Hey there Peeps! Time for our weekly catch up, get that drink ready!

- If we were sipping chai together I’d tell you that it’s been another week of rushing around… And it won’t end anytimes soon either… not whilst that cast is still on Hubby Dearest’s foot…
- If we were sipping chai together I’d tell you that this week we had to tiptoe around Lil Princess… Yes, I know she is moody at the best of times, but the past week was stressful for her and her compadres, as it was SATs week. The time the government wants us to test the 7 and 11 year olds, supposedly to see how the school is doing, but inevitably, it ends up stressing the kids out too, no matter how much we try to play them down at school. At 7 it’s a lot easier to make things seem like a usual school day, but at 11 the classrooms change round, with display boards covered up, and desks lined up in exam formation, so even if we are trying not to make things different, they are. She was okay with the English tests but he is not a fan of Maths and they stressed her out, especially the reasoning papers… Still, they all got through and I am told the papers appeared to be pretty fair. So it’s up to the children, as to how they perform. We try, at home, not to make too much of a big deal about it all, but she is old enough to understand that she is being tested and marked… and it affects a child. We celebrated the end by going for icecream at the local Treatz dessert place! (Maybe more my treat than theirs…!)
- If we were sipping chai together I’d tell you the usual backs and forths occured with training and tuition, from Tuesday to Sunday… and culminated in a cricket match on Sunday morning, which they lost… but Lil Man bowled pretty fantastically in. Though there were no blue skies this time!
- If we were sipping chai together I’d mention that, if you remember, I am the head of the School Council, and we have been raising funds for improvements within the school. One idea we had last year, was to provide books for the three playgrounds for use during lunch time. Not every child wants to run around like a loony, so I made this my project, but time was always against me. Last week, I was informed that I needed to spend the year’s budget, so off I went on Saturday and spent a cool £100 on books for my playground boxes. I also raided my kids bookshelves as there are so many books there that they havem but don’t or won’t read… and hey presto, we have three fantastic boxes ready for the children to dip into!
- If we were sipping chai together I’d let you know that the rest of the week went relatively smoothly, but I am still tired!

- If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies I’d tell you that this week cannot go fast enough, as we will be on our half term break from Friday for TWO weeks! Even though it feels like a short while since we had Easter break, the past 5 weeks have been crazy, and I can’t wait!
- If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies I’d mention we have meetings with the Head this coming week to discuss our futures at school, and possible classes for next week… who knows what it may hold????
Have a wonderful week, Peeps! Let me know how your week went!
May 24, 2019 @ 05:15:21
The book boxes are a nice idea, Ritu. I feel like I am having a mid life crisis at work.
it feels so unrewarding.
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May 24, 2019 @ 07:00:56
Work for me is stressful due to the time of year, with assessments and report writing looming, but it’s rewarding. And I have a few courses to look forward to next term, before breaking for summer.
I hope you find your way, work wise, Robbie 💜
The boxes have gone down a treat!
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May 22, 2019 @ 17:26:42
Are you ever not manically busy, Ritu? I hope the meeting with the Head goes well, and not long now until the half term!! xx
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May 22, 2019 @ 21:57:35
What is it like to not be busy??? I think I’ve forgotten! The meeting is to be after the half term… I have even longer to wait to findout my future role at school!
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May 21, 2019 @ 15:16:11
Ritu I love the playground book box idea – gosh I would’ve loved that when I was at school. Sometimes it’s nice to run around but also sometimes you just want to get lost in another world by the power of a book. I hope the SATS week went ok I feel for the children I really do.
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May 21, 2019 @ 15:39:55
We have had good feedback about the books so far!!!
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May 21, 2019 @ 15:53:33
That’s great news!
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May 21, 2019 @ 11:34:20
I love the books for the playground!! What a great idea! Thank goodness the SAT’s are over and your two week break is around the corner. 😀
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May 21, 2019 @ 12:32:42
The books have been out for a day and were a success yesterday!!! Can’t wait for Friday!!!
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May 22, 2019 @ 00:35:45
Yes!!
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May 21, 2019 @ 02:33:16
Reblogged this on The Reluctant Poet.
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May 20, 2019 @ 23:33:38
I enjoyed reading your busy week that seemed to be a blur.
I’m still exploring my jewelry making future – there are so many variables, it seems it will never go anywhere – with reading books, the news, looking and applying for work, and of course, making jewelry. I made a pretty pair of dangle earrings that I thought were too heavy, but I wore them out on Saturday night and they weren’t too heavy. They did get caught in my hair though and I learned that the earrings I made had an optical illusion 🙂
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May 21, 2019 @ 06:57:57
Well that’s a great venture to start up Leanne! Wish you well with it!
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May 20, 2019 @ 19:13:12
You had a busy week and so did I! I was in Paris for meetings – how can that ever be a bad thing? Now, more work before London rears its head!
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May 20, 2019 @ 19:45:42
That sounds like fun!!!!
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May 20, 2019 @ 15:30:41
Testing (the schools) always got to me, it puts such pressure on the kids. It always affected my girls, but the ice cream looks like it put the world right again. Enjoy your break time, I know you deserve all the down time you can get. I hope it is going okay with your husband, a laid up husband is no fun!
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May 20, 2019 @ 15:39:39
Thank you!
I was not a test fan at school either, and yet, here I am as a teacher, so I can’t have been that bad… but I really don’t like the age at which they start…
Hubby is getting there. We get this cast taken off and changed to a slightly easier to walk one next week, but still no driving and having to work from home…
Thank you for asking!
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May 20, 2019 @ 22:16:55
As you know, I have had my husband laid up with ankle and knee injuries both. The first time he broke his foot off and that was months and months of healing and it still is not completely healed yet, several surgeries and lots of appointments and cast changes, the severed quadriceps tendon wasn’t as long, but still a lot of work. I feel your pain and tiredness and am here if you need to talk.
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May 21, 2019 @ 06:57:03
Thank you so much. I appreciate it ❤️
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May 20, 2019 @ 14:49:08
Testing has become the norm and I question the effectiveness of adequately measuring what a child has learned or retained. I am happy your are trying to diffuse the stress at home.
I love the idea of a cup of chai. What a pleasant image.
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May 20, 2019 @ 15:38:10
At this age Maggie, a child hasn’t reached their full potential, and sometimes testing, even though the school try not to pressurise the kids, becomes huge in their home life, and scores are all that matter to some parents, rather than their child’s wellbeing…
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May 20, 2019 @ 15:40:31
It happens here, too. Children should not have that kind of pressure, especially if it carries over to their home. My niece is in 3rd grade and is already stressed over testing. It makes me sad.
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May 20, 2019 @ 15:46:02
It’s awful…
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May 20, 2019 @ 14:35:57
Here the kids (elementary) are tested, tested and tested. There has become such an imbalance between actual teaching, creative arts and testing. Those growing brains are being stressed. Try and have a good week Sister!!
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May 20, 2019 @ 15:36:46
It is a sad state of affairs when we are assessing children by tests at such a young age Brother…
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May 20, 2019 @ 15:44:56
It is Sister and it is fustrating for the teachers as well as the children.
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May 20, 2019 @ 15:46:24
😭
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May 20, 2019 @ 16:08:09
🙏🏽🤗
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May 20, 2019 @ 14:08:49
Don’t worry about math or physics, Sis! Maybe it helps you know, that transferring these theoretical things to practice had helped me. For example, our physics teacher explained the refraction of light based on playing snooker. From that point on, I was thrilled. Physics was the highest for me..;-) Best wishes for a beautiful week. Michael
[By the way, these tests only serve to consolidate the class society. :-)]
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May 20, 2019 @ 15:35:57
Thankfully at this age physics is not a thing! It’s Literacy and numeracy based!
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May 20, 2019 @ 13:48:09
Our youngest was in infants when SATS started and we were told we must Not even mention that Anything was going on and certainly not the word TEST!
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May 20, 2019 @ 15:35:01
We try to explain this to the parents, but it doesn’t help when parents are so score focussed, and some are already discussing 11+ when the kids are 7!
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May 20, 2019 @ 12:41:02
How many books do you have?
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May 20, 2019 @ 12:47:46
I couldn’t even count how many, but I have given away hundreds of pounds worth over the last few years as we need more space!
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May 20, 2019 @ 13:25:23
looks like i have missed some opportunity to get some books…lol
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May 20, 2019 @ 15:34:11
lol! Sorry!
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May 20, 2019 @ 09:37:08
I always enjoy reading about your mad weeks, Ritu….(it takes me back, while yours seem busier!) Being all for ‘happy families,’ I’m glad I didn’t beat my lads too hard (yeah…) when young…Now that I’m an ‘older dame’ and birthdays come around too quickly,the darlins’ treat me well. Weather and atmosphere pleasant enough during the week, then Friday ANOTHER? birthday. Visits and cards, three lush plants, pink top and jeans…a manicure and dinner for two! Wow. AND my dear friend Georgia gave me a surprise birthday party, and someone I had never met before, bought me a trough of pansies and another a basket of eggs from her chickens. How novel was that? Yep, kind family and friends certainly make the world a better place. Have a saner, pleasant week. You do a grand job! Hugs x
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May 20, 2019 @ 12:49:48
Oh Joy! Happy Belated Birthday!!!!!!!
Sounds like you had a lovely week. ❤
Mine are always rather crazy.., but I guess that’s part and parcel of being a working mum nowadays!
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May 20, 2019 @ 07:57:46
Reblogged this on Vijayagiri views.
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May 20, 2019 @ 12:49:58
Thank you!
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