But I Smile Anyway…

Can you believe that May is nearly done? When I said time was flying, I wasn’t kidding!

Right, drinks at the ready? Let’s catch up!

• If we were having chai I’d let you know that school has been hectic, as usual. There are so many things going on, right now, from working out how we are assessing the children, to ensuring we have covered enough of the learning that we wish our children to be exposed to, to spending that quality time with them, too. Monday was Pyjamarama, and the children loved coming into school in their pyjamas. We devoted more time than usual, looking at books, and reading stories together – my favourite thing!

• If we were having chai I’d not be able to let the post go by without showing you the monster pear that came in the fruit for the children! Talk about wonky fruit!

• If we were having chai I’d tell you that Lil Man completed his first week of assessments. He’s enjoying coming home early, but it is a battle to get him to revise… typical boys! One week to go for him, then he can relax.
• If we were having chai I’d say that I am still pretty shattered. We’ve been carrying on with the major clearouts, to help whenever we move out of this place. There is a lot less ‘stuff’ around, and I have got very good at getting rid of things, but, Hubby Dearest has been outed as the biggest hoarder there is!
• If we were having chai I’d have to get you to raise your cups to Pops, who turned 75 on Saturday! If only I was in a position to go and see him. We can’t stay overnight yet, so it;s a long journey for just one day, especially given that Lil Man is in the middle of his assessments, but hopefully, soon, we can be together!

This week, I am in and out of school, for some specific reasaons (to be revealed soon enough!) but, suffice to say, there is some big stuff happening here! Lil Man finishes his GCSE exams that aren’t meant to be exams on Friday, so he will be free, too. OMG!

As will I. We break up for our half term. on Friday, and though it feels like a short minute since we had Easter, the last five weeks have almost killed me! It’s been a hard slog. There is so much going on in school, and at home. I can’t wait for our break!

This still stands, too!

Now, I will say this here, so hold me accountable, folks.

On top of school, the next two weeks will be hectic. We have Lil Man with his GCSE year, coming to an end, so even though they don’t have exams, there are still assessments happening, starting today, so his teachers can submit their grades for qualifications… And there’s the house. I can’t say much, but, things are moving, and this is why I need to step back, a little from some of the weekly prompts, so I can get the clearout done! Evenings and weekends will be being used to sort out the chaff from the wheat, so to speak… And, to add to that, Lil Man’s Cricket, as well as countless courses and forums we have been asked to be a part of, to keep up to date with school changes.

So, if you see me on here, too much, call me out!

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!

The holidays are officially over. I am gutted!

I feel like I haven’t done anything productive – I had plans, you know! But what I have done, is switch off, and not think, too much, about anything, other than my little family.

So, do you have your drink handy?

• If we were having chai I’d tell you that despite not being in school, it hasn’t been far from my mind. We are trialling the new curriculum, in our school, which is a strange new thing for us, especially within this pandemic time, as well as me being the Phase Leader, so needing to know much more about the mechanics of the curriculum, and data (Oh, I hate data!) I found a great group n Facebook with a whole host of schools who are in the trial, using the new framework, and there were so many great discussions, as well as ideas. I downloaded loads of documents and sent them to my work email, so I can read them when I am at work. Refused to do it at home. Also, some of my dear colleagues did go into school, to make a start on a sensory garden that we are setting up for the children. I can’t wait to get into school to see what they have been up to!!
• If we were having chai I’d say that considering I did nothing else, I did read plenty. And I am glad I did because I might need to channel more of my time to clearing out the summer house and attic, ahead of actually moving out of this place, soon enough. We have said skip, as I mentioned last week, but I didn’t make a dent in filling it, because I was just feeling Meh! Actually, that is a bit of a fib. I did do some clearing. I went through the freezer, getting rid of the out of date bits, and seeing what I actually have in here, then doing the same with all my food cupboards. I have found so much that was out of date, as well as items I know I won’t use, but in date, so I will be doing some donating to the foodbanks!

• If we were having chai I’d have to say that I did manage to get my hair cut and coloured, now we are easing out of lockdown! And eyebrows threaded. I feel like a new woman!
• If we were having chai I’d tell you that cricket took over a lot of my week, too, with Lil Man’s countless training sessions, and three of them were forty minutes away, so I was sat in the care for much longer than usual. It resulted in a backache… but, on the plus side, I discovered a beautiful park there, with a lake and I even treated myself to lovely ice cream!
• If we were having chai I’d admit that I also ventured out to Bluewater, for. the first time in 7 months. It wasn’t as busy as I thought, and because I was alone, because Lil Princess was meeting friends, I was able to peruse the bookshops and stationery stores at my leisure! It was bliss!

• If we were having chai I’d need to update you on that kitty, too… His new trick? Sitting in the tissue box, because there is obviously nowhere better to sit!

This week, it’s back to school, and some semblance of normality for us.

Now, I will say this here, so hold me accountable, folks.

On top of school, the next six weeks will be hectic. We have Lil Man with his GCSE year, coming to an end, so even though they don’t have exams, there are still assessments happening, so his teachers can submit their grades for qualifications… And there’s the house. I can’t say much, but, things are moving, and this is why I need to step back, a little from some of the weekly prompts, so I can get the clearout done! Evenings and weekends will be being used to sort out the chaff from the wheat, so to speak…

So, if you see me on here, too much, call me out!

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!

How has the first week of the holidays gone by so fast?

No, seriously, time is whizzing by, and it feels like I have done nothing I wanted to!

So, do you have your drink handy?

• If we were having chai I’d start with the emotional one. As you know, if you’ve been reading my blog, it was my Mamaji’s funeral on Thursday. The week had been pretty hard, with many phone calls from folks paying their respects, but, for me, the biggest thing was to make sure Mum was okay. We spoke two or three times a day, and I think it helped. The funeral was a different experience, since it was online, for us, them being in Australia, but, aside from a very early start (3.30am) it was a beautiful service, and helped us get some emotional closure.

• If we were having chai I’d tell you that I had really hoped that some words would flow, last week, but alas, nothing. I did read, lots, though, as I am prone to, on holiday, and I had a go with some lettering challenges, too!

• If we were having chai I’d let you know that yes, Cricket is well and truly back. Not only was I ferrying said cricketer baack and forth to three different training sessions, but on Sunday, he was asked to play in an interclub game. Last year, he played for the Men’s fifth team. This time he was asked to represent the thirds, so that is a huge step up! I loved taking him to all the matches, last year. There were opportunities to go to clubs in obscure Kentish villages. The people who watched became friends, and we’d enjoy a day at the match. I wsa looking forward to that same feeling with this match, but it wasn’t the same. The thirds and fourths are more young men, than old guys and boys, so there were no other mothers, there. Neither were there any wives or girlfriends. I felt decidedly uncomfortable, so ended up going for a walk, then coming home. Hubby Dearest went and watched a lot of the match, then I was there at the end to pick him up! His side won, he played well, but I really missed watching him… hopefully that will change, soon enough!
• If we were having chai I’d mention the dentist. I have always prebooked our appointments, so I know we are all set for six months down the line, and I get the first on in the day, so everything is done and dusted, and we have the rest of the day to do whatever we want. Well, you should have heard the moaning from my two teens, at having to wake up… and then, Shock, Horror! Mum asked them to walk! The dentist is a 5 minute walk from our house, but you would have thought I was telling them to go trekking through the Himalayas! Still, we got there, and my appointment was fine. Lil Princess is actually doing really well with her braces, and keeping her teeth clean, too. But Lil Man… oh, he is not doing good, at all… we’ll be going back for a filling, in a few weeks. What a disappointment!
• If we were having chai I’d have to admit that weight loss seems to have stalled, right now, but as a plus, it has just plateaued, over the last couple of weeks, rather than gone back up. I find that in the holidays I end up struggling, because I am not as active as I usually am, when in school. Being so tired means I just want to sit, veg and read… though, I promise, I am trying to walk, or hula hoop daily!
• If we were having chai I’d not be able to forget this one… He’s been begging for food, again, and thinks that us being home is great, because he can ask four different people for food, now!

This week, we have a skip arriving, so we can get decluttering, before any big move takes place. That’ll keep me busy! Also, I hope to get to the hairdresser. As much as I said I’d embrace my greys, I think I am ready to embrace them with colour, now! Also, a visit to my dear beautician to get eyebrows done! Since lockdown 3.0 is easing, today, shops are open, as well as a lot of of other services. We will tentatively see what we can do, to keep these kids occupied, though Lil Man is occupying me himself, with training on all five of the week days! And an opticians appointment for him too, just before we start back to school. Speaking of school, I may just pop in on one of the days, too, to make sure I’m all set for the start back… but I haven’t decided, definitely, yet.

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!