Supermarket Style

When I was at school, there was a rhyme that people used as a taunt for those who didn't quite fit in with the latest fashion trends. I recall it with a shudder because more than once, I fell victim to this lovely little rhyme.

"She thinks she's really cool man, but she shops at Oxfam.
She think's she looks so fresh though, but she shops at Tesco."

Catchy little ditty ain't it? At the time, I did actually buy clothes from Oxfam - indeed any charity shop or jumble sale I could find, such was my love of clothes from bygone eras. We used to call clothes from charity shops 'retro' but now the High End call it Vintage (daaah-ling) and stick an extra zero on the end of the price tag which, back in my day, would have had £1.50 on it.What was once sniggered at is now incredibly stylish.  We all want to be that insouciant girl at the dinner party who replies with a faint smile "Oh this? It's Vintage." When somebody asked me where my clothes were from in school, I mumbled something incoherent about Miss Selfridge or Tammy Girl (remember Tammy Girl?!) Fashion certainly has a sense of irony.

Now, I own my charity shop bargains. I've bagged a Louis Vuitton scarf for £3, Phase Eight dresses for a fiver each, sweatshirts by Sandwich. I even came across a tweed Gucci jacket in a little village charity stall for £40...but was, alas, too small.

Yet buying your clothes at supermarkets still seems a little taboo in the fashion world. Dare I say shameful? The amount of women I've complimented on their shirt or dress who have then blushed and replied that it's 'only from Asda' is surprising. Surely it doesn't matter where you spend your money as long as you're buying something you love and feel good in?

Want to know a secret? Today I'm wearing a black maxi skirt...from Lidl. It set me back a bargainous £4.99 and it's brilliant. It doesn't feel cheap and nasty, it fits well and it's washed really well so far. It also looks pretty good on me. So why should I not be screaming from the rooftops about the benefits of kitting yourself out in new gear when you're buying your bread and milk?

For me, the benefits of supermarket shopping far outweigh the cons. It's convenient for one, because after the age of thirty with a baby in tow, who really has time to trawl around a shopping centre with a bunch of nubile teens making you feel like a frump? Secondly, clothes from supermarkets are generally cheaper than on the high street (not counting Primark here or as I call it 'the place where clothes sizes go to die. How can i fit in to an 8 and an 18 in one shop? Hmm). Finally, supermarket clothing ranges are seriously cool. The brands are stand alone fashion houses with well designed pieces that are on trend and well made. George at Asda, Florence and Fred at Tesco, TU at Sainsbury's are the big three but don't underestimate the power of Esmara at Lidl or Avenue at Aldi. They are as yet undiscovered.

As a new mum on maternity leave, I don't have the finances to buy a new Summer wardrobe but just because I'm a new mum on maternity leave doesn't mean that I don't want to look stylish and on trend. Supermarkets solve this dilemma for me. So in honour of supermarket style, I've out together a range of outfits from a capsule collection of supermarket buys, old and new, to show you just how versatile and fashion forward buying your outfits with your groceries can actually be.

First up, Gym gear. Yes you really can buy super stylish, comfortable and fit for purpose workout wear from your local supermarket.
Leggings, TU at Sainsbury's, Sports bra, vest and sweatshirt all, F&F at Tesco. Trainers by Puma.

"But I love my designers" I hear you wail! Ok then, check out this Barbara Hulanicki dress from George at Asda. That's Biba...in case you didn't know. Shoes F&F at Tesco. Necklace, DP

Double denim can be dangerous but a denim shirt dress over striped jeans is a great way to tackle the trend. Plus the dress can be worn on it's own on warmer days.
Denim shirt dress, T-shirt and sandals: F&F at Tesco, Jeans, TU at Sainsburys

 What's that? A dinner date outfit for under £30? Cheers Tesco! Top, trousers, shoes all F&F at Tesco. Necklace Ben De Lisi at Principles

The infamous Lidl maxi skirt with very on trend gingham. Skirt, Esmara at Lidl, Vest - pack of 2, shirt and sandals all F&F at Tesco.

This is a great Summer in the City Outfit. It looks stylish and expensive. You'd never know the whole outfit cost me £10...supermarket sales people...they are epic.
Top and shoes F&F at Tesco. Cropped linen trousers, Esmara at Lidl.

This is a great look for weekend day trips with the family! Whole outfit: F&F at Tesco. Necklace: Debenhams.

So there you have it, 7 looks from varying supermarket stores that can be mixed and matched throughout the summer at a fraction of the price of high street stores. Maybe now I won't be so stumbling when people ask me where my outfit is from...or maybe I'll keep it our little secret. And to those playground taunters...it might be 15 years too late, but I have a response for you: I know I'm really fresh though, cos I buy my clothes at Tesco.


J

Burning Out: Underneath The Filter

The Lurgy has entered the house. I woke up this morning, after an awful night's sleep, with a stuffy nose, a scratchy throat, aching joints and a pounding head. I was surprised at this as I've not been around anyone with a cold and I've been eating so well and exercising regularly that I thought my immunity would be a little stronger. So foul do I feel, that I felt something must have caused it and I looked back over my week trying to find the source of my misery. Only then did it occur to me that I might be taking on a little too much...

Working as a teacher I'm used to busy days and heavy workloads and countless marking and data deadlines. As Head of KS3 English, I constantly have a to do list longer than my arm and I rarely have a day that sees everything ticked off. Although I occasionally moan about my workload, I know I thrive in situations when stuff just needs to get done. I'm guilty of leaving things to the last minute because I know I can't procrastinate any more and I HAVE to finish a task. It's like I'm on my own Challenge Aneka episode only it's Challenge Jen and I'm competing with myself and time. The adrenaline is addictive and the pride at completing a task makes me feel like superwoman.

Being on maternity leave hasn't made me any more relaxed. Despite no longer having lessons to plan or essays to mark or data to review, I still give myself a huge workload...and I have to ask myself why I do this.

Take this week for instance. On Monday, I went to Mum and Baby group, completed a workout, went in to the local town to top up my grocery shop, even though I didn't need to. Tuesday I got up early to go running in the rain, took a shower and took Seb to Rhythm Time before racing home to have dinner before making the 4pm mum and baby showing of Beauty and the Beast. Wednesday saw a 10am Story Explorers class and a 12.45pm baby yoga class on opposite sides of the town and another browse around Tesco. Thursday? A particularly challenging day of a HIIT and weights session and a baby swim class all before midday followed by an hour's drive to York to have two work meetings before coming home to take Smeagol on an hour long birthday walk. On top of all this I do all the usual mum things: putting Seb down for routine naps, feeding him, dressing him, changing him, preparing bottles and meals, loading the dishwasher, cooking three healthy meals a day, doing laundry, tidying the house, walking the dog twice a day, showering, putting on make up, playing with Sebastian...food shopping. More? I meet up with friends for coffee, arrange play dates and clothes swaps, clear out my wardrobe and donate clothes to friends or charities, update this blog and instagram plus I'm doing the British Heart Foundation's My Marathon May.  It's no wonder that I'm starting to burn out a little.

Why though? Why do I do this? I frequently hear my friends ask how I manage to do so much - how do I find time to cook? To clean? Why am I so busy?

The classes with Seb I do because I think it's important for his development and because I can't stay in the house all day or I'd go crackers. They're as much for me as they are for him...plus I know that when I go back to work I'm never going to regret all the time we spent playing and learning together. But everything else can be neglected a little, surely? Even typing that makes me guffaw because I know I couldn't just neglect my tasks completely. I will always need to tidy and clean because I simply hate unorganised chaos. I deep need in me since childhood has to organise things or people. I think it's the same part of me that will always get a thrill at buying stationary. 

I've always been a bit of an overachiever. I'm not the smartest, quickest, prettiest or funniest. In fact I am distinctly average in every way and so I've always had to work hard. A fear of ignorance means I'm constantly reading and wanting to learn. If I don't know something, I have to 'read up' on it so that I know the answers. I feel proud when I receive compliments on my outfit, carefully selected in my mind the night before, even though I might only be going to the coffee shop. It's not about being the best; I'm not that shallow. It more like I want to be the best that I can be. 

But life is not a competition...and it's foolish to compete against yourself all the time. 

Looking at my instagram page, it's full of glossy, filtered pictures of home cooked, healthy meals, a smiling baby, a made up face and primped hair, motivating images of me working out. How pretty. How 'put together'.They're truthful images because yes, sometimes my life is pretty and put together, but it's not the whole truth. Sometimes, days like today happen.

Today I'm ill, grumpy, greasy and unmotivated. Today I haven't showered or put on make up or even changed out of my joggers and t-shirt which I slept in. I just put Military Man's hoodie over the top, because I'm missing him whilst he's away in Norway. Today, Seb and I have eaten a lovely breakfast of scrambled eggs and avocado, beautifully instagrammed....but I haven't washed the dishes, or unloaded the dishwasher from last night. I haven't dressed Seb - he's still in his pj's. His toys are strewn around the front room, the dog's muddy footprints pollute my usually clean kitchen floor...and it's ok for today. I'm cutting myself some slack. I have no workout plans nor am I leaving the house apart from the obligatory dog walks which I will do in the same clothes I'm wearing now.

Everyone puts pressure on themselves but I do think mum's add even more weight to the load because they have a little person that they feel they're letting down if they don't do something perfectly. This is silly. Not once has Sebastian looked at me this morning, in his avocado stained superman pyjamas, and frowned at me as if to say 'you're failing as a mother'. He gave me his usual gummy giggle and blew a raspberry, spraying me with unswallowed remnants of scrambled egg. Sebastian thinks I'm perfect. One day, this will change and no matter how hard I try, he'll still give me stony teenage glares that will unhinge me. One day, he'll think I'm a rubbish mum and in a fit of adolescent rage he might even say it. But for right now, Sebastian thinks I'm the most wonderful mummy in the world, complete with greasy hair and a messy kitchen. And today, that's the best that I can be.


J

Yorkshire Days Out With Kids: Part Two!

Continuing on from my last post, here are my next 5 places to visit with my little boy this Summer whilst his dad is on Operation in Cyprus. I'm so looking forward to seeing his little face as we visit these lovely places. If you're new to Yorkshire or have never been and fancy a visit, check out Welcome to Yorkshire, a website that lists events, places to visit, eat and sleep.

6. Whitby

I've been to Whitby many times. I've been to the beaches, the abbey, the museums, the cobbled Old Town streets and it's beautiful. But this time, I'll be seeing it through the eyes of my little boy who has never seen the sea, or sand. I can't wait to paddle with him on sunny days and play with a bucket and spade again before taking a ride on the Bark Endeavor replica ship around the bay!

Whiby images from yorkshire,co,uk

7. Sealife Sanctuary - Scarborough

An online ticket to this gem costs £9.50 but under 2's are free. This sealife sanctuary presents a range of fishy friends in different zones from the Great Barrier Reef to Penguin Island and Otter River. There are opportunities to touch some of the sealife and there are live feedings and talks on conservation and breeding for the older ones. But on a purely visual and sensory basis I think this would be a fantastic day out for the smallest of babyfolk and it's a great rainy day activity.


8. Stockeld Park, Wetherby

I have wanted to go here for the longest time. Each year they host a Winter Wonderland with ice skating and Nordic skiing along with and enchanted winter forest so I'm delighted that they have similar events during the Spring/Summer seasons. With  inflatable play, soft play, indoor and outdoor adventure zones, a spider's lair, enchanted forest, buccaneer boats, a maze, go Karts, scooters and plenty of picnic areas, I'd say this is well worth the £12.50 per adult online booking price which includes entry to everything apart from the boats and includes parking...and under 2's go free.

Image from Stockeld Park website

9. Monk Hill Farm - Thirsk

This is a really lovely farm for all the family. Sebastian recently looked the small petting farm we took him to so I'm looking forward to him being able to see a wider range of farm (and none farm) animals like rabbits, wallabies, peacocks and llamas. Whilst we're there I can take advantage of the lovely tea room  and we can sit in the sunshine and have a play on the playground! Adult tickets are £7.50 and under 2's are free.



10. Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo - Malton

Ok admittedly, this is a bit of a blow out day in terms of cost.The online price for a day ticket for an adult is £32 though under 3's are free and there are family ticket deals available. You can get 2 day passes so you could even make a weekend of it as a family mini break and the passes give you access to both the theme park and the zoo. I used to go there every year as a kid and I loved it - the zoo is brilliant and is a conservation centre so the animals aren't there to be entertainment. You can be a zookeeper for a day and learn about the animals or you can adopt an animal. It's a great learning experience and the rides are great fun for older kids. Malton is not too far away so you could always have a little drive out to explore the beautiful little town and if you're lucky, their monthly food festival will be on! 

Image from Flamingo land website

So these are my top summer 2017 bucket list picks!  Favourable mentions that you may want to check out are: The Forbidden Corner ,  York Chocolate Story , National Rail Museum  and  Mother Shipton's Cave.

Do you have any secret gems to share? 

J

Cesarean Sections - Cutting Through The Crap

Pregnancy is a mother fucker. It really puts you through wringer mentally and physically. The nausea, the bulging boobs, the swelling tummy, the kicks (oh the kicks) in the ribs that legitimately give you the fear that your baby is going to puncture your lung. And then there's sleepless nights (practise, I was informed, for when the bundle of joy arrives! Ho ho ho), waddling like a drunk penguin and pain in all your joints that inspire new sympathy for the elderly.

But despite all this, you're excited! I couldn't wait to meet my little baby boy, my little Gizmo the womb gremlin. That excitement got me through the days when i felt like my belly entered the room 5 minutes before the rest of me. That same excitement also got me through The Fear.

The Fear was all consuming in those final weeks. This little wrigger, burrowing his way in to my bladder and ribcage simultaneously, was going to have to come out. 

I'd been repeatedly told that my little Gizmo was actually not so little and was measuring big. I measured at full term 40 weeks by the time i was 36 weeks pregnant. So it was natural for me to think that he'd be making an early appearance - he was cooked and ready - he'd definitely be popping his not so little head out my foof sooner rather than later. Right? 

Wrong. I got to 41 weeks and nothing was happening. No dilating. No effacing. No other puke inducing words that implied imminent vaginal birth. The Fear got worse. I'd be birthing a beast that would tear me open! He'd get stuck and he'd die! I'd bleed too much and die! (Most of The Fear scenarios ended up in someone dying in 1800's birth bloodbath style). But then   The Fear changed as i started to think that i might not be able to birth my son...that my most natural, instinctive reason for existence would be deprived from me...

I was born by cesarean section and I have nothing against them - they are amazing, lifesaving surgeries and i applaud the surgeons and patients alike. But elective cesareans were a different matter for me. I hadn't realised how much I had subconciously judged those who had them as being 'too posh to push' until I had to have one myself. 

At 41 weeks I had a stretch and sweep by a consultant. It was excruciating and i bled considerably and right away i was sent for a vaginal ultrasound. Afterwards, sitting in his office on a sanitary pad that resembled an adult nappy, he gave me and my husband 3 pieces of information.

1. My cervix was high, tight and closed. He'd torn through it anyway (hence pain that made me nearly throw up - really) but he doubted i would go in to labour naturally.

2. There was something behind my cervix that wasn't the baby. Something that felt like a lump.

3. The lump, likely to be a dermoid cyst (google it if you're brave), was attached to my ovary and was twisting it downwards. I would need surgery to remove the cyst and most probably my ovary.

Stunned, I stared at my husband. I vaguely heard the consultant explain that I could try for a natural birth but that it may damage my ovary, it may burst the cyst causing sepsis, it may end up in emergency c-section because my baby boy could get stuck. 

My visions of a waterbirth dissipated. The images of me crying and grunting as i partially fractured my husband's hand whilst our child was delivered by a brusque but lovely Yorkshire midwife disappeared.

There was just no...romance to an elective c-section. But it seemed we had no choice. We were booked for surgery 3 days later...the 25th October 2016. We went home with mixed feelings.

The next day i woke with a new found excitement. How lucky was I that I knew the exact date when my baby would arrive? We could plan for someone to look after Smeagol the beagle, inform family so they could book time off work and make arrangements to travel to visit.  To make it even more exciting, we did a C-section announcement as a fun way of telling friends and family without inviting pity or questions.

Our C-section announcement

Ironically,  at 3am on the morning of the 25th October, I began to get contractions. I lost my plug and the contractions started getting more frequent and painful. It's true what they say - they are about as unmistakable as having a red hot vice squeezing around your uterus. But i felt so grateful...i got to experience just a little bit of labour. We had the impassioned drive to the hospital with me huffing and puffing, repeatedly saying 'that was the worst one yet!'

Because I was in labour I was prepped for surgery immediately. It was a surprisingly casual affair. I laughed and joked with the nurses and the anaesthetists, my husband took selfies of himself in his blue scrubs, we had a lovely chat whilst the surgeon cut me open.

I wasn't numb exactly but i couldn't feel any pain at all. It was like someone was doing dishes in my tummy and there was a lot of tugging.

C-sections are busy. I had a screen covering me from under my bust (Sweeney Todd type splatters of blood are normal) and there were so many medical people around me. Hubby was right next to my head and my trusty anaesthetist was behind me, continually checking I was ok. My midwife was there, smiling, letting me know exactly what was happening.

And then i heard it. His cry. My baby boy's first long, powerful scream. And it was so full of life. Tears sprang forth so easily that I wondered if I had been crying the whole time. He was placed on my chest, a red, gunky, warm little thing, all tiny hands and feet and squashed face. It wasn't love at first sight - it was awe that this tiny little human had arrived. 

It didn't matter how he'd arrived. It didn't matter that i had to be sliced and diced to see him. I'd do anything in the world to see his face...his perfect little face.

Whilst me and my husband, the new mummy and daddy, did skin to skin and helped our little one to the breast, the surgeon continued to operate and removed the cyst. It was the same size as my son's head and accounted for a lot of the apparant 'large' size of my son. At 8lbs 14oz he was big...but not the minimum of 9lbs60z i'd been told to expect.

My ovary was saved, my chance of conceiving again completely unaffected and i was sewn up and whisked away to my warn with other new mummies. We were no different. We all had the same look of love, awe and terror. 

And i got my brusque but lovely Yorkshire midwife...

Tips For Pregnant Teachers

September, for me, will always be a time of stationary supplies, new diaries, school shoes and a brand new bag to cart my shiny new swag around in. No, I'm not trying to relive my teenage obsession with Paperchase (how can I relive it? The obsession never died!), I am in fact a teacher.

Along with a blood volume that consists of around 75% caffeine, stationary (mainly board pens, pencils and bic biros) make up a good third of  my body weight. I am never without a notebook and pen.

September has me like ♥

I teach English in a secondary school and 6th form and it's one of the most rewarding jobs I think you can ever do. I'm not one of those teachers who hates their job and moans about it constantly...and trust me, there's enough to moan about! However, it is challenging - an entirely different thing to 'hard' or 'soul destroying' like I've heard colleagues from other schools refer to it as. One of my favourite things ever is to see a kid's smile once they've come up with an interpretation that is valid and original on a text I've read a hundred times. I get just as much of a thrill getting a pupil to a C grade when they've struggled for 2 years as I do when one of my gifted and talented children bags an A*.

The kids really do make this job worthwhile. In fact, it's not a job...it's a vocation...a calling. Of course there are times when I'm knee deep in marking appallingly bad essays and tatty scraps of homework that make me want to scrawl "are you fucking kidding me?' across it in big red letters a la Bad Teacher, but for the most part, I think I'm pretty lucky that my days are so different and unique and filled with challenge rather than boredom. Plus I get a lot of holidays...yeah that's always a positive!

But since I became pregnant, I've found teaching a little harder to engage with and it's taken me 8 months to really accept that I have to change my methods of teaching and adapt to my current condition. Accepting this earlier would have made my job easier and so I've put together some tips for teachers who are pregnant or planning on becoming so in the not so distant future.

1. In the early stages of pregnancy, tell a trusted colleague that you're with child.

Most women want to wait until they're past 12 weeks and in to the 'safe zone' of pregnancy before they reveal their joyous news. But in my opinion, you're making things incredibly hard for yourself. I suffered with hyperemesis in my first trimester. I was throwing up fifteen plus times a day, all day, every day. It started at eight weeks pregnant and didn't stop until I was fourteen weeks. I soldiered on and went in to work but had to run to throw up far too frequently in the middle of lessons. I also felt appalling. Don't underestimate how rubbish any degree of morning sickness can make you feel. In the end, I had to tell my line manager and also the headmaster because I honestly felt I could no longer work. I ended up being signed off work for 3 weeks and being put on anti sickness medication which made me drowsy and unable to drive in to school. I felt like a hindrance and I was nervous about telling my manager  and the headmaster so early on in my pregnancy but I needn't have worried. Both of them were incredibly supportive and were able to inform HR that my extended sickness fell under pregnancy related issues, meaning I didn't receive a disciplinary for long absence. It also meant that when I did go back in to work, I had 2 people who were primarily concerned with my health and well being and they could put measures in place to help me.

Even if you only tell one trusted colleague, it will help you. They can check on your class if you need to run out to be sick and if you're feeling rubbish, they can buoy you up and feed you ginger biscuits. Always a good thing.

2. Get the kids to do things for you.

It's a common trait in teachers that they often work harder than the children they teach. For some reason, I spend an inordinate amount of time handing out books, text books, paper and other supplies to kids. Save yourself some much needed energy and ask your pupils to help you out by handing out your resources, writing on the board for you and collecting things in. I even took up one of my sixth formers on their offer to go to the office to make me a cup of tea! Many of your pupils will be so excited for you and will want to show you that they care in some small way. The majority of my pupils are so accommodating of me and can't do enough to help me out...even the ones who groaned at me several months ago when I asked them to collect in the glue sticks!

3. Be honest with yourself about what you can handle...and then be honest with your colleagues.

I'm a middle leader at my school and have a responsibility for KS3 english. It's a lot of work on top of my day to day teaching and whilst it's a job I've worked hard to get, I've found, since becoming pregnant, that it's much harder to meet all of my responsibilities. Exhaustion is very real in pregnancy; I've never known tiredness like it and whilst many women may be full of energy in their pregnancies, I really haven't. This has meant that from big parts of my job like data management, intervention, curriculum planning to the little things like maintaining displays, have taken their toll on me. When I returned to work after having hyperemisis, I realised I needed to be straight with my colleagues and let them know that I just couldn't do everything anymore and I needed to delegate. To my surprise, they were happy to help me wherever they could and it's actually provided excellent opportunities for professional development for many of them. This is one tip I'll be following even when I'm not pregnant!

4.Be comfortable.

Ask any teacher how many times they sit down during the day and they will most likely look at you in confusion. Sit down? As in have a rest? Can you even do that when you're a teacher?! Well, actually...yes. We all take on too much as teachers. By nature, most of us are compassionate and self sacrificing (to a fault) and will gladly work through their break times and lunches to help a struggling student. Well, I'm sorry to say it, but pregnancy is the one time where your own comfort comes first. At break times, actually get out of your classroom and go to the staffroom and sit down; eat a snack, have a drink, demand the comfy chair! During lunch, go for a gentle walk, eat whilst, *gasp* SITTING DOWN and stop checking your e-mails every 5 minutes. Additionally, if you're finding work trousers uncomfortable - I do...the waist band sits right over my bladder, and you just can't cope in a skirt, or a stiff shirt or your feet are welling over the top of your smart patent loafers, then wear comfortable clothing. I find black, thick jeggings and smart tunic style tops or maxi dresses with black slip on sketchers to be the most comfortable thing to wear in work. These outfits are a lot more casual than my normal work attire but you know what? I'm growing a human and educating the future generation. I think it's my prerogative to be comfortable whilst doing so. You'll be surprised by how many people agree with me on that...including bosses.

5. Prepare wisely

It's a truth universally acknowledged that teachers are equally as disorganised as they appear organised. I am frequently complimented on my organisation - I host parties that I've catered and decorated, plan and execute elaborate menus for dinner parties, get birthday cards and gifts weeks ahead of schedule and am usually done with Christmas shopping by the end of November. But in school, it's a different matter. I can often be found 10 minutes before a lesson scrambling around trying to find a pile of essays I marked last week that I need for the next class. Similarly, it's happened more than once that I've walked in to my lesson with nothing but a smile and a prayer to help me teach those expectant faces all about Aristotle's Tragic Arc. It happens. Teachers can't be outstanding ALL the time because, hey, we're not robots.

So plan and prepare wisely.  Use resources you've tried and tested before, ask colleagues for lesson plans that they might have used that you could borrow, be honest with children about the amount of time it will take you to mark their work - don't promise them you'll have it done by tomorrow if that means you'll be using toothpicks to prop your eyelids open at 1 in the morning just to get them finished. There are a wealth of teaching and learning aids available on the internet and, I'm sure, within your school and department. Use them to help you. You might just find you become a better teacher for it.

I'm sure there's much more advice that you can follow but these are just a few of my tips to help you get through your pregnancy whilst you're teaching. It can be a tough slog but we're lucky in lots of ways and it's important to remember that; we get those lovely holiday breaks, kids who are genuinely interesting and delightful....plus think of all the gifts you'll get from your pupils when you go on maternity leave! Bonus. 

J