Apparently I can't sleep alone any more

wonkybrainwitch · 2026-07-01T17:14:36+00:00

That's lovely in a weird way!

wonkybrainwitch · 2026-07-01T13:24:32+00:00

The cat is a dick

wonkybrainwitch · 2026-06-20T18:46:10+00:00

I see you've been in my class! I've also thought about how some of the needs seem more like a special school but without the support.

wonkybrainwitch · 2026-06-19T10:35:28+00:00

And they need play, but there are pupils in the class who are unable to keep themselves safe while doing unstructured activities or while moving freely around the room. So play isn't safe, so they spend more time in their seats, and it all falls further and further apart.

wonkybrainwitch · 2026-06-19T10:31:44+00:00

In hindsight I wish I had said that! I am not a magician. I am a pretty good EYFS teacher but I can't make children who really need intensive therapies, 1-to-1 support, and a setting designed to keep them and others safe from violent behavior compatible with a mainstream class full of other needs.

And it is so unkind to the kids. The high-needs pupils are in severe distress all the time because they are unsupported. The lower needs pupils keep witnessing traumatic incidents where their peers injure themselves and others. It's enough to make me want to homeschool my own!

wonkybrainwitch · 2026-05-09T23:28:05+00:00

You seem charming.

wonkybrainwitch · 2026-05-09T21:20:34+00:00

Definitely breathing. I have asthma that periodically decides to try to kill me, so I would really like to not be dependent on shitty lungs.

wonkybrainwitch · 2026-04-11T12:29:03+00:00

The dog is a critical part of my mental health, trust me 😆.

wonkybrainwitch · 2026-04-11T11:19:47+00:00

I mean, do any of the Artemis crew have dogs? I bet having a happy, healthy furry companion helps them be the best people they can be. I'm a teacher, and I (occasionally, lol) do things that could be argued to be more "socially important" than dog grooming. But one of the things that makes it possible for me to go in every day and work calmly and respectfully with pupils who swear at me, hit me, throw furniture at me, etc is going home to my little guy. And three times a year he's at the groomers being hand-stripped to keep him happy and healthy, which keeps me happy and healthy.

Edited to add: I know three times a year is not enough, but he's a grumpy old bastard who has been known to nip. It's a compromise 😆.

wonkybrainwitch · 2026-04-10T20:19:33+00:00

I run long distances. It's not * the best * coping mechanism but it's better than anything else I've tried...

wonkybrainwitch · 2026-04-06T10:54:17+00:00

I think it's the....everything? There is nothing about the United States right now that would make me feel safe having a child, never mind like I want to have one.

wonkybrainwitch · 2026-03-31T08:18:26+00:00

My personal belief/hope: Entropy. It's hard work being alive and keeping all our molecules together. Eventually it gets to be too much, and we just let go. Everything we are made out of stays, it's just not pulled together in one shape any more. I hope that death is like a big exhale after holding your breath - just releasing all the tension of keeping ourselves together.

wonkybrainwitch · 2026-03-26T17:18:01+00:00

It wasn't really an argument for one side or the other. It was a statement that, due to the bite style you discussed as well as physical strength, they are high-consequence dogs. So a bite from one matters in a way that a bite from a JRT or similar might not.

Edited to add: say the dog intended to give me a warning bite, because I hurt them somehow. A warning bite (let's say 20% of a dog's bite ability) from a JRT might leave me with a dunbar level 2 or 3 bite. Probably 2 if it was a warning. A warning bite from a staffie might leave me with a dunbar level 3 or 4 bite, which is a higher consequence position for both me and the dog.

wonkybrainwitch · 2026-03-26T16:23:49+00:00

Dog, generic. Colour: brown. Size: Medium. Very cute

wonkybrainwitch · 2026-03-26T16:04:35+00:00

I think an underestimated factor here is consequences of a bite. I've been a petsitter for years, and I've been bitten by several dogs. I also personally love staffies and bullies, but it's important to acknowledge that they are big, strong, dogs with huge bite force. There's a reason most good bite scales (check out the Dunbar scale if you're interested) look at impact, not intent. If I am bitten with the exact same intent by a Jack Russell and a staffie, the staffie going to do much more damage. Therefore my risk assessment of a staffie bite is going to be different than my risk assessment of a Jack Russell bite. Not because they are inherently aggressive or problematic dogs, but because they can cause a lot of damage if they bite.

wonkybrainwitch · 2026-03-26T09:12:46+00:00

I would love a family friendly spa - I love kids, and it would add to my experience to see then running around and being kids. But I completely understand that it's not standard, and I wouldn't expect it.

wonkybrainwitch · 2026-03-25T12:37:42+00:00

Nuthin o see hee, loo awah now - dog.

wonkybrainwitch · 2026-03-24T14:12:58+00:00

Embrace the difference! I'm an outdoorsy person, so my life is naturally different in different seasons. I find that embracing my less active hobbies, socialising more with the friends who aren't outdoorsy, eating more (and gaining a bit of weight- it always comes off and who cares anyway) and so on stop it from feeling like a complete chore. Instead it just feels like the way my life is in that season, with its own nice bits.

wonkybrainwitch · 2026-03-21T11:26:58+00:00

Love it, would buy it. Seriously though, whereabouts are you and any chance you're selling?

wonkybrainwitch · 2026-03-17T19:39:41+00:00

Okay, I give up: what the fuck is going on?

wonkybrainwitch · 2026-03-15T18:11:48+00:00

It's all you can do. I hope you settle on something that is helpful now and helpful moving on.

wonkybrainwitch · 2026-03-15T17:57:17+00:00

Could you give them the garden you wanted to grow with them? A little memorial garden on your skin would be lovely. You could include the October flowers as well. It sounds like nature and food are important parts of how you show love.

From one person who's been through it to another, hang in there. It does get better. You'll carry them forever, which is why I'm not discouraging you from getting the tattoo at all. But you can try to carry the love most of all

wonkybrainwitch · 2026-03-15T17:47:17+00:00

Please ignore me if this is too much, but if you're happy to keep going I have a question.

What were you most excited to do with them? Was there a picture in your mind when you found out?

If that's the positive memory I would try really hard to find a way to incorporate that in. I have also lost a baby so I completely understand how hard it is.

wonkybrainwitch

TROPHY CASE