Typecast

I t's an oldie, but a goodie.  This is an exercise I have used as an ice-breaker/time filler at training sessions and events and have also tried it out on my teenage children with different results from each of them.  You will need a piece of paper (any colour, any size) and a writing implement (crayon, pen, pencil). Photo credit: Kristian D - Flickr CAN YOU FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS? THREE MINUTE TIME TEST 1.   Read everything before you do anything. 2.   Put your name in the upper right-hand corner of the paper. 3.   Draw a circle your first name. 4.   Draw five small squares in the upper left-hand corner of the paper. 5.   Put a X in each square mentioned in number 4. 6.   Draw a circle around each square. 7.   Sign your name in the centre of the page. 8.   Under your signature write, 'yes, yes, yes'. 9.   Draw a circle around the first 'yes' and the third 'yes'. 10.  Put an X in the lower left-hand ...

I have a daughter.  She is now almost 19 years old and now has her own ever-growing family (one child, and one on the way at the last count).  She has been fascinated by make-up and hairstyles since she was little.  She used to steal the dregs of my eye shadow and lipstick and attempt to copy me when I put on my make-up - mimicking the funny faces I pulled when putting on my mascara.  She was took such care when applying 'her make-up' but always looked like a clown.  I'm sure she'll experience the same when her daughters get to a certain age. Dressing-up like mummy and copying mummy putting make-up on is all part of the process of a little girl growing up.  The recent report and subsequent picture of Princess Tiaamii Andre show her caked in make-up and adorned with false eyelashes.  Peter Andre, her father, is "absolutely disgusted" and the world is outraged!!  In my opinion, the only mistake here is that Princess' aunt uploaded the photograph...

I looked at the reflected image in the first full length mirror I came across today and recoiled slightly at what I saw.  I am wearing a black fitted jumper, a black long cardigan (which is a different shade of black to my jumper), a pair of grey "comfortable" trousers and black and yellow *Dunlops and I'm at work ( but in my defence I'm in an office, on my own )!.  My hair has recently been cut but will never, ever look the same as when I first stepped out of the hairdressers and my make-up is minimal; just enough to stop me looking like an extra from a zombie movie.  I wear my glasses all the time because I haven't been for a contact lens appointment for over a year and have run out of disposables. I had my nails professionally manicured once but I broke one the next day, so I never bothered again (honestly, I can chip 5-day-wear nail varnish within the hour without trying).   And you know when you see some people who can walk in heeled shoes? ...

I MUST NOT MESS WITH MY BLOG SETTINGS, I MUST NOT MESS WITH MY BLOG SETTINGS, I MUST NOT MESS WITH MY BLOG SETTINGS, I MUST NOT MESS WITH MY BLOG SETTINGS. This is to be my new mantra.  Over the weekend I have managed to reset the colours (and I still don't like them), change the header (and I wanted to try another one out really), change the layout twice (from right sidebar to left sidebar and back again), install a comments widget from Intense Debate which worked, then didn't work then worked again, disabled ALL commenting, broken two "contact me" forms, created three "pages" which still look like a five year old designed them so don't go looking ( in fact, your five year old could probably do better so ask them to get in touch please ), got the comments working again (thank to Dawn - @The_Moiderer and Paula - @PeaBee72 for being chief testers) and I'm posting this to see if everything is working again. Now, if only I could get Technorati ...

This is my marshmallow challenge video.  It all stems from a challenge laid down by Heather at NoteFromLapland ( explained here ).  Please watch the video in full and follow all the instructions. As you have now watched the video, consider yourself "tagged" if you want to join in.  Child #3 wanted a go and here is his attempt:   We intend to move on to cream crackers and cheesy wotsits so expect more vlogs from us in the very near future. Extras: I was having issues with YouTube whilst trying to upload the first vlog so I used Facebook Video .  Of course, now all my Facebook friends have see my pathetic attempt and some have joined in, also getting their children involved.  From this has stemmed a Facebook group (Marshmallow Squeeze) where you can post your videos and join in the fun!!

Child #3 has ADHD .  Everyone knows that.  The school know, they are supportive in our control methods and they are lenient to a degree (firm but fair) with regards his behaviour.  I'm happy with that and I have a fairly good rapport with his teacher. He is 10 years old and in Year 6 and every single week we have the same battle over homework.  He arrives home on a Monday evening with approximately 12 pages of worksheets to be completed by Friday morning.  There is both literacy and maths worksheets.  Jake has a bit of an delay with reading - he's never really grasped it but is improving - so everything has to be read to him, with him and explained in detail.  He does about an hour's homework a night (which I think is MORE than enough, to be honest - he's 10, for god's sake, not studying for A-Levels) but still doesn't complete all the worksheets.  He's been getting a little bit stressed recently saying that his teacher gets angry with the peop...

Tell me how you would work out this sum? 1386 divided by 6 I know how I'd do it.  I'd write the number six on piece of paper, draw a bracket around it and then a short line stretching out to the right.  Then I'd write 1358 below that line.  I divide 6 into 13 (write 2 above the line, note the remainder 1, carry the one over to the 8 to make 18).  I divide 6 into 18 (exactly 3 - write it above the line).  I divide 6 into 6 (exactly 1 - again, I write it above the line).  Answer?  231.  That was easy, wasn't it? Picture the scene - child #3 comes home with maths homework and, as you already know, homework is a bone of contention in our house , but I settle down to despair at him and tear my hair ou t talk him through how to work it out. I show him the above method of working out long division and he doesn't understand, "Mum, we don't do it like that.  We do 'chunking'." "Eh?  What's 'chunking'?" He draws a lo...