But I Smile Anyway…

Hello, again, Monday!

I am gearing up for my last day and a half in school with my precious class, so bear with me if I get emotional next week, but equally, I am looking forward to the break!

• If we were having chai, I’d have to start with telling you exactly how we coped in school with this crazy heatwave on Monday and Tuesday. Well, as I said, it was HOT. Literally, sweat pouring off us all. A fan, water spray and fewer kids than normal helped a little bit, but it was almost impossible to concentrate for us adults, so imagine how you would feel as a young child? Some were off because parents made the choice to keep them off, some were unwell, possibly from heatstroke, and even that dreaded covid wave that is coming around again. It was even tougher for the SEN children who don’t even have the verbal capacity to tell us how they are feeling. Some were kept off by parents because they know the children wouldn’t cope in the heat. But even though the ‘Great Heatwave’ was meant to stop after Tuesday, it was still sticky and humid the rest of the week, so when they came back in, there was still disruption caused by them, and others not knowing how to cope with the warmth. but we survivied… just. Check out the temperature in my car on Tuesday!

• If we were having chai, I’d say Tuesday was topped off with something to sour the already turned stench of our bodies… a Water Cut! We ended Tuesday with the intention of a cool shower before bed but they turned into a groan as we turned taps to find no water! In quite a large area around us the water supply stopped due to a fault at the Water Company’s site, meaning they had no power to pump much-needed water to households and businesses.I won’t go into the long and short of it, but we were stuck for 50 hours with no running water, and shops had run out of the bottled stuff! I managed to get a few bottles and we flannel bathed it on Wednesday! By Thursday we were fed up. But, lo and behold a trickle started and mid-flow pressure meant we were all able to shower that night, and by Friday morning the water was back! Yippee! It really makes you appreciate what we are all used to, every day, I tell you!
• If we were having chai, I’d mention that there is a giveaway on my Instagram page which finishes on Thursday, so if you are interested, please enter below!

• If we were having chai, I would share that on Saturday Lil Princess and I excitedly started our three-hour journey to Bristol to celebrate. the lovey Amanda Prowse and her milestone of ten years in publishing! The evening was amazing and I met some faces who I had only known online before, which was wonderful. There was an Abba Tribute band as the entertainment and they were fab, and the food was amazing. We stayed overnight with her too, and Lil Princess made new friends in the shape of her two gorgeous French Bulldogs, Dottie and Beau!
• If we were having chai, I’d say, I am pleased to announce that Pops and Mum are back in the country after 4 weeks away in Finland with my Brother, Sister-in-law and Finndian nephews! I am so glad they got the chance to be together, but even happier that they are back home!
• If we were having chai, I would end, as always, with Sonu Singh. This week, he looked longingly at our bags on Saturday morning, contemplating how to get in so he could come on a trip with us!

This week, I am praying the next two days go by without a hitch in school, as we break up on Tuesday. It’s been a hard, but satisfying academic year, and the first full one in over 2 years, so we have to celebrate that. I am starting the week with a sore throat, so I hope that goes away soon, so my holidays aren’t burned away with me being ill! And I am looking forward to the break, truly. I need it, now. I am at the point of exhaustion I never wanted to get to!

And while you’re here, did you sign up for my mailing list? I am in the middle of writing an exclusive Chickpea Curry Lit story for my subscribers, and there will be news, tips and even recipes! You know you want to join… go on! Click the pic below to sign up!

Well, lookie here! its Monday, again!

Right now, I think I am going to need a bucket of iced water, not a hot cup of tea! What about you? Melting in this heatwave!

• If we were having chai, I’d tell you that it was warm last week. Very warm. Warm enough to melt us. (goodness knows what we will be like in the heatwave this week!) Still, we managed. We had our sports day, a shortened version, in the morning, when the temperatures were lower, with less running, and more activity-based races. It went well. The heat was evidently affecting the children in different ways. Lethargy, behaviour meltdowns, lack of concentration… all to be expected when it is warmer than usual. Some of our SEN parents made the choice to keep their children at home for a couple of days as they were aware their children would find it even harder to cope. But we made it. I have to share one of the fabulous displays that my TA created, though. She is an extremely creative soul, and when we were reading Eric Carle books as a part of this term’s topic, she decided upon an off-the-cuff art activity one afternoon which spanned a couple of weeks. The fabulous pieces of work that resulted meant we HAD to display it. I am so proud of her and the children who made their own Eric Carle pictures!

• If we were having chai, I’d say this weekend we had a little pamper session, Lil Princess and I. She had her nails done, and I had my hair cut. then I treated myself to a foot pamper at home too. I love a bit of self care!

• If we were having chai, I’d mention that I also received notification that an interview I had recorded was now live on a podcast. If you want to listen, please head over to Tony Lloyd’s page!

https://www.tonylloydradio.com/human-stories/episode/7de7ea51/episode-74-ritu-bhathal

• If we were having chai, I would share that it touches me when my words help someone, and one such person on Instagram made an effort to reach out. She has been unwell for over 6 months, and my book was one that got her reading after all these months. Makes my soul happy.

• If we were having chai, I’d say, we had two cricket matches to attend in the warmth on Saturday and Sunday. Someone has a great tan and he played well, too! Both matches won! The first was at the club’s second ground, and it still looks quite green and lush, considering the weather. This is the club’s quite renowned main ground, and the first time we have been there. You could see the sun damage, but apparently, the wicket was class, according to the expert in our family! It reminded me of grounds we passed in India… the brittle, dry grass… Still, it was an experience!

• If we were having chai, I would end, as always, with Sonu Singh. This week, he discovered the delights of icecubes in his drinking water!

This week, I will start by saying that last week’s statement about it being hot pales when compared with what we are meant to be experiencing this week! Wish us luck on Monday and Tuesday! Also, we have our new children for September coming in for a taster on Wednesday morning, so that will be interesting. Still got staff in and out so we will be balancing that, too. I am extremely excited about a party Lil Princess and I will be attending at Amanda Prowse’s home on Saturday, too! Just 6.5 school days to go!

And while you’re here, did you sign up for my mailing list? I am in the middle of writing an exclusive Chickpea Curry Lit story for my subscribers, and there will be news, tips and even recipes! You know you want to join… go on! Click the pic below to sign up!

Well, lookie here! its Monday, again!

Right now, I think I am going to need a bucket of iced water, not a hot cup of tea! What about you? Melting in this heatwave!

• If we were having chai, I’d tell you that it was a manic week at school. Each Sunday night I compile a message to my team, ready for delivery on Monday morning, relaying the main events for the week, and it seems to be getting longer and longer each week, as we have so many things to cram in! There is a lot of staff in and out, as the academy we work for, kindly gave each member of staff 2 days to take off, paid, during the academic year, as a bonus. But most of us either forgot or were saving it for something special that may not have materialized. This means that you either take it or lose it. So right now we are trying to balance everyone rushing to take their days off, and covering their absences with the staff we do have! On top of that there are reports to finish, Sports Days to practice, as well as thinketh about how the end of the year will pan out. Oh, and not forgetting that Ofsted still haven’t called… and even though we are in the final stretch of the year, they still could… they did that last time! So it has been a bit crazy, but I have to say that I was extremely proud of our children who experienced what I call The Kissing Gate for the first time, this year. In order to get them ready for next year, we are getting the parents to drop them at the gate instead of coming up to the playground. It has worked extremely week, I have to say. Probably the parents who are more emotional than the children, who are feeling so grown up. they will be fine with this part of the change, next year, at least!
• If we were having chai, I’d say that I took another tumble on Friday. What is the matter with me? Is becoming uncoordinated also a part of the peri-menopause? (Rushes to check Google.) Oh, my days it is indeed something to consider. Clumsiness, which I have always had, can be worse as you enter the early stages of Peri-Menopause. Dear God, get me the bubble wrap NOW! This time I fell and rolled down four concrete steps. I recovered myself before any of the parents congregated at the bottom of our gate noticed, but bumped my hip, grazed my forearm, hit my hurt hand, and did something to the front of my ankle. However, I am still walking. Sore, but walking.Yes. Definitely need bubblewrap!
• If we were having chai, I’d mention that with the weather being so warm, the flowers in the garden are blooming nicely! We had a rose patch with ended up being pulled up, due to disrepair, and Hubby Dearest scattered lots of wildflower seeds there, instead. It looks so pretty, right now, as the different flowers begin to bloom!

• If we were having chai, I would admit to trying so hard to eat healthily, right now, but then, I end up gorging on ice cream because it is so hot!

• If we were having chai, I’d say, proudly that we have hit 130 reviews on Amazon and another lovely flat lay post came out on Instagram, this week. A touching review, which makes me want to write more asap!

• If we were having chai, I would end, as always, with Sonu Singh. The picture is an old one but this is basically all he has been doing in the heat, other than waking me up at the crack of dawn! I never sleep with my door shut, but we have had to start doing in, otherwise, he wreaks havoc! But his miaow penetrates doors and walls!

This week, it is meant to be HOT! I am a tad worried about melting! We are meant to be having Sports Day on the morning of Tuesday which is meant to be the HOTTEST day of the year so far… might end up having to cancel it… but we will see. The rest of the week is a mish-mash of staffing ups and downs, as well as reports out, and cricket. We have a party in a couple of weeks, too, so I believe some pampering might be in order. Lil Princess has already whispered about nails… I’m thinking of a haircut… maybe time to get rid of the rest of the old coloured bits, now!

And while you’re here, did you sign up for my mailing list? I am in the middle of writing an exclusive Chickpea Curry Lit story for my subscribers, and there will be news, tips and even recipes! You know you want to join… go on! Click the pic below to sign up!

Good morning, everyone! How are you, this fine Monday morning? Oh, and Happy 4th of July to the American Peeps of mine!

Right, so I have my cup of chai. You got yours?

• If we were having chai, I’d tell you that time is whizzing by. we have 3 weeks and two days left with the children, and I don’t know what to do to stop the time going so fast. Data submission happened, and the world didn’t implode on me, so that is a great thing! The children have been amazing, and I am astounded at their progress every day! We have been learning about minibeasts and they did a dramatised retelling of the story The Bad Tempered Ladybird by Eric Carle, and oh my goodness, they were just amazing! I sat there like a proud mum of 029 additional kids! Talking of being mum, we have new babies in the classroom, as our caterpillars have begun coming through their metamorphosis, and when I left the classroom on Friday, we had 6 butterflies out of 16 cocoons! The children have been fascinated by everything this topic has to offer, and they amaze me daily with the facts they remember!

• If we were having chai, I’d say that I was extremely annoyed the other day as I drove Lil Man to his cricket training. We have to navigate lots of country lanes, and as I do that daily, now, I am somewhat of an expert. However, that day, we reached an impassé with another driver, and as we tried to negotiate who went forwards and who went backwards, a guy came out to help signal us through. This one driver opposite me just had to back up like a couple of feet, but he refused, leaving this teeny gap. The other man tried to wave me through, but the car ended up scraping something. I heard that horrible crunch and stopped. The other guy, with a huff, reluctantly moved back a little and I got through. But it doesn’t change the fact that because he was so stubborn, and didn’t move initially, I will now have to pay out to get my bodywork repaired!
• If we were having chai, I’d mention that it was Lil Man’s 17th birthday and he was lucky enough that his dad went out of his way to create a proper cricket net in the garden. He is now also old enough to drive, which scares the living daylights out of me! It was Mum’s birthday, too, and I only wish we were closer together so that we could celebrate with her regularly, too!
• If we were having chai, I would have to admit that memory is still no better… and remember me telling you of that fall I had? Well, my hand and joints in that hand still ache quite a lot. I think I shall need another appointment to get it checked over, again.
• If we were having chai, I’d whisper that I cried, this week. not in sadness, but at that talk I mentioned last week. I had a meeting with the parents of my current Reception year parents, to talk them through the changes that we were going to be making, to ease their children into the big changes of starting in Year one in September. I detailed everything that needed saying, fielded the questions, and then ended up emotional as I tried to tell them all how proud of all these children I was. Regardless of whether they met targets or not, each and every one has progressed so far from the day they started at the beginning of this academic year. It is tough every year, to say goodbye to my class, even though I know I will see them in September. But they will be that little bit more grown up… and no longer my babies! Talking of my babies, those of you who have been following me for long enough will remember when I started teaching my own class. And it was at the end of the academic year, so those children were my first class for a mere 7 weeks. Well, those same children graduate from Primary school at the end of this year and start their next step in Secondary School, and that is so hard to believe. Where does the time go? Some of them tower above me, and they are only eleven! Still, emotional is what I am, and tears will flow over the next few weeks, I know. I just never expected to start in front of parents with a month to go until the end of term!

• If we were having chai, I’d also tell you that we went to the cinema on Sunday evening. Now, I haven’t been for over two years, due to the pandemic, so it was a big thing! Thing is, as a family there is no way that we can match choices for films, so Lil Man and Hubby Dearest went to see the latest Jurassic Park, and Lil Princess and I had a shorter film, so we did a little shopping, then went to watch the new Minions film. Perfect for me, too, since I am a big kid! Though I can’t wait for her to be at the age when she’ll watch things like Maverick with me!
• If we were having chai, I would end, as always, with Sonu Singh. This week he was my watching partner as I begin the Netflix sensation, Stranger Things. I haven’t watched it before, but after hearing so much about it, I started series one, and Sonu watched a few episodes with me, too!

This week,

And while you’re here, did you sign up for my mailing list? I am in the middle of writing an exclusive Chickpea Curry Lit story for my subscribers, and there will be news, tips and even recipes! You know you want to join… go on! Click the pic below to sign up!

Good morning, my Peeps! One week down for Term 6 and 5.4 left! (Is it bad that I am already counting the days until the summer break?) I don’t want it to go too fast, as I will miss this class, but there is also so much to do!

Right, so I have my cup of chai. You got yours?

• If we were having chai, I’d tell you that, though I love the summer term, and all the fun we have, it also signals that our time with the children is getting shorter. This also means that we have assessments and data to get done, and class splits. On top of that, I have to ensure that the class information for next year is all up to date, too, and ready for sending to the new parents. Hectic is one word. Our academy gifted each permanent member of staff two paid days off to take in the term time, through an academic year, to help with celebrating special days that usually fall in term time, or for whatever you want to use the day for. If you don’t use it, it can’t be carried forward, so we have quite a few members of staff who haven’t used theirs, yet, and it’s been, and will be a case of balancing kids and staff so people can take their allocated days. I am becoming an expert juggler, I tell you! And I have to use my phone calendar all the time, because I can’t remember who is doing what, when!
• If we were having chai, I’d say that Lil Princess’s exams came and went, fingers crossed they went well! Lil man had another assessment, too, which he passed, phew!
• If we were having chai, I’d mention that I read, and read and read… Because it was the only way I could calm my mind after hectic school days and busy home time, too!

• If we were having chai, I would have to shout out this review from the wonderful Annette… It has made me smile for days!

• If we were having chai, I’d whisper that I have honestly forgotten anything else that was done this week. See. Perimenopause calling! That is what my phone calendar is for… and guess what? I nearly lost that, too this week, misplacing it as I hared around the school building!
• If we were having chai, I would end, as always, with Sonu Singh. He was my reading companion on Saturday, warming my feet. It’s a good thing it was quite breezy, otherwise, I’d have been too hot, and pushed him off!

This week, we have the dreaded data submission deadline, which I think we are all prepared for. I have a meeting with all our parents, to talk about how their children will be transitioning to year one, and the start of the juggling staff out will begin in earnest! Oh, the joy! Speaking of joy, it will be Lil Man’s 17th birthday, midweek, as well as my Mum’s birthday, too, so celebrations all round!

And while you’re here, did you sign up for my mailing list? I am in the middle of writing an exclusive Chickpea Curry Lit story for my subscribers, and there will be news, tips and even recipes! You know you want to join… go on! Click the pic below to sign up!