Ampersand problems

I've just realised that every time I've typed an ampersand in the last few posts something strange has been happening. I've gone through and changed them all to 'ands'. Wonder if I can contact Blogger about it.

Shopping trip

On Thursday P and I went to a new shopping centre that's opened near us. It's sad but I really like going round new shopping centres. We tried some Indian sweets (not sure about them really), bought a fleece and trousers for J and a shirt for P and then had a Caribbean lunch. I wasn't very adventurous and just had barbecued chicken and 'rice and peas' as I don't like 'hot 'spicy food, but it was very nice. Then I bought a new pair of brown shoes and hunted desperately for something to wear to the wedding. I found what seemed to be a long top/short dress which was quite a pretty fabric and had long sleeves which I really want as it's winter and it was really reduced. When I tried it on it was really strange, I couldn't get my legs through it. Then I realised the bottom part wasn't a skirt - it was shorts. How strange. As it was so cheap I've bought it and am going to try cutting off the shorts and also take in the top which was a bit baggy. If I can manage to do that and get some smart trousers I think it will look ok.

Other other church

This morning we went to another church which is a 'plant' from 'other church' and is in a village near to us. It's very small. I don't think there could have been more than 20 people there. To my surprise the first person we met was the lady who used to do my ironing and whose daughter worked at J's pre-school. I had no idea they went to church. We also met a couple of other people we recognised from Faith Camp and the man sitting next to me was a friend of a friend. It was quite an informal service with the children happily running/crawling round until it was time for Sunday School. The worship and sermon were very good. Although J wouldn't say so I think he actually quite enjoyed it. There weren't any older children/teenagers but apparently there usually are some. We'll give it another try sometime. They do a cooked 'mega-breakfast' once a month. Perhaps we should try that sometime.

Bonfire night

Last night we went to a firework display/BBQ. P took some awesome pictures. When I can get on the other computer which is almost impossible when P and J are at home I'll upload some of them.

We were mentioned on the radio

When I was sitting at the Woman to Woman conference I was sitting in a row with other people in wheelchairs and there was this woman next to me who had come from Leicester by train. She had come with a friend who had to leave early and wasn't quite sure how she would manage to get back to the station. When P came to get me I asked him to push her out to the front and she said she'd phone for a taxi. When we got out she was saying she couldn't hear what they were saying on the phone so I phoned up the taxi firm for her. We decided to wait until the taxi came which was quite a while and then P helped her into the taxi. I was worried about her but couldn't see what more we could do and was really praying that someone would offer to push her from the taxi to the platform.

Anyway on Thursday P was listening to Premier Radio in the car and there was this bit about 'good deeds' and this woman came on and said she was from Leicester and she'd been to the Woman to Woman Conference in a wheelchair and her friend had had to go early but this woman next to her and her husband and son had helped her and got her into the taxi and then the taxi driver had pushed her to the platform and how thankful she was. Wow! Actually the best bit was knowing that the taxi driver had helped her to get to the train ok. Thanks Lord.

What's more, she won a box of chocolates for her contribution.

Phone call

One early morning phone call from head of year. One emotional conversation (emotion being entirely on my part), what amounts to as close to an apology as we'll probably get and she says she is going to find out what's really being going on and she and special needs teacher are going to see what more they can do to support J.

Right I'm now going to leave all this aside and enjoy my day.  

Another bad day

I'm feeling better but today have been upset.

Lsat night J's head of year phoned & said while she sympathised with what had happened J had hit the other 2 boys with his badminton racket so she felt he had to be sanctioned. Being sanctioned meant going into solitary confinement today ie working in room with just a teacher there. Ok, if he hit someone he should be ' sanctioned' fair enough. Then I asked her if they were going to deal with the bullying situation & she said she was dealing with each boy in turn & J was first. 

Then this morning I got all panicky re his special needs & had they taken them into account & they said they'd get a laptop but I still wasn't happy about it. I was feeling really unhappy about J having hit someone which is so unlike him then I thought 'it is really unlike him'. Tonight I said to him that he really had to tell us exactly what had been happening & when he did it is just so upsetting & has been going on such a long time & he put up with it without telling anyone then it all just erupted. I am so unhappy that the school had put him into isolation all day without first having properly found out what had driven him to it & my son had been treated like a criminal when he is really a victim of long-term bullying for whom it finally became all too much. If they wanted to punish him a little bit ok but they've gone over the top. And what's annoying me as well is that the boy who punched him will presumably be excluded which ok isn't very good on his record but will he be shut up in a freezing cold room & not allowed out for lunch? No, he'll be at home playing computer games.


And also if you were in a court of law they'd gather all the evidence before sentencing anyone. Wouldn't they? Ok Boy 1 might have put in his statement that J hit him with a racket but he just might have omitted to mention the song he made up about J's hair & got all his friends to sing along to. Every time they saw J. Since last Christmas.

So this evening I wrote a long email to his head of year telling her what we thought, well not the computer games bit. I tried to word it very nicely & I showed it to P & J to make sure they agreed with it because it says on the anti-bullying website that you shouldn't take action without making sure it's ok with your child.

So watch this space.

Actually I think in a few weeks time I'm going to delete this page because I just don't want to look back & remember this.