Mama Elephant : 2016

Saturday 2 July 2016

Samsung J5

I have a new phone.

Im quite excited...and yet think that is quite sad.

Who knows anything about it?

Tuesday 28 June 2016

I love Numicon.

I can't believe that I haven't used it before.

I worked with my lower group today and they TOTALLY understand it and I had them doing sums with 3 numbers in...only simple number bonds to ten, but even so....Wowzers.

They said it was so easy because they could feel the numbers that they were using rather than just trying to hold them in their heads.

I never thought about it like that to be honest.

Come September when I get my new ones, I think I will use it straight away because it was so satisfying for my group today to be able to do something different.

Yes we can move on to make it more complex and eventually to written "sums" if we need to, but for now I'm very proud of my group.

Monday 27 June 2016

Numicon...tick

Well I did it...I used the Numicon for my maths today.

And the children understood it...I wasnt sure I really wasnt, but it worked.

I worked in small groups so that I could see if there was anyone who didnt get it, but it was all good.

I spent some time this afternoon doing some one to one support and used it with a lot of them to start on number bonds to 10.

I have tried to broach this before, but not got very far, but today they were on FIRE.

I was so pleased...so Im using it again tomorrow.

Sunday 26 June 2016

Using Numicon

Numicon.

I am going to go wild tomorrow and teach using Numicon with my class of Reception children.

Ive had it in my classroom all year, but I havent ever used it before...seemed to complicated to me.

But after having looked on Pinterest...my favourite place to be at the moment, Ive discovered that there are lots of ways to use this resource, and so Im going to give it a try.

Seems straight forward enough...but then its easy to make mistakes.

Does anyone have any good ways to use it that they can recommend?

Always up for any recommendations.

spacial awareness

Mine isnt that good. I know how I want things, but I cant quite make them work as I saw them in my minds eye.

This has become very important as an EYFS teacher, because my classroom needs moving about on a regular basis, and I can see how I want it to be in my head...but when I get into the room and start shifting furniture it doesnt look right.

I follow some amazing blogs by people in EYFS and so if anyone has any photos of their classroom I would LOVE to see them...if YOU know anyone...tell them.

I think I need less table space and more role play space...which is hard to create in a square room with no nooks and crannies.

Will try again tomorrow.

Tuesday 21 June 2016

so excited

Yes...very weird...but Im excited.

The school is winding up for holidays soon, and I cant wait to get into my room at home and get lots of things ready for the new term...

Im reading useful (and AMAZING) blogs, and making lists of all the things that I need to make MY things go with a swing.

As I said...very excited.

Monday 20 June 2016

Its all too much...

News from the hospital is that the whole illness thing with husband was started by Glandular fever.

Apparently it got introduced into his spinal column - from his surgery I guess, and that is what has caused all the problems and illness things that have been going on for what seems like forever.

I am now struggling...everything has focused on him, which in itself isnt a problem, but it has now gone so far that he wont do ANYTHING...not a thing.

He wont help in the house, he wont help with the garden, he wont help with the boys...not a thing.

Im getting to the point where I am now cross...he is just being lazy.

I know that he is struggling with feeling ill and tired, but it has now turned into a giant "feel sorry for me" fest.

I could cry.

And quite often do.

Thursday 24 March 2016

So much.

So many things have happened in the last few weeks that it seems impossible to think about it all.

My husband has been rushed into hospital a total of 3 times in this period, which has not been fun or easy.

The first time, the ambulance crew thought that he had had a stroke...but he was tested and given a lumbar puncture and sent home with a big no.

The second time, the ambulance crew thought again that he had had a stroke...but he was tested again, given 3 more lumbar punctures, and was told he had viral meningitis. They sent him home the same day...with anti-virals and a promise that he would rest.

Then this third time, he was rushed in with suspected bacterial meningitis, and given another 3 lumbar punctures...he is getting good at them now...and told that he had swelling on his brain.

In all this time, my mother in law has been with us...and I couldnt manage without her. She has been my angel.

We asked her to come the first time was needed because we didnt know what was going to happen with papa elephant. He was only in for a short time, so she went home again.

The second time she was here for 3 weeks because he was in for such a long time.

Then this time she is here for a week I think.

Normally we get on ok, but she has been my rescuer and my saviour.

She has kept the washing and drying up to date for me, and has looked after the boys whilst I have been working silly hours at school.

I have found new respect for her, and will always remember what she has done for us...

Thursday 18 February 2016

flashing blue lights

Well, the last couple of days have been interesting to say the least.

Tuesday, Papa elephant was sent home from work with a super headache...we assumed migraine.

He was sick twice.

By teatime, he had also passed out twice, was shaking violently and couldnt stand or bear to have the light on.

So...I called an ambulance.

They came and did various tests...I heard the word stroke mentioned....

They whisked him away and told me to follow.

Bless my friend who came to sit with the boys, and I went off in the car to the a&e department.

He had been rushed into a side cubicle and they were putting in a canular, taking blood and poking him in various places!!!!

After what seemed like hours, and probably was...he was taken for a CT scan. The doctor said they were looking for a bleed on the brain.

I had to go through his medical history of the past few months, at least 4 times.

By 2am, they finally said he would be taken to the acute medical unit and that I was to go home because it could be a long time to wait. I could ring at 10am in the morning.

I came home to relieve my friend.

I phoned his office in the morning and then we sat and waited for me to be able to ring AMU..

When they finally answered the phone, they said that he was having another CT scan because they were convinced it was a bleed, but couldnt find one on the previous scan done the night before.

Eventually they rang to say he was being released, but that I was under no circumstances to bring the children to the hospital as they had norovirus...possibly.

So I went.

He came out looking very bedraggled and sore. They had given 3 lumbar punctures...just to be on the safe side apparently, lots of blood had been taken and he had been pumped full of various pain killing drugs.

So now, he is home...very sore and sorry for himself.

He cant walk far for pain in his back, and if you catch him on the arm where the canular was in, he screams like a girl...not that I blame him to be honest.

Hospitals are marvellous places.

But I dont want to go and visit another one for a good while.

Tuesday 16 February 2016

Sad.

I am feeling very sad today.

I had to have my lovely rabbit Thumper put to sleep this morning. He had some sort of abscess in his face and the vet said he was very poorly...which of course I knew.

He was always full of beans, and last night he just sat...wherever you put him, he just sat there.

He was a house rabbit, so we are used to seeing him hopping about and chasing the dogs...yes he really did chase them. And today, he is missing.

I cant bring myself to clean out his indoor house yet. I know I will have to but not quite yet.

I adopted him from Pets at home when I took my class on a trip there. He was left in the adoption centre because the staff said that everyone thought he looked funny and was too big to be a proper "bunny"...so I had him.

He was huge. Not sure what breed, but a big one. His ears were enormous and he was so friendly. He would love a cuddle and would sit with me whilst I did my school work.

I miss him already.

Monday 15 February 2016

Now what...

Papa elephant went to the doctor again this morning.

This must be a record for the number of times a person can see a doctor in a month stretch...and the number of different doctors seen must too be a record of some sort...Im sure.

Anyway, he went again.

He had his blood pressure checked again, which showed at 124 over 108.

This is seen as stage 2 hypertension, and is NOT good.

He also had his back checked, and with the pain he is describing, the doctor thinks that not only is his liver not working, but now his kidneys arent functioning properly either.

I did suggest that we just take him to the vet to have him put down, but Papa elephant didnt think this was funny.

So now we are looking at the possibility that he could have a heart attack...which might kill him sooner than the dementia.

It never rains but it poors....etc.

Sunday 14 February 2016

All those pills...

With my husband needing to take a LOT of medication for his health...or lack of it, you would think that he would remember to take it.

Well last night, he didnt.

So today has been spent in a fug of uncertainty on his part, as he tries to make his way through the day.

I think that there are about 6 different medicines that he has to remember...I manage mine each day, so why cant he manage his?

I dont know whether they make a difference or not, but they do seem to help...or is that just me hoping?

A terrible thing

I have brought home my class iPad, and I kind of love it...a little bit.

I loaded up some photos on it of things that my class had been doing on Friday and I thought I would share them on Facebook on a page I belong to.

I did this...totally not sure if what I was doing...and then I discovered the terrible thing.

I had put these pictures on to the page, and totally could NOT work out how to credit the lady who had designed the things that I had made for my class...the pictures showing them using them.

She found me out...which is a good thing.

I hope she has forgiven me...what a terrible thing to do.

So sorry Rachel...from stimulating learning.

You should follow her ideas...www.stimulatinglearning.co.uk

They are amazing.

Dementia Road...a journey

What started out…

Nothing much has happened yet…and yet it feels like the world is different .

My husband has never been what you would call “healthy ” but this came as a bit of a blow.

Things have been worrying me for a while about him but nothing like this.

He was having tests for back pain, and as part of the whole thing he was sent off for an mri and a brain scan. This highlighted the fact that his brain is a whole centimetre smaller than his skull.

Further tests have suggested that this means early onset dementia.

We don’t know much more…so we are waiting…impatience abounds.

A brain biopsy looks probable and more tests by more doctors.

We wait…

Mama Elephant