Saturday 12 January 2013

The story of the maths exam and the fake baby!

Our Kate finishes school this year and we will be happy for her. She hasn't enjoyed it much at secondary school, not that many of our children have. I think we have treated them all honestly and pretty fairly in a grown-up kind of way and the herding around and being spoken to in a nice but patronising kind of way hasn't really cut the mustard with them.   They have all done okay when exam results have been turned in, but somehow I think they should have enjoyed it more and come away more often excited by what they had learnt and wanting more.  I'm not sure if it says more about us as parents, our kids or the school system.. but hey..

Anyway, yesterday Kate got her GCSE results for the Maths exams they took in November. The idea was that they take it early with a chance to retake in the summer if they wished, but pssibly being able to finish with Maths now and have a good result under the belt almost a year early... so she set off hoping for a 'B' but expecting a 'C' .. she text me at 9.30 and I was braced for the 'C' .. and this is what I got..
    .................' Got a 'B' : Xxxxx'
                                     I was so so so made up for her!
This evening she told me that she can choose now between extra revision on weaker subjects (but maybe subjects she isn't very keen on) .. or she can do more maths (maybe the last proper maths she will ever be taught) and even try for a better grade at retake.. oh whichever, the B is in the bag and I am so happy for her.. it will, as Zac says, look good on a CV and for me, most importantly it might just give her the confidence to realise she can Do It!

As part of her Childcare course Kate is minding what I have been calling 'the fake baby'. It is a strange thing, a fairly heavy baby doll which cries at will and need to be handled gently and you can do things to stop it crying, like 'feed' it, change its nappy, keep it comfortable.. so tonight I am babysitting whilst she works!  (If my calculation is right and true to babies the world over it will sleep all evening and be awake at 2am.. when I will be fast asleep!)

I know it's not in the spirit of the thing to do it for her but hey I wouldn't do it if she wanted to go to a party!  I am a sucker for a baby I guess... but it is kind of surreal especially since we will have a new real live baby on Tuesday...we are all finding it kind of strange knowing the day the baby will come, not having any previous experience of a c-section, but so long as it is all okay.


Colin however is mortified, not least of all when his Dad and a pal came in for some supper. He told me to put it away, in a drawer or something... yeah right!  And who explains that...apparently it has some sensors so can tell the way you handle it and stuff..or so they say til she takes it back and we've both been 'had'!    So as they came in for supper the thing was crying and I was cradling it in a bundle!  Add to that a need for an explanation of the chrome pole in the centre of our kitchen and you can imagine the looks he gave me...well, like I said you never ever know what goes on inside four walls! ;-)  .. and after all there are ladies who have those life like baby dolls full time.. and it sure beats a puppy to clean up after!

I think he can't believe Kate volunteered for the baby, especially if there was a choice; he thinks they are really made for teens the schools think are at risk of having children too young! .. but she did and I'm rolling with it... but I have got thoughts of putting it out under Ross & April's bed so it wakes them at 2am!

Not sure any of this qualifies as a serendipity moment but after seeing everyone else getting into the art journals and stuff for our challenge I am hoping to join them, after all it's only one page a month...will keep you posted if I can get something produced through the week! x

.. I have been scrapbooking today, a small crew but very enjoyable. We have been together as a group for almost five years and it is warming to spend time together. We often chat away the first hour without even getting our papers out!

We did some nice layering layouts and I was happy because I had lots of the latest photos to include.. Holly Tree Cutting Day and Baking JB on Christmas Eve. These two layouts do need a bit more work, a little extra bling or maybe a grungeboard swirl, but who knows when they will come..so here they are for now...



11 comments:

  1. Blimey, it all sounds terribly stressful!!

    Well done to Kate on the Maths result - excellent. Shame that your children didn't get the inspiration to learn from school - lucky for them they've had a stable family life for support and inspiration.

    Had she not got her result, she could always do what I did - lie blatantly ha ha. I got a job working in a Bank for 22 years saying I had Maths O level. For shame. I failed the CSE because I was so crap at it. Naughty me.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gosh that gave me a good laugh LOL!! I could just picture Col when his Dad arrived with the baby and the pole too!!
    Congrats to Kate that is a great result. and LOL to Janice!!!

    Just want to wish you good luck for next week. xxx I am getting nervous about sending mine to jenni by Friday!! it really is already now but keepfiddling with it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well... like Lynne I was kind of in stitches too. A fake baby and a pole in the kitchen. Ah Ah Ah ! I think we are going to have a lot of fun with your challenge next week.
    Well done to Kate, xxx

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm laughing too, esp at the image of you with the 'baby' in your kitchen with the pole! I've seen teens in the college with these dolls, so know what you are talking about, they are very realistic.

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a post to read first thing in the morning, can just picture Colin's reactions and you stood there rocking the doll/baby explaining the pole, with that glint in your eye lol hilarious.xx

    Well done Kate, fantastic result. xx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Lol. brilliant :)

    Good luck on tuesday, it is wierd knowing isn't it.

    Well done Kate and I agree, school is wierd, plenty of potential to be a great place, too many things getting in the way of it happening.

    Love the layouts, the layering is gorgeous. xxx

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow scrapping this years christmas photos already I am impressed.
    I think that the baby idea is great - for teenagers and can't help but smile at you explaining your baby sitting. Well done to Kate on her maths results. I used to teach secondary and they all couldn't wait to leave. Now I see them on face book wishing they were still there.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Well done Kate, great maths result. Good luck with the fake baby and not long now till more baby news :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Congrats to Kate for her grade! I loved your story!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Well done kate what a fab result. I love the baby bit I think all teenage girls and boys should have to look after one for a week. Children don't come with instruction books like their phones etc its about dealing with the here and know in any way you can which is a skill worth learning.
    Love and Hugs
    Yvonne

    ReplyDelete

I am hoping that 'Anonymous' has stopped stalking me with his Spam now, but may have to put verification back on if it comes back.. I just can't buy any more over the counter drugs or Louis V handbags girls!! ;-)