Having holiday breaks is one of the great perks of the teaching profession - I will never deny that. At this stage of the year, it's a great chance to get some of the jobs done around the house that have been put on hold for a few months. It gives me a chance to work flexibly on planning for the final term of the year while spending some time with the family - you know, playing board games, going to the movies and indulging in a bit of fast food with the kids.

So, this morning, we went out bowling and when we returned home, there was a box from Amazon on the front doorstep. It is no secret that I am a lover of comic strips - starting back as a kid who loved the classic Hanna-Barbera characters to the antics of the Dog in Footrot Flats, and now my latest obsession with Pearls Before Swine. After stumbling on this comic during an English focus on humour, I've even managed to get my fellow teachers hooked on this little strip that constantly bends the rules of this particular media type. We've even used some of the strips in the classroom - teaching social skills and the use and mis-use of words to convey messages!

I still think that it is amazing that I can discover something new and exciting (and very funny) using this connection of the World Wide Web, and then have my own copies of several Pearls treasuries delivered to my doorstep.

Of course, my youngest son doesn't see this as a big deal at all. It was, however, a great chance to nab a handy sized box for his latest creation.