caffeinated rambles

We were without power for most of today due to some line work. This meant i couldn’t get my cooking done, I couldn’t get ANYTHING done inside because what ever I tried the kids undid it pretty quick… and I was constantly monitoring and trying to keep day-old baby chickens warm without their heat light. How silly was I to think we would be okay without our generator today 🙈. And it definitely made me want a gas stove top more than ever.

The chickens are laying way too many eggs… I think last year when I was hatching chickens and deciding to keep the pullets… that I kept a little too many 🙈. We are getting 20 eggs a day! I’m using them for cooking a fair bit, and we give them to family and friends. I do sell them locally too for anyone who would like them. Next step is getting confident with freezing eggs so that during the quieter laying period of winter we can still enjoy our own chickens’ eggs. We are also hatching eggs again this year to either sell, or once they’re sexed and confirmed roosters.. to make into dog treats using my dehydrator. I’ve found plucking and organising for human consumption is a little too much with our lack of time … and with dog treats being so expensive why not just productively make our own healthy snacks!

I continued with the 1 day a week at the same Primary school. It has been much harder than I anticipated as the workload stayed the same but my time to do it in became less. I haven’t enjoyed it this year as much as last year if i had it o compare. I just feel like less of an important part of our class and that the other teacher is it and I am more like a relief who comes in once a week and it’s very lacking in support or inclusion.

My eldest has started kindergarten this year and figuring out the routine to and from school and before/after school care for the sake of me working has been much harder to juggle than I expected.

My youngest has started 1 day at daycare a week which has also been another hard transition.

This term I have picked up extra relief at a local highschool that I enjoy working in. I have been saying yes to more relief there because 1) it keeps my love of teaching alive and 2) I desperately need the money.

Next year is looking potentially trickier too as I have no contract to continue on with. I don’t think I want or either. It would have to be a really good offer while the boys are still this young for me to accept it, but mainly I’m just content with relief next year.

We have just hit the end of term 3. We have 1 more term until the end of year and I am dreading it. Can’t wait for it to be over and to reshuffle my focus.