Not the doctor

So it's April now! Funny how the time goes.
Right now I'm just past the half-way mark of my term break. And, quite frankly, the break part has yet to kick in. After the first weekend, every ACT teacher had to go back to school for two days of Professional Learning (which is always something I've already done to death at uni, is badly presented and involves at least three painful and unnecessary role-play exercises - with "someone you don't usually talk to". Seriously, as a professional, give me enough credit to know who I can work well with!). Then I had a couple of days off, and even went on a road trip on Friday, down Braidwood, Batemans Bay and Mogo. I needed to get out of Canberra and was starting to feel a bit normal again.
And then on Saturday... Shit Went Down.
It's not my story to tell and I can reassure you all that I am ok and so is the husband. However, the result is that I have had someone living on my couch since Saturday who needs to be coaxed to eat anything and swings between teary self-loathing and sullen silences. This person has a history of self-destruction and really needs to be monitored a lot. Husband is working during the day and doesn't understand why I am so exhausted by the time he gets home. Of course I want this person here because I love them, they need to be looked (after much as they resent it sometimes), and it will pass. It's just kind of impacting my ability to do any school work or have me-time. Considering how close I was to burning out this term and how much I needed a break, I can't help feeling a little desperate right now. Forget getting any dyeing done!

Enough complaining and on to the good stuff! I've just finished my 4th sweater-esque project for the year, and am very happy to be on track still for 12 in a year.
This is Cassidy from Chic Knits. I used about 12 balls of Panda Woolbale and got gauge on the recommended needle size. As usual, I lengthened the body by a couple of inches and I'm glad I did. I like where it sits. And I don't know if it is a record for me, but I finished it in 14 days.

I also finished the Loretto vest for my mother, which was my third project of the challenge. It's without buttons because I had none :p Mum and Dad are camping across WA right now, so she took it and b0ught buttons and sewed them on in the car. She really liked it, and it actually suited both of us, which is an unusual occurrence.

For the record, Crapacious means crappy. I've been at my students to find more creative ways to complain about things than to swear... and one of my poppets invented a word to suit the situation. :)
On the last day of term, I talked through the plot of Romeo and Juliet with my yr 8 class to give them a little bit of a heads up on next term. They always groan at the beginning of the lesson and then don't want to leave when the bell goes: lust, murder, suicide, poison and dirty old men who want to marry 13 year olds! Sucks them in everytime! And every time, I get a comment like:

"Wait, what? Miss, I didn't know Romeo was a stalker!"

or
"Romeo's kind of Emo, Miss..."

It's seriously my favourite text to teach :) they always get so into it, often despite themselves!

Ok, I've got to persuade my couch-surfer to eat something.

Peace out,
Ms Spider xo

PS. Happy Belated Easter! (these booties)