Someone forwarded this a copy of this to me by email today. Fussy and cantankerous indeed!
http://www.womenshistory.org.au/Publications/guideto%20hiringwomen.htm
the copy I received was a scanned copy of the original article - Snopes claims that it is in fact real with links to scanned cover and pages from the magazine:
http://www.snopes.com/language/document/hiringwomen.asp#add
unlike these 1872 'rules for teachers':
http://www.snopes.com/language/document/1872rule.asp
V embroiled in a tiff with her on-again-off-again best friend H. Before Christmas the mother of another friend of V's (who is also a friend of mine) and I talked about taking both lots of kids to Luna Park before school goes back. Without consulting me (and unbeknownst to me) V got on the blower to H to invite her to come along too. She then asked me if H could come and I said no because we were going in the other friend's car. Realising she had been hasty with her invitation, V rang H up again and UNINVITED her. Not only is H upset but I suspect her mother is as well. When dh rang the mother yesterday to see if H could come over and play today, she said that H was 'too tired' to come over. I sent the mother an email last night (was too late to phone) explaining what had happening and re-inviting H to Luna Park (even if this means we have to catch public transport to get there). Haven't heard back so suppose I should follow this up with a phone call today (as much as I don't feel like doing this). V also feels very bad about it and even offered to let H have her place in the car and she would stay home. If only she would THINK before opening her mouth (think she takes after me in this regard so can't blame her too much)!
I got accosted by a security guard in Woolworths the other day demanding to know if I had paid for the items in my green shopping bag. He must have thought I looked suspicious because I was walking quickly (as I always am when trying to fit grocery shopping into my lunchbreak) through the store carrying a bag bulging with groceries. I don't think I LOOK like a shoplifter so might have thought he would just ask if he could look in the bag rather than practically accuse me of stealing groceries. As if Woolworths would appear anywhere on my list of preferred shoplifting destinations anyway!!!!!
Kids seem very lovey dovey after their 8 day separation. I was going to take them to the pool or something yesterday afternoon but they spent practically the whole day holed up in their bedroom playing together! V also got J to try on his new school uniform which looked very cute. He is so excited to be joining V at 'big school'. This photo is from the start of last year when he could only look on enviously.
As expected, the house is now a disaster zone, eg, entire contents of suitcase disgorged next to the washing machine (don't they have washing machines on the island???) so I am feeling pretty cranky about that. Ten times as many dishes as ds and I had been generating and hot wheels race tracks running all across the bedroom floor.
Back to the old stress and chaos getting everyone reading for work/holiday care this morning - was almost a relief getting into the office.
Taking the next week and a half off to do some 'fun things' with the kids before school goes back!
Just about to head off to the airport to collect husband and daughter who have been away visiting family for nine whole days. Looking forward to seeing them but expecting V to be a bit tired and cranky after all the excitement and having to get up super early to catch the flight this morning. They have sent me a few photos while away and V looks like she has turned into a teenager while away (she calls these her 'Lindsay Lohan glasses')! Funny when you don't see your kids for a little while you suddenly notice how much they have grown or changed. Often get a surprise at how tall my son has grown in the night when I see him first thing in the morning.
Judith Ridge's New Misrule Blog celebrating children's and young adult literature.
For those not in Australia, Misrule refers to a place in the Seven Little Australians series:
http://www.misrule.com.au/s9y/
Not something I should be advocating as a prospective teacher but just in case anyone feels an overwhelming urge:
Also any thoughts on the huge media beat up over this kid? Pretty sure everyone does stupid things when they are 16 (remember a few teenage parties that got completely out of control with parents away and oblivious) - just didn't have the internet to enhance and harness the stupidity.
Just to be even more boring, below the yoga picture is my shopping list for today. I usually try and knock it over on my way home from yoga but can't do that this morning as didn't think I could ask anyone to mind little J for me at 7:30am (a lovely friend did offer but thought that might be stretching the friendship a bit).
- Milk
- Bread (nothing with obvious seeds)
- Rice bubbles (attempt to cater to ds's breakfast fussiness)
- Yoghurt (plain and flav)
- Loo paper (can't believe how much of this we go through!)
- food contribution for holiday care (ie, something unhealthy like white bread rolls and hot dogs)
- Burritoes (aka 'roly poly bread')
- Pasta (have run out of the nice stuff from Pasta Factory in Leichhardt so will be on the Barilla for a while - ds actually prefers it)
- Cars icypoles (ds just asked me to add this to the list - we'll see!)
- Mince (I like this as I can cook up a whole batch, sneak some grated vegies in and serve in different ways, eg, burritoes, spag bol, rice and mince etc etc)
- Bones (for Mollie the dog)
- Chicken wings (another kid favourite - bake them with a bit of olive oil, salt and paprika)
- Something to roast, eg, leg of lamb
- Fish (kids view fish eating as similar to torture but try and get at least one fish meal into them per week)
- Cucumber (kids go through loads of these - must be the Lebanese type though)
- Tomatos (large plus cherry ones)
- Lettuce (has to be cos)
- Rocket (just not a salad without rocket)
- fetta cheese (really like the Bulgarian one but trying to stick to the low-fat Australian kind with the texture like rubber)
- Muesli
- Pizza bases (usually make pizzas as a Fri night treat)
- Tomato puree/passata (buy the bottles in bulk as this is something else we go through by the crate-load)
- Mangoes
- Stone fruit
- Bananas
- Apples
- Oranges
- Grapes
- Water melon
- zucchini
- asparagus (my favourite 'convenience vegetable')
- snow peas
- carrots
Also have to go to the dental imaging place as looking at getting implants and other dental work done. Can probably see the awful state of two front teeth in the photo. Going to be a very, very expensive business! Watch this space.
What a great kids holiday destination Canberra is! Both my husband and I used to live in Canberra (it was where we met and fell in lerv) and didn't like it much then at all. Once the initial excitement at leaving and moving to exciting Sydney had worn off, I kept experiencing a yearning to go back and visit. In 2006, I took both kids there for a long weekend. We met my brother there and had a great time. This time I just took my son and met up with another friend and her two young sons for a three day 'boyfest'. It was great! There were so many free or cheap things to do with kids and being January, the whole of Canberra was like a ghost town so it was even easier than usual to get around. We re-visited the National Museum on Lake Burley Griffin (this was a highlight last time) and Questacon and also went to the Botanic Gardens (where we came upon a huge water dragon sunning itself on a rock), the Black Mountain Tower and the War Memorial. We also found a few good playgrounds (esp recommend John Knight Park at Belconnen) and went swimming a few times (including once at Dickson Pool). Mostly cooked our own meals but did have one (fairly unmemorable) dinner out at the Dickson 'Tradies' - main attraction of that was the kids could sit and eat their meal in a train carriage - unfortunately this was the best thing about eating at this place!
The photo is from our 2006 trip to the National Museum (didn't have my camera with me this time so waiting for my friend to send me copies of her photos):
you will love this. Bought a copy for my kids recently after realising that it featured the same girl who plays Penny Pingleton in the new Hairspray. I remembered seeing her on Rove Live quite a while back promoting this film and thinking she was really funny. The film is a loose adaptation of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Amanda Bynes is hilarious as Viola who masquerades as her twin brother Sebastian so she can play on the boys' soccer team. My 9yo daughter especially loved it (as did I). Her only other exposure to the works of Shakespeare has been watching the film West Side Story which she also enjoyed. Thinking now might be a good time to take her to a real Shakespeare play (Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet or Midsummer Night's Dream). Might have a look at what Bell Shakespeare has planned for this year.
ETA: Have found an upcoming local production of 'Much Ado About Nothing'. Any thoughts on whether that would be a good one to take a 9yo to introduce her to 'proper' Shakespeare?