Fun and Games

Today was challenging. Ira went all rigid when he was brought through the gate to me and I had to coax and cajole him into the classroom. Eventually he was persuaded to help me with his numbers exercise and he did manage to do the writing exercises but reading and sounds were near impossible. I am not sure if the sounds in particular are because of his speech impediment. In between to try and get him to focus I got him to run around and do some stretches. At one point though he rolled into a ball and rocked backwards and forwards shouting. Am going to try meet with a speech therapist next week to get some tips and am researching on ADHD and what I can do.

With Runbo this afternoon we spoke about his little brother who will be born at the beginning of February. When I said to Runbo was he going to share things with his little brother he gave me a quizzical look. I said how about his dinosaurs. He went hmm and then after deep consideration said maybe not. He then started doing a mental audit of all his toys and said the motorbike was definitely a no and only he could play with his puppy. To put Runbo's mind at ease I did say well his little brother wouldn't be big enough for a year. Runbo then said oh his brother was going to be the size of his finger. Trying not to laugh I showed him how big roughly he would be and Runbo seemed really surprised. Next week we'll look at a book on Chinese New Year and make lanterns and dragons before he goes back to China with his dad and granny for it and for the arrival of the new baby.

Glad it's the weekend. I will have to do some lesson prep for Ira and for my Israeli businessman's English lessons starting next week. Otherwise I am enjoying Wuthering Heights and having finished reading The Girl on the Train I've managed to get the film. Am disappointed that the film is set in America but interested to see how they portray the story. Having coffee in Borrowdale tomorrow morning with friends and a friend's new baby which will be nice.

The issue of being childless & slightly exhausted

Today's lessons with Ira went better in that he didn't cry or howl like he did yesterday but he wasn't paying attention so it was a song and dance routine with a bit of bargaining over when he finished something he would be allowed to go play. He enjoyed sorting things into groups for numbers and he threw himself into the environmental science part on water where he could pour water into different containers and see its properties. When he first came to our classroom he did try to run away which I had a hunch he might do after yesterday but after that there were no bolts for the gate like yesterday - phew. At the end though it didn't feel like I only started this yesterday. Felt like it had been at least a week of it already.

Runbo was much gentler with his puppy this afternoon and his dad asked for tips on having a puppy. We spent a good part of the lesson in the garden. Next week will be my last week with Runbo before he goes to China for a month for Chinese New Year and to be with his mum who is there and about to have a baby brother for Runbo. The magic suitcase did captivate both Ira and Runbo and was a success.

Am feeling a bit like I am not part of the group with friends who have babies. I don't mind being with friends little ones but when the talk all shifts to child birth and comparing notes on babies it can be isolating. Have had people say when am I going to have a baby as if it is as simple as planning a party. I would like children but after a friend's experience with depression, pregnancy and medication I am wary. I wouldn't be able to be on lithium and that could really affect my mental health and being on other drugs while pregnant is risky. There's then also the consideration that if I had a child, would I be well enough to look after it. One would hope to be in a relationship and have support and not doing it on my own but as the mother it is a huge strain if you are not well mentally and have a child dependent on you. The other thing is that I could pass on the genes which predispose one to depression.

To have a baby the obvious thing is to have a partner which so far isn't happening. Should that happen it is also the financial cost which is not to be taken lightly. It would not be fair to my Mum to fall pregnant and be a single parent.

So for the short term it doesn't look likely just yet. I just wish some friends could appreciate this.

And so it began

Golly gosh there is a lot of prep work that goes into teaching Grade 1, especially when you teach reading, writing, phonics, comprehension, intro to maths, art, environmental science, social studies and religious education - phew. It's a lot more work that I had counted on. Got to the nursery school and headed to my shed classroom to set up. Ira came shortly after and our day began. Well we started with putting objects into groups of the same thing and then moved on to Janet and John (his first words to read). This was all going well until he suddenly started asking if he could go to his previous nursery school teacher's class instead. As we progressed with writing and then social studies this got worse to the point where he started crying. He then wanted to go to the loo. I had been warned this was a common ploy. I waited a bit till he seemed to be desperate. When he came back we made a little more progress but he then made a bolt to the gate going to the nursery school yard. I had to coax him back but we didn't get much further after that.

His nursery school teacher who is my supervisor said that she was pleased we made 2 hours with mini breaks. I have to just be firm and direct him back to what we're doing - not easy. I hope he will come willingly tomorrow. He did smile and wave at me when he joined the nursery school children at the end of the morning.

I have a magic suitcase that I am going to use with both Ira and Runbo tomorrow. It is painted green and gold and has glitter and stars on it. Will get things from it for different activities. I told Runbo I had a surprise for him tomorrow but he thought surprises meant presents so i said no, this was a magic suitcase. We'll see how that goes.

It looks like I'm going to be working pretty darn hard this term. I will have Ira my grade 1 in the mornings and then junior and high school students, Runbo my 4 year old and an Israeli businessman for English in the afternoons and evening. Will mean my days are pretty jam packed full. Will want downtime at the weekend but will need to do some housework. Bit dull and boring.

Back to Grade 1

Well in the mornings I will be teaching a little boy called Ira following the government correspondence course. Unfortunately his parents only got the syllabus from the ministry this morning so for the last few hours post teaching Runbo, I've been frantically reading everything and then getting objects together for counting and cutting out pictures of Janet and John and sticking them on cardboard, along with cutting out word flashcards. It's a lot of work and I am plunging in the deep end. Glad I just have one student and don't have to do this for over 20. I learned to read with Janet and John and Dick and Sally so it is a memory jerker of a bygone time. It is a bit ironic that they still use these characters as in the blurb to the teachers the ministry belabours the point that the correspondence school was once only for whites but now is for everyone. Perhaps Chido and Rudo might be a more modern take.

Along with reading and writing, I also have to do environmental science, social studies, religious education and home economics. I had thought I was just doing reading and writing but the other units aren't too long and sort of tie in with learning reading and writing. I'm afraid I am not volunteering to teach Shona. Sadly after learning it for 9 years at school I can't understand the basic instructions for the teacher. I think it would be better if Ira's parents could take that on.

I am now being paid in bond notes for some of my teaching which I am not that happy about. You can at least buy most things with them but it is a problem for my medication which the pharmacy will only accept US dollars in cash for - not even the option of paying by card. It also makes it difficult if you want to go out of the country. Some imported products are beginning to disappear from supermarket shelves. Feels like over Christmas we all forgot about it and were merry but now with January we feel the bite again.

Parachutes and Vintage

Today I made parachutes with Runbo and he quickly decided it wasn't nearly exciting enough using the pipe cleaner man we'd made. No, we had to get Peppa Pig, D. rex and then his M&M blue guy. When they landed rather heavily on the ground he pronounced them light - I've worked out this means dead, so corrected him and he said, yes that's what he said - OK. We ended the lesson with me being asked to draw T. rexes and being told no that's not what they look like. When I suggested Runbo then draw them he said oh no, he can draw planes but not dinosaurs.

At the end of every lesson Runbo's Granny always makes me a mug of green tea and a mug of rooibos. I have acquired a taste for green tea through this. This week she has been adding dried rose buds which do give it a nice taste. Runbo's Granny speaks hardly any English and since I am limited in my Chinese the exchanges involve a lot of nodding. I do know how to say xiè xiè (表示感激) or thank you from my brief Chinese lessons with my friend Sharon but that's about it. At times Runbo has had to be translator, particularly on the one day where I was going to a dinner straight after and couldn't manage to eat the food I get given. I am served a mixture of Chinese and Zimbabwean/European snacks. I typically am given a plate with pistachios (which are Runbo's favourite), pretzels, some raisins, a couple of sesame chips, sometimes a Danish butter cookie, possibly jelly crocodiles and then a variety of Chinese treats such as a sponge square with jelly pineapple in the middle, a marshmallow with a cream filling, wasabi peas or occasionally a strip of what I think is pork in a honey glazing (not so keen on this one). I don't need a meal after usually and feel it only polite to try eat everything. As soon as I finish my green tea it is usually refilled (green tea is supposed to be very good for you, so all good).

Chinese marshmallows

It's my to-be-godson Philippe's first birthday on Sunday. I am down to make 60 cupcakes and will go early and set up. I am apparently billed as the professional photographer for the day - eeeek. The theme is vintage so need to dig around in my cupboard and see what kind of outfit I can come up with. My Mum says she thinks of vintage as the 1920's but from Pinterest it would seem the 1950's and 60's more.

Looks like I'll be teaching a little boy who should be going into Grade 1 this year. His parent's couldn't find him a place in other schools. I am to follow the correspondence syllabus. Will be experience in trying to teach someone to read and write which is useful as I've had two Chinese students in the past whose parents wanted me to do this. In the afternoons I will tutor and take Runbo. Had been wanting to try visit Cape Town. Teaching the Grade 1 will mean I will have to postpone till the school holidays in April, but that's OK.

Pretty please with peanut butter on

When getting Runbo to say please and thank you I started getting him to say "pretty please with peanuts on". Well Runbo has now taken to saying when he really wants me to do something "Pretty please Katy with peanut butter on". I maybe should stick to standard English but it is ever so endearing.

Today I made salt dough from corn flour and bicarbonate of soda so we could use the borrowed dinosaur biscuit cutters one last time and make dinosaurs that could last forever. Runbo was a bit disappointed when he learnt he couldn't eat these dinosaurs like the last ones. I kept reiterating these ones would last forever. I brought a dragon biscuit cutter too and he was introduced to the world of dragons. Thinking maybe we can move to knights in armour and fire breathing beasts, a bit of a change from dinosaurs. We'll paint the dinosaurs and dragon tomorrow.

Have had a bit of dip in mood since Christmas but it seems to be lifting a bit. Seems to have been a drawn out PMT.

Runbo and the dinosaurs

Meet Runbo who just turned 4, whose family originate from China but currently live in Zimbabwe. Runbo has an obsession with dinosaurs which started before he turned four but became his biggest passion after having a birthday cake surrounded by them.

Of all the dinosaurs Runbo likes Tyranosaurus rex best, although he tends to call him Dinosaurus rex. D. rex will eat anything but he particularly likes the taste of Peppa Pig and Father Christmas. Runbo has learnt that the dinosaurs died out due to volcanoes and an asteroid. This is often reenacted when Runbo’s English teacher Katy comes. First the volcanoes erupt in the corner of the play mat, then the big inflated yoga ball comes rolling in as the asteroid to wipe out the dinosaurs. If Peppa Pig has survived D. rex, she may be on hand to give special medicine to bring the dinosaurs back to life. Thank goodness for Peppa. On other days the dinosaurs may escape the volcano in a pizza box rocket.