But I Smile Anyway…

Is it bad that I am counting down the weeks until the next half term? Two to go…!

Right, so, have you got your drinks ready?

• If we were having chai I’d tell you I have had a HELL of a week. It has been a journey of extreme downs and a few ups but unfortunately more downs than ups, and I am still, quite frankly, exhausted from it all. Nothing I can really go into in detail here, but from issues that arose at school that were avoidable, if only we talked more, as well as things at home, coming to light, which I am glad I know about, now, but which are also extremely tough for a parent to swallow, and the ongoing journey is not going to be smooth, or easy. Shattered… emotionally, as well as physically.
• If we were having chai, I’d say that other than that, school was lovely. The kids are progressing so well, and even the ones who have SEN, are showing some progress, and aside from a few wobbles, things are good. I can’t believe I have to do my final data on them in a month’s, time! Where has this academic year gone?
• If we were having chai I’d mention that cricket training was cancelled on Wednesday, much to Lil Man’s disdain as there was heavy rain all day. However he played his first league match on Saturday and the weather was gorgeous. They won! Yay! And he got two wickets, after bowling 7 overs, giving away only 24 runs, which was a great score, for a spin bowler! Still, never happy, though! Here, please appreciate the gorgeous grounds of the pitch!

• If we were having chai I would tell you that we have a wedding to attend in the Summer and Lil Princess wants a new outfit to wear. It’s not easy to get something inexpensive, that she will only wear once or twice, as well as the fact that we may need around 3 outfits! Still, we took the first step and found a small boutique near the school with some great outfits. And a bonus is that I know the owners! Always good when your teaching career means that you know the local business people! We are still looking but I couldn’t believe how grown up she was looking in these outfits. Slow down, time!
• If we were having chai I would probably get a tad excited as I told you about my Facebook Live interview with my favourite author, Amanda Prowse! I was honoured that she wanted to talk to me about my books and writing, in her group, My Book Friends, where she hosts alongside several others amazing authors! We managed to finally get going at around 8.30pm after a few technical hitches, but if you want to have a listen, here is the link to the post.

• If we were having chai I would end, as always, with my Sonu Singh. He’s trying to work out the best place to chill out when it gets warm, and recently has decided that the conservatory floor is good, in the sun! Bless my furry son!

This week I have Pops’ Birthday to look forward to on Sunday, as well as a packed week at school. Some staffing ups and downs mean that we will need to be on duty in different capacities, and a different timetable of duty is also being implemented, so fingers crossed it all works! There will still be Cricket (when is there not, in the summer months!) and the usual everyday things going on!

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Happy Monday to you all! Half a term done, half to go until the next half term break, not that I’m counting, or anything…

Right, so, have you got your drinks ready?

• If we were having chai I’d start with school…another bank holiday means a change to routines which is always interesting. Still, we managed to have a mostly good week, although a lot of children have been off, with either ear-related viruses, or sickness, and the other class have chickenpox doing the rounds. the topic this term is growing, and they all planted sunflower seeds last week. The children are amazing us with what they are picking up and remembering! And it is this time of year when you really begin to see those switches flicking for a lot of them. Looking back to September, and seeing how far they have come, is immense! I am so proud of each and every one of them! And our management has been extremely concerned about ensuring everyone’s wellbeing is looked after. Each Friday morning they do a quiz and doughnuts session before the kids come in, but on Friday last week, it was Hide And Seek! There was a period of 15 minutes where everyone taking part hid and three seekers had to find the rest of the staff! Might sound silly to some, but it really helps with teambuilding and staff getting a chance to be together for a change, especially after all the segregation of Covid and the different strategies we had to put into place.
• If we were having chai, I’d say that I braved another Asda delivery, on a Friday night, this time, as I don’t think it is a regular occurrence, what happened last time. As for that, I waited for a call back from management but got nothing. Then called on Wednesday and was assured someone would call back. Nothing. I called on Friday and was finally put through to the manager of the call centre. He, along with the other operators was very polite, and he even checked up to make sure the delivery that day was due on time. All in all, I got £35 compensation. Better than a kick in the teeth, eh!
• If we were having chai I’d mention that Lil Man and his cricket is now in full swing with the season officially on. He played, as I mentioned in Spidey, yesterday, his old club on Saturday. And his new bat has arrived, fully knocked in, so I even tried to help him by bowling to him so he could practice batting. It lasted all of ten minutes because I am so bad at it! Them Hubby Dearest took over!
• If we were having chai I would tell you that the day was beautiful on Sunday. Oh my goodness, it was so hot! I sat outside on my egg chair and read, and ended up eating three different ice creams or lollies because it was so warm!

• If we were having chai I would end, as always, with my Sonu Singh. He’s up to his usual mischief. On Saturday he made me laugh, though. He was lying on me, on my bed, and since he was so chilled, I thought it was the best time to trim his claws. He just about put up with me trimming three paws, then jumped off the bed. But he didn’t run away, which is what he usually does. He sat in front of the door. So I closed it. then he looked at me, with the clippers in my hand and he just collapsed on the floor, with his paw up, as if he was totally resigned to the fact that I was going to get him one way or another, so he should just give up! He lay there patiently as I quickly clipped the last paw claws, then got up and ran off! Bless him. I did giggle! But he got lots of scritches for being a good kitty, which he returned to me by licking me lots, and then sitting in front of my kindle as I tried to read! Thanks, cat!

This week is a relatively normal week. Let’s see if most of the children are in and whether illness has passed, or not. We have dentist appointments, a beauticians appointment as well as the usual onslaught of cricket too. But something fun is next Sunday at 8pm when I am being interviewed by the lovely Amanda Prowse about the new release of Marriage Unarranged which is less than a month away, now, too! Eeeeek! Join us there if you can! In the Facebook My Book Friends Group!

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Oops! Sorry, I’m late, Peeps but it’s been a hectic Bank Holiday Weekend!

I definitely need my cuppa. Have you got yours?

• If we were having chai I’d start with school…though right now, school last week seems a faraway thought. It was your usual run of the mill week. Nothing too crazy thankfully! About as ordinary a week as. I am going to get, to be honest! Actually, who am I kidding? We had parents’ evenings on Monday and Tuesday, which meant I was at school until past 7pm on Monday, and 6pm on Tuesday. They went as expected, but they did leave everyone tired. It is not easy, spending the day doing our job, then having to talk. for 3 hours straight, after!
• If we were having chai, I’d then tell you that, as you are aware, cricket is upon us, so we had training on Wednesday, and I have now been reliably informed that the training from now on will be 2 hours long, instead of one and a half. Wonderful! Lil Man played another match on Saturday, and he bowled 8 overs, got two wickets and even got a maiden. Yes, he may have been hit hard on runs in some overs, but, apparently, that is the risk with a spin bowler. Either the ball takes the batsman by surprise, or they can swing it and hit far and wide… Still, it is only the beginning of the season, in fact, these are pre-season matches, and he starts the proper ones next week, which he will be playing against his old club and team!
• If we were having chai I’d mention that I am not going into detail, but if you want to know about my Saturday shenanigans with Asda, feel free to read Spidey’s post, because I had a lot of ‘fun’ with them and the online shopping!

• If we were having chai I would tell you that Sunday was a lovely day, despite the smattering of rain in the afternoon. The in-laws came over for a barbecue and my parents-in-law stayed over at our new house for the first time. We cooked, ate lovely food, and I even baked a cake, as it was my father in law’s 70th birthday in February, and we hadn’t really celebrated it, yet. the only fly in the ointment was when a neighbour of theirs called me to say the alarm was going off at their house. Now, them coming out for this time was momentous as they have barely left the house over the last two years, let alone for an overnight stint anywhere. But this also means the alarm hasn’t been needed. Whether it was a fault in the system, we will never know, but the evening for my bro-in-law and his wife was cut short as they had to rush back to see what was the problem. The rest of us watched a movie and then retired to various different beds for the night. It was very pleasant!

• If we were having chai I would end, as always, with my Sonu Singh. This week, I caught him trying his best to get into my cupboard, where, if he succeeded, he would have covered all my clothes with his fur! But, he didn’t get in, thank goodness!

This week it is another 4 day week for school, since today is a bank holiday here (Happy May, everyone!) Hence the later post, as I was able to write it this morning. Lil Man has first year mocks for his A-levels. Fingers crossed for him. And for the rest of the week, I am unsure what is happening!

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Right, back after my first week at school!

It’s been hectic, as usual, but good hectic in some ways. Have you got a drink handy?

• If we were having chai I would tell you that we enjoyed Monday as it was a bank holiday, but there is always that little dark shadow hanging over you because you know it signals the end of the holidays! In fact, we have done very little strenuous stuff over the break, as you know, what with my fatigue still rearing its ugly head. Still, we chilled that little bit more and got our game faces on, ready for school on Tuesday.
• If we were having chai, as I mentioned last week, I’d be moaning about the hecticness of the first week back. Yes, it was only four days, but there was enough other stuff to make it feel like it was several days longer! For a start, we had two staff members out at a course, meaning we had to cover their absence. Plus, I had a new teacher starting too. That is always fun, trying to gently ease someone in, but having to push them in at the deeper end, because of unexpected changes in the routine! I was also in the nursery for a day, which I love, because not only do I get to spend time with the children who may be in my class next year, but I genuinely love that time of a child’s education when they are learning what it is to actively learn! In general, all the children were in, which is always great, and we also had the class photo sessions on Friday, too. And, it is always amazing to see how much the children have grown or changed, even in just a two week period!
• If we were having chai I’d tell you that there was also cricket training on Wednesday, where Lil Man astounded me in a couple of ways. Firstly, he did that thing, as he always does, where he tries to push it to have as long a session as he can. As I walked up to the nets to call him, I genuinely couldn’t recognise which one he was, which made me realise when I did spot him that he is definitely not Little anymore. Broad shoulders are emerging, as well as his height finally coming though. Well, he is going to be seventeen before we know it! Secondly, he managed to break his bat! Now, for those cricket minded folks who know, he is a bowler, A leftie spin bowler, but he can bat, too. Though he often doesn’t push the batting because he doesn’t think he is good enough. I send him off, telling him to make sure he put himself forward to practice because other coaches had told him he had a good swing. As I walked up, and he finished off, I noticed that he wasn’t using his own bat. Sheepishly, he said that his had broken, and he showed it to me. A clean crack a quarter of the way across the bat, and almost the whole length of the bat! This was not a crack that could be easily glued or recovered. Eeks! Bats, especially the ones he uses, are expensive, and this was custom made for him! But, he proudly said that he was asked to bat first this time, and though it was awful that the bat cracked, he had had a good batting session, so that wasn’t too negative! And now, we are on the search for a new bat for him, as the others he has at home are the wrong weight for his new stature or too small!
• If we were having chai I would tell you that I am not sure if it is stress, or anything to do with Covid, but I appear to be losing small patches of eyebrow hair. I had an appointment with my beautician who did some reshaping and has hidden them, but she recommended some special castor oil for the eyelashes and eyebrows, which I hope will help in the long-run. I’ll let you know if it works!
• If we were having chai I’d tell you the most exciting thing about last week. It was the fact that Pops and Mum celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary! And we were all going to Birmingham to celebrate with them! I wanted to take them out, but what with Pops still in recovery after his surgery, we stayed in, and Mum wanted to cook for her family. There was lovely food, and lots of reminiscing, too! We saw their wedding photos, and Mum even found their wedding invitations, too! The house was filled with cards and flowers, and the phone rang constantly, along with messages pinging on their phones, showing just how loved they are! We had a portrait commissioned by artist Inkqusitive, of their wedding picture, which they loved! I shall share a couple of the Instagram posts from the occasion for you to see!

• If we were having chai I would end, as always, with a story about Sonu Singh. Unfortunately, due to the craziness of the weekend, there is no picture. This past weekend, Sonu Singh had his first night alone in the house. It is harder for us now we are further away from the in-laws, as before, they would pop over and feed him. But now, they are incapacitated, and it is a little too far for them to drive out. So we have invested in an automatic feeder with a camera. So, we left on Saturday, just before lunch and we would be back just over 24 hours later. We left him with plenty of cosy places to snuggle in and lots of water, and obviously, the automatic feeder, which we can speak into, as well. It reassured us that we could see him when it was food time, but our bodyless voices freaked him out a little! Still, he was over the moon when we got back! This is not any long term solution if we were to go anywhere for longer but for one night, he has proved he can be trusted!

This week I have a couple of full-on days with Parents evenings, then, the rest of the week should be pretty straight-forward! Fingers crossed! (She says, with bated breath!)

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Hello Peeps!

Firstly, apologies for being late, this morning. I usually schedule my post the night before, but I didn’t get round to it!

And, I can’t believe that it is the last day of my Easter break! I know I have had two weeks off, but still feeling not 100% post covid, and I could do with a few more days, all truth be told, but that won’t happen… Right, have you got your drink?

• If we were having chai I would tell you that all in all, it was a quiet week, which I am still in need of.
• If we were having chai, I’d say that I managed a tiny bit of writing and a whole load of reading. The weekend was beautiful, so I sat outside to write for a while!

• If we were having chai I’d admit to being a bit lazy, but I still got the house cleaned, and laundry done as needed.
• If we were having chai I would mention that Thursday was Vaisakhi. Usually, we take part in a large parade on Saturday, celebrating it, which culminates in a big meal or fair outside the Gurdwara. This year, we were still dubious about large crowds, and after feeling so bad with Covid just a few weeks ago, I didn’t fancy that, again, neither did the rest of the family! So we celebrated quietly at home but did visit the in-laws to pay our respects.
• If we were having chai I’d tell you that I have now got my new glasses, but I keep forgetting to wear them! I do like them, though, and as long as I keep wearing them when reading or using the screen, things will be good!

• If we were having chai I’d tell you that we did get out as a family on one of the days, heading to Westfield Shopping Centre in East London. Lil Princess has a thing about London, so we thought, why not? It took nearly two hours to drive there, and back which totalled a longer time in thtransit than actually at the shopping centre! But, she came away happy, with a carrier bag filled with bits she wanted, and I got books! Yes, I know I am always complaining about my TBR pile, but I couldn’t help it!

• If we were having chai I’d admit to a little more chocolate than usual, but it was Easter, and that was kinda unavoidable! Had another quiet day on Sunday, but the boys went to the cinema, so Lil Princess and I chilled out!

• If we were having chai I would end, as always, with an image of Sonu Singh. He’s going to miss everyone being around all day, when we go back to school!

This week I am hoping that all the rest won’t just be for nothing, but we have a hectic week, what with staff down, due to courses, and just that feeling of going back to school! Wish me luck!

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