). At age 44 I think that is good, however it was a bit sore.

Dentist was wonderful and calming, thank God. But just glad its all over. More antibiotics and salt water mouth washes. Unless of course YOU know an instant cure?????????????? Any suggestions welcome.

All this has kept me slightly behind with uni work as I have been in too much pain. SO as the deadline for the first module is drawing ever closer, my head is down and I am working.

Got lots to type up today and then I can have a look and see what still needs to be done - loads, I am sure.

Thanks for anybody that looked at the site and I am still looking for volunteers to leave me feedback.

At last the Website

At last I finished the website. lots of problems with shuffling pages, moving pictures and text size but I am getting there.

The official launch is tomorrow but anybody that wants a look can use this link

http://www.butebabies.com/

This is very new and will be revamped I am sure a million times, but it is a start and hopefully will provide the feedback mechanisms I require for my Action Inquiry.

Go on have a look and let me know what I can do to improve.

Thanks

Good Idea Linda

Following on from the reply by Linda, I realised that blogger might also be a good place to ask for volunteers to test my feedback mechanisms. I had not thought of asking here because I don`t know how many people read this. From the responses I have been having, I now realise there are more than a couple of you out there.

So does anyone want to help with my feedback?

Just let me know Name and cohort or e mail address and I will give you access to the site at the end of next week for some feedback.

I have been bribing the people I have approached with a nice pen - very nice, I think - if they give me their actual address to send it to as well.

So anybody interested - Get in touch
Thanks

Nearly, nearly, Nearly there

Yesterday and last night, I tried to finish the website so I could let DC have a look before I go live next Thursday. However I spent a ridiculous amount of time uploading little moving pictures. However they look fine when I check them today. One thing I have noticed is that everything that I centred has not centred and has moved to the left. Not sure what thats all about but I will have to try to sort that today.

Just a few more things before I go public. MM not quite sure how I feel, everyone knowing how I work. Maybe a bit too public for me!!!! Other thing is, by letting other childminders have access to my site there could be a case of copying. Although part of me thinks that the c/ms I have invited will probably all have their own policies and procedures and won`t want to copy. Although if I am honest, if I see something that looks good, I copy or change and amend. Suppose there is no way round this. What would be nice is if c/ms who look at the site give me feedback on my policies, letting me know what is acceptable in their area and things that they have been advised to add in. We will havet o see how it goes.

I understand the ai is about the feedback mechanisms. I am hoping this first feedback session will let me know if the feedback mechanisms on the site work and what I can do to improve them before going live to parents.

Think I am on the right track and now planning the pilot exhibition.

Back to work.

Back Home and Back to work

Back home on Saturday night after a hellish drive up the M6. It made me remember why I love the pace of the canals and also living on an island. Our island has 2 roundabouts - yes only 2- that have been introduced in the last year. Very scary stuff because no one knows what to do. All the traffic comes up to the roundabout and all stop and look at each other to see who`s going first. its just like the wacky races. Very scarey. And we also have A set of traffic lights now. Wowwwwwwwww

Anyway back home and handed in all the maths that I did whilst cruising the canals. Hope that it is all correct.

I was back to work yesterday at 8am, washing done, bags emptied etc, etc.

This morning I have unpacked my Ultraversity bag and need now have a look and see how I can catch up/ get ahead and generally feel okay with ultraversity work without stressing too much.

Tonight my head is well and truly stuck in the pile of papers.

Son not home from uni this weekend and D away at the Kayaking show in Perth promoting the new book so I should get some piece and quiet and a good bit done.

I would also like to tweek the website, make sue everything is working and let DC see it for a preview before it goes live next Thursday. I have bribed(but don`t tell the ethics people) loads of others to have a look and give feedback as critical friends to see if the mfeedback mechanisms work/cope. Hope they work and that I get loads of people "tuning in".

I will post the von trapp family pictures soon and also some nice pics of my holiday and the boat.

Rivendell ran great for this week and is getting ready to be taken out of the water in a few weeks time for the blacking and other winter jobs to be done. Don is going down to supervise the lifting and she will be back in the water hopefully before Christmas to be back at the marina before the stoppages in January. I am sure she will look great with all her paint work and deck done.

Okay, back to work.

Been and gone and done it now!!!!!!

Well thats it gone. My proposal at last. T gave me some helpful suggestions in the module chat - this time in plain English - and I finished it and it has now gone to the great panel in the sky. I should say of course ( just in case they read this) that it is so fitting they should be the panel in the sky as they are all real Stars and guardian angels!!!!!!!!!! crawl, crawl creep. (Well if it gets me a pass, I can creep with the best of them)

I could have spent forever tweaking it and still not being happy so I decided enough was enough. its gone.

I am now getting ready to leave for a weeks holiday on our canal boat Rivendell. I will meet the boat at Penkridge tonight and probably stay about that area for much of the week. So if anyone sees me and fancies a coffee ( or something better) just holler and I will stop and you can come onboard.

Really looking forward to the break but have to take uni and maths work with me too. But shhhhhhh don`t tell hubbie.

Thanks again T for your help and get better soon as I understand you are ill. Thanks god you did`nt pull a sickie or I would not be going on holiday.

No more postings for a week so everybody reading this get a life this week. He he

Okay, I don`t speak martian or hebrew but a little chinese

Posted my Proposal in my LS and also in C4 chat module. had feedback from a couple of others which was apreciated. Had feedback from the lovely but clever T who for part of it spoke in Russian, I think. I do speak some chinese ( honest) but am not clear exactly what he told me to do. This is slightly worrying as I had hoped to finish tonight.

However i packed and did all the things you do before going on holiday but did not amend my proposal very much. I had an instant chat with A and we discussed the language problem. I have to admit to feeling very thick. However i wont let this get me down.

I intend to leave it for now, get up early in the morning and look at it again. maybe it won`t look such a foreign language to e then.

One thing we discussed tonight was that A had just spoken to someone in C3 who dropped the bombshell that we have to do 10,000 words on our exhibition to graduate.

Well all I can say is F...........................g H...........................l, I will never get there.

Can`t say I saw this jaw dropper anywhere, but maybe I missed it. Or it might be lurking round the corner waiting to bite me on the bum. What a big target it has.

Not ( well trying) thinking about that till I come back from Holiday.

Proposal will be submitted tomorrow, warts and everything else.

Well I did it.

Thats it I`ve gone and done it now. I posted my draft proposal in my LS. S told me to put it into C4 module chat but I got cold feet. Well I would`nt want to many people laughing. Unfortunately my LS is not quick enough for me today and there are not many people online just now. So I put it into the Module Chat. Hopefully someone will respond and tell me that it is nearly ok.

I only have till tomorrow to finish it. I am leaving on the 4.45 boat to go on holiday and I am working till 4.30. Cutting it fine is my middle name.

Not looking forward to the next few hours till I get feedback.

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I`m scared.

Will let you know how I got on.

Just for Ags

Ags if you are reading this, you will see how busy I am. i promise to get back in touch before I go on Friday. Promise

No tap dancing for me

Forgot tosay i did`nt go to tap dancing last night as I was feeling too poorly (Think it`s man flu - or common womans cold - same difference) and I was too busy with the proposal.

Just wanted to say S and H, if I don`t become the next Ginger Rodgers, it`s all down to you for working me so hard or it could be that I am rubbish at the tap thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trying not to wind down

I am trying to finish this bloody proposal and as usual just go roun and round. Not only that I now have a stinking cold, runny eyes, streaming nose and feeling oh so hot. Not hot like "Oh god I`m Hot tonight". Just "Oh no not another oit flush" - but all the tme. Popping the paracetamol like crazy - but careful not to overdose.

Have probably just about finished the proposal - except for the timetable. So hopefully I might get a few minutes this afternoon to complete it and wonder if i can send it to H or Sfor a wee look. I will then post it in the Learning set and see what they say. Don`t think anyone else in the LS is ready with theirs as they were sensible and are not going on holiday on Friday.

Not really sure what will happen if LFs say it is rubbish and start again. Access to internet on the canals is very limited in lots of places.

Will need to speak to H and S about that problem if it happens.

Sniff, Sniff, sniff

Why , Oh why< Oh why??????????????

Why is it that when you have to rush something you (or is it just me) get a mental block. I am working on this proposal and did a fair bit last night. Went to bed and dreamt of the proposal all night. Woke up this morning and now have doubts. Sometimes I wonder if this type of learning really is for me. It is quite hard not being able to sit down with someone and bounce ideas off and who speaks my language.

I will just plod on and get this finished. Might have to give my Tap dancing a miss tonight as I have to get this finished by Friday.

Might post later on to give a better update if I feel I am getting somewhere.

I did not floor a womble

Hi all

Got back from the conference last night. The von trapp family went down a storm. Had a fabulous time and great to see all the old faces and lots of new ones. At the Gala dinner on Saturday night we had the dressing up do and then after the meal got into the party mood. Lots of wine flowing and lots of good fun.
The highlight of the conference for me happened then. Picture the scene. Wombles, Von trapp family, donald duck, Cinderella, Looby loo and such like all dancing on the floor. Womble can`t see when she has her head on and bumps into me. i give her a wee ( really wee) tug on her ear and she drops down to the floor. Struggling to get her head off, everybody helping, music off, lights on, head comes off. And me? Dressed as Lisel, wetting myself laughing whilst trying to say sorry.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Head comes off and the girls is crying. Cruella De Ville ( National training Officer for SCMA) Points to the corner and tells me to go and sit down until I can stop laughing to apologise to the womble. Sat down and laughed and laughed. 10 minutes later the womble comes over and tell me her tears were from laughter and that she had actually dived.
She would make a great football player. 2 of us sat in the corner just laughing and laughing. Thing was everyone was too shocked at her fall to take pics.
It will be a long time till I forget that memory.

Anyway back to work.
Too tired to do anything last night so I am working tonight.

I am working on the proposal as I only have until Friday to get it submitted as I go away on the boat on Saturday and have iffie internet connection then.

Have got tomorrow morning free as well so will work on. Hope to have it draft form for Wednesday.

On track - I think

Did some work on LA1 and 2 yesterday and last night. I always find La1 the hardest to do in any of the modules. It might be something to do with getting motivated again or getting the stress levels up. i always seem to dither and dither, write scraps of paper, type it up and then change it all again. For now, I am finished with it but if I need to go bak and look at it again I will.

In the meantime I have started the proposal. i need to have this submitted by 1 week today as i go on holiday for a week and will miss the deadline if I do not submit before I go away. once I have the idea formulated in my head, I am okay about this proposal. Will speak to H this afternoon I hopejust to confirm that I am on the right track.

Packed my suitcase - Huge ( full of crisps, dips, wine, wine and more wine) for the SCMA conference this weekend. Got the children all wrapped up in two bulky "parcels" and just need to get today over and done with and then I will relax and enjoy the weekend meeting, networking socialising and having a great time with all the other childminders.

Looking forward to it all.

Oh Sxxt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh no, just as I thout ALL I HAD TO DO was now write up my proposal. I had a wee chat with AK last night who was supposed to be in my LS and has now moved to Chinook. She had feedback from T that her LA1 and LA2 was too descriptive and needed to be linked to literature. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH how loud can I scream. Did I miss that bit in the instructions? Somehow this seems a bit unfair if we have to guess what the LFs are looking for. I will have to investigate this further. I know that getting a degree is not a walk in the maybe the directions to get there could be clearer.

Going to have a wee boo hoo and a whoe is me moment - just for a wee while.

And my head is birling again

Head is birling again from all the thoughts and ideas going through it.
Finished my 5 children and the two costumes for CA and I to wear so that is all done. Will post the pics after the weekend.

Ultraversity is giving me nightmares - or at least it would if it allowed me to sleep.
Have finished Activity 1 and 2 and this has led me to amend my AI idea again. Although I am slightly nervous about asking the LFs as they gave me so much time on the original idea. Dither Dither Dither that is me at the moment. I have started work on my research proposal and might send that to H to have a wee look at the first bit to see if I am on the right lines with my idea.

Hope your not reading this S and T as I think you will put me in the pest category.

Plan to work tonight for a few hours and get something in print ( as opposed to my pile of scraps of paper that are currently littering the place.

Onwards and Upwards - whatever that means!!!!!!!!!!!!

Phewwww am i relieved

Last night I had a great chat in FC with DH and DC. Great chat except I was the one who had to save transcript and allow catch up. Never done that before so DH told me how. I got the red dot ok and DH said that when we finished it would ping to my mail box. I finished chatting a couple of mins before the others and said bi. Then there was no bloody ping. I closed down my computer and have been thinking about it on and off during the night. Thought I would have to lg on and admit to the others how daft I am. BUT went into fc this morning and there it was that lovely wee red flag telling me the transcript had pinged its way into my box. Thank God for that. Phew I was relieved.
At least I now know how to do that. Another thing learned and also that technology often does work for me.

Well what do you know

Well what do you know, there are people that look at my blog. I find that very scary. I am not sure if this will make me more reserved in my comments. Mmmmmmmm when in my life have I ever been reserved? never!

I was delighted to read your comments. i have not put my blog onto the Ultraversity page - yet. But I do have it in my signature on e mails and first class. And yes kate I will put on the pictures of my Von Trapp Family Singers when they are born over the weekend. I cant remember if I explained why I was making them. It is the annual scottish childminding weekend in Dunfermline next wekend and we have a gala dinner on Sat night were we have to dress up. This years theme is children from films , cartoons, books etc. My friend is the oldest Van Trapp boy, I am the oldest girl and we have 1 boy and 4 girls to make. Our clothes are all identical made from curtain material. This of course is taking time away from Uni work but I will be ahead by then. Won`t I.mmmmmmmmmmm

Thanks again for your comments. Now back to some work.

My wonderful view today

Just thought I would capture the view from my window this morning. Lovely.

I have been busy looking at Activity 1 about reviewing my learning over the last two years. I knew I had come a long way but never realised how far.

I have made a Table with my learning on it and now just need to add the writing bit. 600 words I think. Hope to have this finished for tomorrow when I have a live chat with other Tornados in FC. Quite looking forward to that as it was DH and I whio instigated the chat for tomorrow night at 8pm. Hope that others join in. Posted this pic also in FC this morning and had a few replies.

One thing that I must look at in this blog is how to see if anyone ever reads this blog. Not that I think it would interest anyone except me but maybe there are some lurkers out there that visit but don`t leave comments. If thats you I would love a comment to let me know you visited.

A day of sewing life size children on Saturday with maybe a bit of maths thrown in and then Ultraversity work on Sunday although I may treat hubbie to lunch. Maybe!

Year 3

Well thats it I have started year 3. I had dreamt that I would go into year 3 with a bang. The reality has been it has been with a quiet wimper which is building up to a roaring scream - well at the moment anyway.
I thought I was all sorted for my Year 3 research but as the time went on, i convinced myself it would be an evaluation and not research. T, H and S are reassuring but fair (cruel - but in a nice way) and keep bursting my bubble. i know it is being cruel to be kind because I am sure they want me to finish year 3 as much as I do - if only so that they never need to speak to me again.

I am stillconvinced that the website is a good idea and I have already thought about the exhibition and how I can pilot it and then do the real one. Just waiting for the go ahead to start the AI.

I have scribbled and thought about the LA`s and plan to complete 1 and 2 and the ILP this week. Am hoping for the go ahead soon as I dont want to get behind with the work.

Maths has also started. Open Learning with Inverness college so its down to me. I will have to devise a study plan to take into account all the activities I am up to at the moment.

I have also started tap dance classes on a Wed night. Got the tap shoes from e bay and feel like Ginger Rodgers.

This weekend I have to make 5 life size material ( and stuffed) children. Why? because I am a childminder of course and that is the kind of crazy things we do.

Mmmmmm got that wrong

So much for me having a lot of work done on the web site before term starts. I have done a lot of work but as I finish a page, I see another feature that makes it look better( in my opinion) so needless to say I am attempting all things fancy and not really getting it finished. Well never mind It will be worth it in the end - I think.


I am hunting around now for some literature to use for my research and finding it not very easy. mmmmmmm this looks like it might be hard.

New term starts on 17th September and must admit I am looking forward to it.

I have signed up with Inverness college to do Intermediate 2 Maths as an open learning student. I have to sit 3 unit tests in a "controlled environment" and then sit the final exam next May in the local Academy with all the kids. Its either that or I travel to Inverness for the day.
Got my calculator and got my books so I am ready to start.

A Homepage

Sort of finished my home page on the web site. Can`t believe how easy it has been. I even have some moving pictures - a wow for me to manage to do. Although it is seemingly simple to do, it is going to be time consuming I think. I am glad that I am starting it now and not waiting till the start of term. I will probably modify the website many many times and that will just be the changes I want to make. I still have to do a parents,service users study and also let other childminders see it and get feedback. Having thought this might not take long it seems as if the web site might actually take the whole of year 3 to complete. A challenge - but I am enjoying it and am amazed at what I can achieve in such a short time and with very little it knowledge.

I intend to work very hard over the next few weeks and have the site open by the start of the term - well thats the plan.

Still on my Holidays

Well holidays from Ultraversity and studying that is. Got my Higher English result and passed. Wow can`t believe that. I failed twice about 27/8 years ago so to resit it and pass well has made me very proud. Clap on the back for me.
As for taking a break from studying, Ha ha. I am on the quest to design my own web site. One that will be useful in the degree as an action Inquiry and also a useful one for my business.
I am trying to be away ahead of myself and organised this year as there are overlaps in modules etc and also a long time off over the christmas period. Some of the others in C5 are concerned but as I don`t work to terms in my job, working anytime is hard so I have to get my head down and get on with it.

So today I have sent a draft copy of my parents/potential parents survey to my mentor and another good person to have a look at and provide feedback on the questionnaire. If they get that back to me I can re look at the questions I want to ask and redo the questionnaire ready for sending out to parents, potential customers, local womans group, playgroup, creche and also fellow researchers in C4, C5 and Parents and also the Ultraversity site. This should (hopefully ) supply a good range of feedack to use in my action inquiry. At least thats the idea.

Having a meet on Saturday in Glasgow with a fellow student who lives in Scotland. looking forward to catching up and discussing our final year of Ultraversity. It will also be good to have a chat about my understanding of the next four modules and if my approach is going to be any good.

The summer again.

Just rtealised it has been over a year since I wrote in this blog. I did plan to keep it up to date and then ended up writing it in the memory of my computer.
Year 2 of the degree course has now finished and I have passed which is a big relief. I am now on the downhill stretch ( I hope).
I found year 2 much harder than year 1 but am amazed by how much I have learned and also remembered.
Year 3 is going to see me better organised and up to date with all my tasks. Thats my aim - we`ll see if I manage it.
I have started thinking about what I plan to do for next year and have come up with the idea of a web site for my business and service users. I would like to make this both informative and fun for all. I will obviously have to think of the protection issues as I work with chikdren and will be careful exactly what I allow on the public site. If possible I would like to make some kind of security measure which would mean that only my service users have access to certain areas of the site.

Tonight I made an initial attembp at the site and created www.butebabies.com/
Although it is a major work in progress.

I am giving myself a wee pat on the back as this is the first time I have ever attempted this kind of thing and even having the courage to try is a major achievement for me.

Onwards and upwards.