But I Smile Anyway…

And it’s a wrap! The first term of the year has finally come to an end, and I am exhausted!

So, got your drink ready? We had a busy one!

• If we were having chai I’d tell you that the last week of term was not without it’s usual drama as always. From introducing and celebrating Halloween and Harvest festival, a little Active day, and the individual school photos, it was busy from start to finish! We had a lovely display of pumpkins which my specials took a particular liking to, and we wven foun done with a little bitemark in it! On Thursday, we had an Active day. The rest of the school were doing something we call personal best, which is when they come in to the hall and do a series of HITT style ecercises, and record on a sheet what they did. Then each term, they have another go to see if they have improved their scores. So, that would have been a little too much for reception, so we devised our own HITT training in the playground, and gave them all a good exercise! On Friday, it was the school photos as well as our mini Harvest festival. I was so touched by how much the families donated from our year group, and they performed their little song so well. We were very impressed! And the photos? I have to admit, we were dreading it, but they went the quickest and smoothest I have ever seen in the last twelve years! We managed to get our specials done first thing, and the rest were pretty amazing, I’ll have you know! Then we waved goodbye to the little lovelies and all collapsed. I thing we were all ready for the half term break! I’ll share a photo of our beautiful pumpkins and squashes that we had on display!

• If we were having chai I’d say that though cricket is meant to have been over, we are now in the midst of the Winter Cricket nets. That means Lil Princess and I hanging around until 9pm on a Thursday, until Lil Man has finished his session. It’s not so bad. Usually, I have to rush home, as it is getting dark quickly, now, because Lil Man wants to get a session in the garden before it gets too dark. This eevningtraining means that I can sit with my In Laws at least, for a while, and have a chat! This week, I left the session with my kids, the boot full of his equipment, and a bruise the size of a cricket ball on my knee. Yup, bad luck on my part. Lil Priness and I were standing at the exit with another of the mums and in the last moment, we heard a cracker of a shot, then realised it was coming our way, and no one was even attempting to stop it. It then cracked again, against my knee! The room went silent, before the adults in the room began coming over to ask if I was okay. I knew the bruise would be great. I wasn’t even kidding. When I got home, it was red, and the impact had been so great that you could even see the stitches of the ball on there! I am now nursing a very large purple bruise…

• If we were having chai I’d have you know, even though you would know this, already, that I was truly shattered, now. Howver, I read a little more, and now have only 1.5 arcs left on my Netgalley list, before I can make a start on some of my other books sitting on my TBR trolley, or something downloaded onto my Kindle… there is plenty of choice, I tell you! I also continued to squeeze in the odd episode of You, series two and finished that on Sunday. Only one series to go! What a totally mindblowing series, that is… twisted, but addictive!

• If we were having chai I’d regale you with stories of more flat pack furniture! The desk for Lil Man’s room arrived, in two boxes, then on Friday the coffee table came. On Saturday I had announced that I was not to be disturbed at all. I even decided that the grocer shopping could wait until tomorrow. I needed a day of nothing. Did it happen? Well, if you know me at least a little, you know that days of nothing come rarely… So the shopping did wait until Sunday. However Hubby Dearest decided to divvy up the boxes of furniture to assemble, taking the single box that contained the coffee table and leaving me with the desk. I was insistent that I wasn’t doing it, but seeing Lil Man’s face, as he just wants his room sorted out as soon as possible, I couldn’t say no. I got my little toolkit out (Yes, I have my own, it’s pink, and I even have a purple drill set!) and set to putting it together. And within three quarters of an hour, his desk was done and dusted. Not bad, even if I do say so myself. I knew what I would find in the living room… Hubby Dearest has a great eye for the aesthetic, but isn’t as blessed with the ability to put things together logically… so I ended up ‘helping’ him and we got the coffee table made up, too. It looks lovely! I have subjected myself to another session of flatpack assembly during the week, when the new desk for Lil Princess’s room arrives… The three wardrobes and bookshelf which arrive at the beginning of November? Nope, that is a job he can get someone in to do! But, we have new rugs, he has his office sorted, and aside from the dining table and side board, and a small sofa for the summer house, new blinds for some of the rooms, and some artwork and photos for the walls, I think we have done a pretty good job. It feels like home and we love it.
• If we were having chai I’d say that on Sunday, I was up a little earlier and went to Sainsbury’s for a change to do the weekly shop. My! Food shopping has become so expensive! Over £200 lighter in pocket, but with bags filled with the food and snacks that my gannet like teens would need, I stopped off at Macdonald’s to get them breakfast. Then we chilled for most of the day. However, I got my fair share of exercise, as the tumble dryer is not working – the drum is not turning – so I was up and down the stairs to get loads of washing out to hang up to dry!

• If we were having chai I’d leave you with a photo of our darling, Sonu Singh. He’s been watching all these developments, joining in with the flat pack assembly, trying to help out, by deciding which large, empty box is the best to sit in, you know, that important kind of assistance. And he also foudn time to explore the new fitted wardrobes in our bedroom, trying to find a good shelf to hide on… Here, check him out! He also managed to bury himself in Lil Man’s cricket bag, but that’s another picture for another day!

This week, we have nothing, per se, planned, but I am sure there will be plenty to do. I have work I need to do on a couple of days, at least. There is flat pack furniture arriving. No doubt, we will get a couple of day trips in to appease the bored teens… But, mainly, I hope to rest. I need it after a long term!

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Hello there, Peeps! Time has just flown by, yet I don’t feel like I have achieved that much, all!

So, got your drink ready? We had a busy one!

• If we were having chai I’d tell you that school feels all encompassing, to be honest. Monday, we had an educational phychologist in, most of the day, to observe one of my SEND pupils, then one didn’t come on Tuesday, and I found out that he had suffered a seizure – out of the blue. His parents are distraught, so working on supporting them, as well as their child. On Wednesday, we had what is called a Lockdown Practice, which is an ‘evacuation’, but not. Rather like a fire drill, this one is a procedure we have to be prepared for, too, in case of an intruder in the school. We had to make sure all classrooms were darkend, screens off, kids down on the ground. Not an easy thing do do with children ranging from 3-5, as I am sure you can imagine. We made it into a game, with me, Mrs Bhathal, judging who was was quietest class! They were prilliant, I have to say, even the SEND children who were in. And the Nursery, well, they were fantastic, hiding in the toilets! Thursday and Friday whizzed by. I feel like I still have so much to do, but I am not letting it get on top of me…
• If we were having chai I’d say that Friday evening was fun, but anogther load of rushing around for me. So Lil Man had his second awards ceremony, and Lil Princess and I had our date night. We were going to Bluewater for dinner – a bit of girlie time. We also arranged to meet another friend, and her two daughters, who are good friends of Lil Princess, too. All well and good, but I had to rush home after picking her up, get changed, and drive back to the in-laws, with Hubby Dearest, to drop him off, so he could attend the awards, have a drink, and not worry about his car. Then we went to Bluewater, had a wonderful evening, even though there was traffic getting there, and then, drive back to Gravesend to wait for the other two to finish up their evening, before the final leg of the journey, home!
• If we were having chai I’d mention that I was shattered, come Saturday, and after shopping and lunch, I was going to snooze with my TV on, but I realised that I had two bedside drawer cabinets to make up. So, as Hubby Dearest and Lil MAn heaaded off out to watch Venom, Lil Princess and I stayed in. She was feeling full of cold, and snuggled up in her bed, and I spent four hours fixing the things together, with Sonu Singh popping in and out to inspect my work!
• If we were having chai I’d say that Sunday had a chilly start to the day, but I still had things to do. The house still needed cleaning, and I had a mountain of ironing to tackle, as well as finish the book I had been reading for almost two weeks. That is unheard of for me, but to be honest, I have also been bingewatching certain series, and last week, it was The Squid Games… this week, I started You, from the beginning, as I hadn’t watched it before… Managed the book, and the ironing… and the house, I promise!

This week, we have our Harvest Festival, of sorts, Individual student photos, and generally, crawling to the end of the first term of the year, and it has been a long one! I can’t wait for Friday to come by!

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!