Simple things

I just took out my contact lenses and realised how blind I actually am. It’s pretty amazing that putting a piece of plastic in your eye can make you see clearly.

There are so many things we take for granted, but when you stop to think about them, they leave you feeling very small.

Where to start?…

We’re on some flying rock, and we’re stuck enough to not fall off… but free enough to move around! GRAVITY IS AWESOME!

Our heart beats effortlessly more than 100,000 times a day and never gets tired. Even if you tried to suffocate yourself by not breathing, your body would automatically continue to breathe after you passed out. PEOPLE ARE AWESOME

Random fact time!

Camels have 3 eyelids to stop sand going in their eyes.

The fact that I can put a bit of plastic in my eye and it corrects my vision? AMAZING!

We’re living on a floating ball of rock. And cos of some gravity thing, we’re not falling off.

Our hearts keep beating without us doing anything. Our body is like one frickin amazing machine. Over 100,000 beats a day

No piece of paper can be folded in half more than 7 times

Apples are supposed to wake you up more than coffee

Walt Disney was afraid of mice. Probably because in his mind (and cartoons) they hadthe voice of the rapey old man from Family Guy 0Herbert the pervert)

Pearls melt in vinegar - this explains why I’m not rich, damn my bathing in vinegar!

You can lead a cow upstairs but not downstairs.

Our nose and ears never stop growing

Goldfish have a memory of 3 seconds. They don’t know it though, they forgot the start of this fact.

Isn’t that awesome? Let’s all smile now. Good plan.

Diary post (apologies)

Oh hai thar!

Just to warn you before you read any further; this is a boring diary-like post. Ew.

I’m exceptionally busy. So busy that I decided to write this instead of sleeping because I need to understand life… THAT busy.

People always say that everything happens at once, but everything has been happening at once for the last 6 or so months, and I could do with a nap soon.

I work full time as well as doing a level 3 diploma… Which is probably enough to fill up a day. Then I’m fundraising and events coordinator at a hospital radio station resulting in me currently being in the process of organising 4 big events and ensuring all posts are covered with a team of around 30 people. It’s not too easy.

I get emailed really often by different people regarding events… But all my paperwork for events is at home, and I spend barely any time there, as I’m always at work. So then I have to remember things and I’m so tired that my brain decides not to do that sometimes.

Then to add to everything it’s currently time for parents evenings so I’m working really long hours, spending lunch breaks updating children’s learning journeys, writing reports and doing 2 year checks.

At work we have to plan ‘next steps’ for our key children alongside their parents, and potty training was mentioned multiple times. This week I was welcomed back after catching chicken pox to SIX children potty training. It’s definitely keeping me busy!

So… That’s basically my life at the moment. There are loads of things I want to do but literally can’t fit in, like learning to drive, going to the gym more, and playing a bigger part in fundraising alongside my football team (which is so awesome that it deserves a blog post of its own!)

But it shall have to wait… I’m three units from finishing my course and that will free up a bunch of time. Parents evenings will be gone for 5 months, and I’ll be able to sleep again.

It’s gonna be awesome!

Not much in my life seems to go as planned, which leads to a very exciting blog post! Yay!

I am currently sitting in an oatmeal bath with chicken pox, at the age of 20. Working with babies is a definite way to catch a number of things, and after 20 years of happily avoiding chicken pox, it has found me.

It’s very itchy but I seem to have escaped pretty lightly with only a couple on my face, and 20 others in various places. Yes, I counted.

I’m also reasonably sure if you joined up my spots you could create an awesome drawing, but I wouldn’t wish that upon anybody.

As you can (hopefully) see from my last reblog, I completed the London Marathon in 5 hours 48 minutes and loved it.

I also ended up on Sky News after being chosen at the marathon registration by some Sky people.

Long story short; I was eating, they filmed me. I left, they chased me and asked if I’d travel across London for a piece. I said yes and travelled before getting in a van with a bunch of people I’d never met. They interviewed me and filmed me run. Cool story huh?

Straight after the marathon, I picked up tonsillitis so bad that the doctor called in students to look. That was a bunch of fun. Then I got better and got struck down with these spots!

And so… I am getting better and will be back at work on Monday, ready to kick some ass!

Next Saturday is the Bupa Westminster Mile which I plan to do extremely well in, if I’m honest. I will literally attempt to sprint the whole thing. Fun times ;)

Speak to you all soon,
Holly (and the spots)

4 days to go!

Hello again!

With only 4 days to go until the London Marathon, I have some serious making up to do!

I’d originally promised regular blogs on my training etc. but didn’t find the time!

The ironic thing was that I became so ridiculously busy with work and a million other commitments that I was faced with the choice of either blogging about the marathon, or using every possible second to train for it… So I chose the training.

I’ve been cycling 8 miles a day and running around after toddlers Monday-Friday which is a workout on its own (but I won’t count that)

My training has been a little unorthodox so I’ll try my best to explain it:

I’ve been going for a couple of 5-10k runs a week, circuit training once or twice a week, the gym once a week. I’ve also been doing two 90 minute sessions of football a week and countless sit-ups wherever I find myself sitting down and not being judged.

At the gym I’ve been doing 9 miles on the treadmill, 10 miles on a bike, 20 mins on a cross-trainer, free weights, abs, followed by a 30 minute run/cool down on the treadmill.

(I’ll post again soon with the circuits I’ve been doing)

So far, a 17 mile run is the furthest I’ve gone, and it was actually reasonably pleasant (minus treading in dog poo!)

The London Marathon Expo opened today and I’ll be going along on Saturday to collect my running number, meet some amazing people and attend a ‘pasta party’ to name a few things… Exciting times!

I’m not really sure when/if nerves will properly kick in… Or the realisation I’m going to be running more than 26 miles surrounded by people dressed as gorillas and fairies.

Check this space!

A little problem

I think I’m addicted to helping people. Whenever someone in need asks me to do something… the word “YES!” just leaps from my mouth!

I work with babies and toddlers, and every Monday morning two crazy ladies with bundles of energy and too much enthusiasm for a Monday come bounding in and begin to sing and dance.

I’m always trying my best to get the children involved, so you often find me joining the two women and the odd awake parent, pretending to be a shark catching children as they scream and run for their lives. However, last Monday something unimaginable happened…

One of the ladies said “I have an odd question to ask you. Will you stand in for thingy?” (I’ve forgotten her name) to which I reply… “YES, OF COURSE!”. Why she asked me I don’t really know. Possibly because I look like I can’t say no. Possibly because I’m the only one who ever smiles at people in my workplace. Who knows!

So… next Monday I will be making my official debut for a well established music group as myself and then as the Easter bunny… and it’s safe to say my script looks a little terrifying.

The women I work with will no doubt rip me to pieces, and I’ll probably end up with hair everywhere under my rabbit-face, forgetting my lines… but you know what?

WHY NOT! :)

March

Hello there blank text box! It’s been far too long…

Much has happened in the past however-long-since-I-last-posted, much of which has made me consider life and think deep and meaningful thoughts, neither of which are ever good!

It has occured to me that unfortunately in life you need to be careful with who you trust, and in some situations it is safer to trust nobody than to risk HAVING YOUR PHONE STOLEN BY A KNOB. There you go, my little rant for this blog is over.

Now on to the meaningful things…

They say life is too short, however I will dare to say that in some cases it can be a little too long. Over the past 5 years my Grandad slowly became more and more angry, confused and unable to move around, spending the last 2 years basically bed ridden and not able to understand what was going on.

He would go in and out of making sense, for instance I was having a conversation with him last month on the phone… we were speaking about the Olympic Torch relay and he replied to my sentence with “the problem is, you’re a whore”. I can assure you this isn’t true, as I’d be earning far more than I am in my current profession.

Fortunately*, he passed away last week, and on that very morning, he flung his cornflakes at the wall. Ladies and gentlemen… my Grandad :)

I’ll miss him a lot and feel absolutely awful that I’d not seen him in the past year, made worse by the fact he recently told me he was proud and wanted to get to know me better before it was too late.

The thing was, every time I tried to organise seeing him, he’d say he wasn’t feeling up to it, or wasn’t sure. The thing is nobody wants to get old, and sometimes admitting that you’re not as young as you once were is difficult.

I’d know… I’m 20 now!

Life is something we should never ever take for granted, and I’ve decided that I’ll always be making time for those around me; no matter how much I have on my plate.

This also reminds me… I’m really hungry.

Ok bye then

*Because I know he’ll be far happier now than he has been. Plus I know him and my Grandma will be causing havoc in heaven or wherever they may be. Not because I’m a heartless bitch.

Tweets by @hollseey

A work related rant

Today, Elizabeth Truss (who is the Early Years Minister) has announced that there are plans to change the staff-child ratio within nurseries.

At the moment the law is that you must have one member of staff to every three babies… However they are proposing this is changed to one adult per four children.

I personally feel this is absolutely ridiculous. The idea is that the requirements to work in childcare are changed to ensure ‘better trained’ staff. I would already be qualified to work if this is the case, and that’s great news… but it doesn’t change the fact that should there be a need for an emergency evacuation, I don’t have enough arms to carry four children.

For example, the last time there was a fire drill at the nursery I work at, I had to carry three babies who couldn’t walk, as well as emergency information and an epipen. This was a near impossible task, and with an extra baby I don’t see how it would be possible at all.

The most important part of childcare is CARING for the CHILD… it’s in the name, so it really is a shame that money plays such a large part in it all. I’ve already spoken to one parent who said she would be pulling her child out should our nursery switch to these ratios, as she agrees that it is unsafe and ends up disadvantaging the babies in our care.

Effectively reducing the amount of staff should cut the cost for parents putting children in childcare, which I fully support. However will we be given a pay rise for the extra child we are now caring for? Of course not.

This would also mean 1/4 of all staff could technically be laid off. Which won’t help the unemployment situation the goverment claim they are attempting to solve.

Working in a nursery is a huge responsibility; you are fully responsible for what happens to three people’s children, are rushed off your feet constantly, have to complete horrendous amounts of unpaid paperwork in your own time, get ill non-stop, don’t get sick pay, have the minimum amount of time off, earn less than you would if you claimed benefits and are constantly criticised no matter what you do.

In summary, I wouldn’t be particularly comfortable being responsible for a fourth child, as I wouldn’t be able to give them the time and attention they need, and if the circumstances were to arise that we needed to carry four babies from the building, I simply don’t see how it would work.

Rant over. I’ll calm down now.