But I Smile Anyway…

Honestly, the way I am feeling, I’m not sure I have the energy for a drink, let alone a chat, today, but I will stop, and sit down for a short one with you, because it has been another crazy week, and thankfully, today is the first day of half term… and, boy, do I need the break!

• If we were having chai I’d take a huge sip, before starting up with school.Week eight of the term that feels like it’s been going on forever, in a surreal parallel universe… Well, the Pumpkin Soup learning went down well, and then we got the beginning of a Chicken Pox run in my class… then, as we crawled towards the end of the week, the inevitable happened… and we ended up with three bubbles closing within school as we had four cases of Covid-19 positive results. A nightmare to end a term that has been hacking away at all of us. Thankfully, it wasn’t our bubble, but still, that’s a lot of potential people it could affect… I’m glad we’re all home for a week, now, to have that total break.
• If we were having chai I’d remind you that in the summer, my classroom floor was meant to have been sanded and polished, but due to the guy being quarantined, it got postponed. Well, as we are off this week, it was booked in, so Friday evening saw me humping furniture off the flooring, onto the carpeted area, again, and though the floor will be lovely, shiny and new, it also means that I have to be in on the Monday, brighter and earlier than usual, to get everything put back into place! I need something to cheer me up, so here is a little gallery of prints (swipe on the Instagram post to see the different ones) of portraits done by my students over the last few years!

• If we were having chai I’d tell you that though nothing major happened with the house, it has been great to have no one around, tinkering with things! And I did manage to contact some estate agents, who will be coming round this week to give us valuations. It’s really happening, y’all!
• If we were having chai I’d tell you that I was pretty excited to have finally hit the 2k follower mark on Instagram, too, last week! Its gone up and down, since that post, but still… 2k!!

• If we were having chai I’d tell you that we managed a brisk faamily walk to the local prom on Sunday afternoon, after an extremely lazy day, since the clocks went back, allowing for a lie in! I needed that blast of cool, refreshing air.

This week, it’s my brother’s birthday so I’ll be celebrating from afar, seeing as he is in Finland, and, even though we are on half term, there are countless things to do, including getting another skip to do more clearing out, taking Sonu Singh to the cat dentist as he has bad teeth (and it’s so expensive!), and ferrying Lil Man to get measured for his new cricket bat, as well as getting valuations done on the house. But, my top priority will be rest.

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!

Have a wonderful week, Peeps!

The weeks are just blurring into one another, aren’t they? I feel like I’m living a Groundhog day life, right now, but hopefully it will change soon enough!

I haav my chai, what about you?

• If we were having chai I’d start with school life, as always. It’s never the same, at school. Each week brings it’s own brand of happiness, craziness and complexity. So this week, I’ve dealt with a biting, classroom destroying, heaad-banging lunatic (and his mother), vomit, prepping for new children, approaching parents about possible needs their children may have, creating an Action Plan for my subject role, meeting with my new mentor regarding leadership… Yes, it’s definitely not been a quiet one… but I’m still standing. We all are!
• If we were having chai I’d then swiftly move on to house updates. WE HAVE NEW CARPET! (In the bedrooms, at least. The stairs and hallway will be done tomorrow, but that is a simple job.) Friday night was a craazy rush for me, with a trip to Bluewater (more on that, later), then coming back and stripping all the bedrooms of anything, other than the beds, so the old carpet could be lifted, and the new laid. I ached like a good un, but the kids did help, so that was a blessing. Then on Saturday, they were dropped to the grandparents, while Hubby Dearest and I waited for the fitters to arrive. There were meant to be two, but only one man came. He was an older gentleman, with a slight limp. We felt awful that he was doing this alone, to be honest, and offered to help with the moving around of furniture, but, do you know what? He was amazing! Three bedrooms done and dusted in two hours, with no help from us, moving furniture, including a really heavy bed frame! Good old Denver (that was his name), highly recommended! I have hoovered around seventy six billion times, and that carpet fluff keeps giving, but it’s done! We then moved all the furniture back where it needed to go, and I had to construct two new clothes rails as two of the more flimsy ones we were using, collapsed. (Sometimes, I wish we hadn’t demolished the wardrobes, but then, we would have had to, with the carpets, as they were too heavy to move, and not nice enouch to keep). I think the kids are happy. The carpet is so soft and bouncy, with the new underlay, too! I actually typed half this post laying on the ground, with Lil Man looking at me like I was mad. And the paint is pretty much done. Just touch ups. However, the Summerhouse sprung a leak, so there is that to fix if possible.
• If we were having chai I’d say that we have been online viewing prospective houses, and there are already arguments between the household members, where one is only concerned about the garden, one wants a big bedroom and ensuite, one wants space for a chill room or a gym, and me? Well, as long as I have a study/work/writing room, I’d be happy… Our dream forever home is out there, I’m sure… We’ll find it soon enough.
• If we were having chai I’d let you know about good old Bluewater. So, Lil Princess and her social life meant that she had another trip to meet friends planned for the Friday, after school. Lil Man decided he wanted to tag along and go wandering around with me, while she socialised. (Damn. That meant less time to sit and chill in Costa with my book!) She met her friend, and we walzed from sports shop to sports shop, as he wanted trainers. It wasn’t as hard as I thought, but rather expensive, but then, he’d saved up, so kudos to him. Then we managed a half an hour sit down in Costa, before I ended up in a stationery shop. But I just looked, promise! I have decided I can’t buy more anything, until we find our dream home, because I don’t have anywhere to put anything! But I did find something that made me giggle. Nowadays, manufacturers make machines for everything, and I was surprised to see this, a Samosa maker! What a way to cheat! You could never make proper Indian samosas in that, but these would create the little cocktail filo pastry ones. Not a real samosa!

• If we were having chai I’d end with telling you that after carpet-gate, we chilled… I stayed in bed until 9.30am on Sunday, which is unheard of, then after grocery shopping (we need food, too!), I relaxed for the rest of the day. My body is still aching from moving furniture and stuff around over Friday and Saturday – Bubble bath time! Sonu Singh is just wondering around not quite sure what is going on, most of the time. Will he be stuck in one room, today, with myriad strangers wandering in and out? Or does he get to lord it around the whole of the kingdom? Thankfully, after Tuesday, the house will be his again, but until then, here’s a pic of him using me as his pillow!

This week, the carpet WILL BE DONE, fully! I hope to ring up some estate agents to get valuations, before we get this baby on the market. Then it will be mortgage time, to see what our budget really will be, along with beginning to do some viewings of properties. It’s really happening, y’all! I have a course to do this week, which will result in me being a qualified DSL (Designated Safeguarding Lead) for if there are any worries or concerns about a child… serious stuff. I also have a meeting with a parent (that bitey, head banging one…) Wish us luck!

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!

Have a wonderful week, Peeps!

Monda’s come around so fast, don’t they?

I’ve got my Chai. You got yours?

• If we were having chai I’d start with school as always. Things have been crazy, and I can say that I have been fully stretched, in my new role as Phase Leader. Not only am I getting to grips with the whole new curriculum we are trialling, but there are issues with SEN (Specian Educational Needs) pupils, and parents not quite on boarad with the fact that their chld may not be functioning quite on the same wavelength as the rest of the class, children with other needs (possibly Social Services), and staff disquiet. I have definitely been pushed in new directions, but to be honest, I am so lucky to have a fabulous team around me, all pulling together, that things are easier to stomach, and deal with.
• If we were having chai I’d have to tell you that it’s all been a bit too much, though. Last weekend, I didn’t go into much detail, but Lil Man had tonsillitis, so we had a huge rigmarole to run through, in order to get him antibiotics, then Lil Princess got a stonking cold, which transferred to her chest. She was off school for three days. This also hit Hubby Dearest too, Me? Well, I’m exhausted, what with the house stuff, as well as school and illness in the house. So exhausted, that I ended up going home early to rest on Wednesday, with the full support of my above mentioned wonderful team. Still much needed, that rest, but I had a bit, at least.
• If we were having chai I’d let you know that the house is so close to being done, but still, there are niggles that need completing. The flooring is all down on the ground floor, the painting is pretty much all done, just a little more in the kitchen, and some touch ups around the place. There are some new splashbacks to be installed in the Kitchen, then we should be done inside. But, there was a leak in the new shower, so the guys turned up on Sunday to investigate. We think it’s been fixed. The next shower will tell… Outside, the front is pretty much done, just some light fittings to reattach. We need curtains for some of the rooms, but the rest… nearly there. Then we need to choose carpet for upstairs, before getting this place on the market!
• If we were having chai I’d let you know that my exhaustion was mildly dispelled by some lovely bookmail that I received from my New Zealand brother, Matthew Goodall. He’s a children’s author and illustrator. Immensely talented, and he sends me all his books which I treasure! Can’t wait to read this one to my class!

• If we were having chai I’d remind you that writing is totally not on the radar right now, but it was wonderful to receive a letter from the British Library on Friday, acknowledging and accepting Marriage Unarranged onto their register! Yay!!

This week, I just hope that the Covid numbers start to control, as they are rising sharply, and I just wish everyone to be safe. School will be what it will be. And that darned house stuff, I really hope it’s done and dusted this week!

Can you believe we hit October 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!