Trials and Tribulations of my second year

Hey guys.

I hope all is well.

I can officially say that I am assignment free and it feels sooo good!

I’ve enjoyed the trials and tribulations of my second year. I am very proud of myself, there were times that sickness, stress and life tried to get in the way; it was touch and go on two particular assignments that I thought I wouldn’t even turn anything in. But I laugh in the face of those assignments now, as they have both been researched, typed and submitted (so there, in your face) lol!!!!

I have lots of free time and now that I am fully rested I am on the prowl for new projects to occupy my time. There are a few home décor projects that I will be turning my attention to that I have been putting off since moving house last summer; wall papering my hallway, gardening and a little bit of painting in my bathroom.

I also have time to think about my future and steps towards these goals. I will be considering if I will be applying for a masters in youth and community studies or a PGCE (postgraduate teaching certificate in education) in primary education. I thought that I had it all planned out. However, working for the university in the Enquiry Unit has opened my eyes to many more possibilities regarding careers and countless routes into what I want to do (it may be a good idea to settle on a career goal Sade)! I will be using my time to focus on my future, graduation is a year away but I want to be well prepared for when I’m thrashed back into being a mere mortal again . This student bubble has to pop sometime!

Until next time

If you can’t be good, be careful ;)

Hey guys

I apologise it has been a long time since my last blog.

Well April was a busy month. Lots of course work, assignments and exams. It was a stressful time. But the end is near and that is what is driving me not to crack under the pressure!

Easter was lovely. The weather continued to be on its best behaviour for the most part and as a family we were able to enjoy the bank holiday weekend at the circus and funfair. I’ve never been too keen on circuses, as a child I didn’t like to see the animals performing, it made me sad to think of them not being able to roam freely in their natural habitats.

However, Zippos circus was a great treat. The action packed entertainment acts proved to be an enjoyable time for my sons, I too enjoyed it.

Speaking of action packed. We also managed to squeeze in to see WWE Smack down @ the 02 arena. OMG. Forget the kids…. I loooved it. Memories of Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior and Papa Shango had me in awe and re-living my childhood. Smack Down provided us with all the showmanship and enjoyment of wrestling as well as the excitement of being filmed for television. I surprised myself at how much I enjoyed the evening; I haven’t cheered, booed or shouted so much in a long time, but being in such an electrifying atmosphere, you couldn’t help but get swept up in the jeering of the crowd. I must say the seats we had were amazing; three rows from front row.  I was actually really worried, as I initially left it too late to buy good tickets from Ticketmaster, so had to buy from a third party website. Although I paid more than a third over the original ticket price, the seats proved worth every penny.

I am looking forward to the next school break for the children (May half term). I will finally be done with university for the second year and will be able to fully enjoy time off with my little soldiers. Yay!

Until next time

Deuces. X

Assignment season

Hi guys,

So it’s been a while since my last blog. I hope all is well and you have been enjoying the beautiful weather.

Assignment season is still in effect, I will be happy when I have completed my last assignment and successfully submitted it. Only then will I have to find other things to grumble about lol.

Will all the super mums please stand up!

I have been making full use off the library services available at the university. Especially now that the libraries are open 24 hours due to the assignment and exam season. Unfortunately I have spent quite a few nights; long nights L typing, reading, eating, drinking and admittedly sleeping in the Avery Hill Library (don’t judge me lol). Like most, my deadlines have been back to back and the evenings and nights are the best suited times for me to study consistently. I don’t do very well with short blocks of studying interrupted by ‘mum’ callings or stopping to cook dinner. So I reserve evenings and nights for marathon block studying. It is not the ideal times for many, me included especially as it can sometimes leave me tired and irritable the next day (oooohhhh those dreaded early morning school runs)!!! But mums got to do what mums got to do.

On a brighter note the weather has been so nice of recent. The sun shining can do wonders for my mood as well as everyone else’s too. I did make a vital mistake and misjudged the sun shine for warmth and heat resulting in me catching a cold, that then turned into the flu L The symptoms were horrible and I felt awful but some much recouping time was spent with my boys at home watching films in bed and having soup as they too were unwell.

Until next time

Dueces.x

Deadlines and Paintballing!

Hi all

Hope all is well.

I am currently experiencing the quiet before the storm in terms of my studying and assignments etc. I have looked through my diary and March/April will definitely be very busy. I am determined to do well in my last set of year two assignments and plan to slowly but surely work through my work load with limited stress, headache and limitations. I have spoken to a few of my colleagues, those on other courses and they too feel the same; we can see the end but there is a huge mountain before the finish line. Luckily, summer and ultimate freedom are off in the distance J

So enough of all that doom and gloom, what have I been up to?

Last week I attended a paint-balling party with my sons. Who knew it could be such a dirty sport! It didn’t help that it rained previously: can you imagine all that muddy mess. Geared up and ready to go I dropped all of my bullets L. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise I stayed relatively clean and dry watching on the side-lines. The kids in the party had a blast, the squeals of laughter and excitement reminded me of my ‘youth’ and yester years’ looool. Seeing the kids covered head to foot from rolling around in the mud in full combat gear was hilarious. The day overall for the kids and adults who participated was good, I would recommend it to those adventurous, outdoor types.

I have yet to pay my cake debt. I have however, on Tuesday added another notch to my expanding cake debt tally *shake my head*

Be good guys

If you can’t be good, be safe.

Dueces xxx

Valentines and cake!

Hey lovelies,

I hope all is well with you all.

It was Valentine’s Day this previous weekend.

I received some great gifts from my other half as well as a family centred meal at the Chinese. It however wasn’t the romantic, fancy, dressy meal that many would have loved but a stress free evening free from washing up, no complaints there!!

So this week is reading week for those within the education and health faculties. So that’s a week off, no lectures or seminars and for this I am truly grateful. Ideally I should be living it up; partying, having extra-long sleep inns! I digress; my children are off from school also this week it being half term. So as you can guess, these two mischievous munchkins have put a spanner works in my lay inns. I can add I was overjoyed to turn off my school run alarm for a whole week: 6.30am the small things count!!

I have a few things planned over the half term including paintballing with my sons. I have never been before, I have heard it is good fun but can be quite painful if hit by the paint balls *shake my head* I hope these children know what they have gotten themselves into all is fair in love and war!

In the office where I work, we have a few rules and one that is adhered to majorly!!!

If your mobile goes off in the office, accident or not you are fined with a cake fine. If the debt is left unpaid for too long then it is automatically bumped into a pizza debt!! It’s a harmless fun and my colleagues and I are always happy to hear that beep or ring tone….we know it means more cake!

So naturally my tablet went off twice in two daysL my debt has doubled and now I need to pull the stops out to silence the critiques and before I have to pay up with pizza for the entire office.

The pressure is ON…. I received this picture in my inbox…..

A subtle threat as what is to be expected from my cake debt…….lol

I will keep you posted with my efforts at overwhelming the office with my amazing cake payment.

Until then: be good, if you can’t be good be safe. X

My visit to Burger and Lobster :)

Hi All.

I hope all is well.

I have been officially free of all lingering assignment deadlines and exams for five days now. I must tell you it has been an invigorating time! Lectures and  have been ongoing  interesting

I recently was treated to a lovely meal at Burger and Lobster in Farringdon. It was my first time trying lobster……which is totally surprising as I am an avid lover of sea food. The food was hearty and well prepared; the service was friendly and efficient. We ordered the combo meals: chips, side salad, and a cheese and bacon burger each with a whole lobster to share for £30 each. With this you get a choice of three delicious deserts, I chose the brownie ice cream  with cream, nuts and brownie pieces….ohhhh gosh it was scrummy J  The overly priced cocktails could burn a hole in any students pocket and could do with a miss next time, that however was the only negative of the night. I will definitely be returning.

The weather is horrible presently.  Mother Nature has yet to decide if being cold is enough, the rain and wind recently has been terrible. There have been reports that it will snow, although I do love an odd snow day, the harsh realities of traffic and adverse driving conditions have me secretly hoping that we are spared the snow this year.  I cannot wait for the summer. Now that we are roughly mid-way through the academic year; sun, sea and sand are in the far distance. I will definitely be treating my sons to an awesome holiday and a well deserved break. 

Until next time….Deuces. x 

Happy New Year!

Hi all.

Happy New Year, I hope all is well.

I had a lovely break. Eating, drinking, relaxing and laughing with my family was Epic! My first Christmas in my new home was also a highlight. Spending time with my children singing and dancing, watching films in our Pyjamas and bringing in the Christmas spirit was brilliant. I also cooked my first EVER Christmas dinner solo. It was a traditional dinner with chicken, turkey, spuds, veg etc. However, it had to have a good sprinkle of Jamaican spice added also: Jerk pork, jerk chicken, rice and peas, macaroni and cheese pie made for a delicious dinner.

Boxing Day saw me battle the masses at my local NEXT store sale, I was washed and dressed and waiting in line at 4am….my family think I’m crazy! lol. It’s been a Christmas ritual of mine since I was pregnant with my eldest 8 years ago. The rush, adrenaline and the bargain grabbing makes for an epic shopping trip!!!

Christmas break is over and back to work it is!

I was one of the people that was ill over the Xmas break.  Ultimately I had the flu during deadline weeks, Sad times………L

I am well and back on form and ready for my upcoming exam. January brings exams and more deadlines. I wish my fellow students Good Luck with their January studies. I know this month can be a stressful, but also a rewarding time.

I am also back to work in the university’s Enquiry Unit. It has been a busy period in the office. The UCAS deadline is around the corner: 15th January so applicants have been doing their best to supply UCAS with all relevant information to aid their applications. I’m hoping their teachers have been doing the same in respects to references. Late references have been a worry for a few applicants.

Until next time.