Ronovan’s haiku Challenge for this week:
Fierce winds blow around
Stirring up a fever pitch
Fear Mother Nature
Ritu 2019
RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #271 Fierce&Fever
17 Sep 2019 14 Comments
in #ronovansweeklyhaikuchallenge Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Fierce & Fever, Haiku, Ronovan's Weekly Haiku Challenge
Chai And A Chat #50 #ChaiAndAChat
16 Sep 2019 45 Comments
in Chai and a Chat Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Catch Up, Chai and a Chat
Hi All! Week two of school is done… did you get your drink? Right, let’s get going then!
- If we were sipping chai together I’d start of by letting you know all about school, since that is what has taken over my life right now. Yes, the teacher exhaustion has totally kicked in. I get to 9pm and I cannot contemplate staying up for much longer. Then I have nights where thoughts about school and planning pop into my mind in the middle of the night, keeping we awake for a couple of hours at a time. That does not help the whole exhaustion thing either!
- If we were sipping chai together I’d tell you that on top of general beginning of the year stuff, we have a whole new timetable and plan to work on, as there have been schoolwide changes that impact the way we were learning. This is always fun to work out (read that as a TOTAL NIGHTMARE) and hasn’t been helped by the fact that one of my lovely assistants, who was unwell at the end of last year, was admitted to hospital again last week. Her health is the most important thing. But it does affect our week in school too, juggling staff and having to rejig plans that won’t work with one less person. Thankfully, most of the team are superstars and we all clubbed together to get through. The rest of the next fortnight will be filled with the same team spirit too.
- If we were sipping chai together I’d let you know that this week, my beauts stayed in school until 2pm, which meant their first school lunches with us. Well, that was interesting! Children are entitled to free school dinners until they reach 7 over. However, there are some kids who are just not cut out for school dinners. Some kids are still used to being fed, only eat specific food at home, or like everything slathered in tomato ketchup… And they are the ones that push the funny stuff they are presented with, around on their plates, either just not trying, or crying. That’s not fun. Seriously, if your little one isn’t eating at school, give them a packed lunch! At least you know they have some sustenance, and won’t get too upset. As their teachers, we stay with them for the first week of lunches, to allow the lunchtime supervisors to get to know them, with us there as familiar faces. And we get the added bonus of what is known as a duty lunch aka known as a free school dinner. I took the opportunity to try some of the food every day and even though it might not have been like the school dinners I was given as a child (seriously, I’ll never forget Beryl, our dinner lady, and the amazing food we were given!) they were still wholesome, tasty meals! Check some of them out below, and Maureen and her team, our school dinner ladies!
- If we were sipping chai together I’d say that week two of secondary appeared to go well too. I got an email inviting us to a parent consultation meeting with Lil Princess’s form tutor, so we could talk about how she is settling in, and tea, coffee and cake with the Senior leadership team. A lovely touch. Something new by the school. With Lil Man there was a Parent’s Evening in October, standard, where you made appointments to talk about her subject learning. So we will still have this to come, but wonderful to know they care about how the kids are settling in!
- If we were sipping chai together I’d tell you in surprise, that tutoring was actually accepted with positivity on the Tuesday! I was expecting a whole load of complaints, but they came out actually smiling, and did their home work straight away too! (Can’t see this lasting, but I’ll take it while I can!)
- If we were sipping chai together I’d mention that the weekend arrived and there was crazy busy days, then total relaxation time too! Friday saw me try to be quick at leaving school, but that didn’t happen as there were tweaks to be made to the plans for the following week. Then I had to take Lil Man to a cricket match. His club were playing Lefties vs. Righties! He is a left-handed bowler so was on the Lefties team, and they won! And he got wickets too. Go, Lil Man! But alas, I was unable to watch his match as I had shopping to do, and a house to clean! The next day was another rush around for a while, swimming and then badminton for the kids. Then I crashed and burned. I was shattered! The evening consisted of dozing on the sofa, reading when I woke up. But I did manage to visit the Nail salon, for some new serious, shorter nails, ready for a little typing and writing, because, I may have just signed up for NaNoWriMo… Eeeeek!
- If we were sipping chai together I’d tell you that Sunday was a lovely day for Lil Man. Someone at his cricket club had tickets to The Ashes match at The Kia Oval – England vs. Australia which they couldn’t use so were offering to the first responder. He messaged, and was given the tickets, so Hubby Dearest and Lil Man had a lovely day of bonding watching cricket, and it was beautiful, though maybe a little hot!
- If we were sipping chai together I’d say that Lil Princess and I had a totally vegged out day while the boys were gone. Apart from dropping them to the train station, and popping out to pick up a new doorbell, because ours had disappeared, I bingewatched Workin’ Moms Series 1 on Netflix at the recommendation of my brother! Such a great series! In fact I even started the second series! Lil Princess watched films, talked to her friends and generally did tween stuff… which involves being in her room a lot. At least I convinced her to keep the door open! I think I needed a day of nothingness to prepare me for what might just be a really manic week…
- If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies I’d tell you that I have a Hygienist appointment on Thursday… erm… not looking forward to that one! I have gums that do not like me, despite me being very careful… and hygienists are important, but OUCH!
- If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies I’d mention that my class and I have our first ever official class photos too, which appear in the local paper in a First Class photo spread of all the reception classes in the area. This’ll be fun…!
- If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies I’d excitedly tell you that I am so looking forward to a Friday night out with my Tootie Frootie girls! It’s long overdue, and kind of a belated birthday celebration. We are off to a comedy night, and dinner after. I can’t wait for some grown up socialising!
Right, that’s me done Peeps! Let me how your week has been.
Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 237 – Me
15 Sep 2019 56 Comments
in Spidey's Serene Sundays Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Motivational, Quotes, Serene, Spiderman, Spidey, Spidey's Serene Sunday, Winnie The Pooh
The things that make me different are the things that make me.
Winnie The Pooh
Gotta love a bit of Pooh Tao, thanks Spidey!
Go on, hands up. Who is guilty of thinking they need to be ‘like’ others to be accepted?
Thinking a certain way, wearing particular clothes, listening to the ‘in’ music, watching the films everyone is raving about… that kind of thing?
Why do we always want to be keeping up with the Joneses? Why can’t we just be ourselves, and why do you think the world won’t accept you as you are?
As a child I was always different from my school peers. There weren’t many Indian girls in my school. I was never singled out because of it, but where they were horseriding and having piano lessons at the weekends, I was going to family weddings and attempting to learn how to read and write my home language, Punjabi (I failed… can speak and understanding fluently, but the reading/writing? Nope!)
We grew up together and as the others were worrying about prospective boyfriends and dates for the ball we had at 15, then discussing the late night bars they began to frequent, and clubs, I was still there, enjoying the music they listened to, and joining in with their chats about crushes on teeny bopper pop idols, and our own real life crushes, but I was also still busy every weekend with my family (it’s huge, there are neverending lists of events and functions to attend, even now!)
It didn’t single me out in a negative way, my friends just knew I wouldn’t be turning up at the non uniform day in a miniskirt and cropped top, despite it being the fashion. I’d be wearing whatever sensible clothes my mum thought were best.
Because that was me. Ratty. Yes, that was my nickname at school. Not because I was bad tempered or anything, but because my full first name is Ratinder, and we watched The Wind In The Willows one day and the character Ratty came up… and so I was christened. One of my oldest school friends still calls me Ratty, over thirty years later!
As I hit university, I admit, I went through the whole fitting in thing. I wore the clothes everyone else did, went to all the clubs, drank all the drinks, and skipped the lectures… but it took me a while to realise that that wasn’t really me.
In all honesty, it took me a good twenty more years to find ‘me’.
Yes I was always, and will always be Ritu the Daughter, Ritu the Sister, Ritu the Wife, Ritu the Daughter-in-Law, Ritu the Mother, Ritu the Colleague, Ritu the Uni friend, Ratty the school mate.
But I no longer conform to what others may expect. I will wear what I want and feel comfortable in. I will eat what I fancy. I will go where I feel a pull to attend, not be forced to go to events that are a drain on my soul. I will laugh. I will cry. I will write. I will read. I will do everything that I enjoy. That makes me, me.
I won’t be a stereotype.
I will be me.
So… tell me, when did you realise it is okay to be YOU?
#SoCS Sept. 14/19 – Blue
14 Sep 2019 27 Comments
in #SoCS Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Blue, Linda G Hill, Socs, Stream Of Consciousness Saturday
Linda’s #SoCS prompt this week:
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “blue.” Talk about the first blue object you see when you sit down to write your post. Have fun!
As I read the prompt and began to write, Celebrity Masterchef was on my telly, and the first thing I saw was a set of blue aprons on the screen. As I had been reading, I hadn’t paid any attention to what was happening on screen, but glancing up, I saw the royal blue coloured aprons and two ‘chefs’ carrying millefueilles to the table to be judged. They looked good!
Then the blue light on my USB hub for my new Macbook Air drew my attention to the backup that was occurring at the same time as I was typing.
It’s the end of my second week with my new class, and I am far from blue. The kids have settled down pretty well, all things considered, and despite some ups and downs with staffing, things have been okay!
Well, that’s a really odd #SoCS this week!
September 12: Flash Fiction Challenge – The Greatest Gift
13 Sep 2019 36 Comments
in #CarrotRanch Tags: 99-Word Fiction, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Carrot Ranch, Charli Mills, The Greatest Gift
Charli’s Carrot Ranch prompt this week:
September 12, 2019, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story that includes the greatest gift. Answer it as if it were a question, or show what it could be. Go where the prompt leads you!
The Greatest Gift
“What would be the greatest gift you could give me? Honestly?” Maggie looked at her husband, who was trying his hardest to make her looming 40th birthday one to remember.
“Of course, honestly love. It’s your big day. The kids and I want to make sure it’s a day to remember for you. Don’t be shy.”
“Alright then, the greatest gift you could give me is time.”
“What, like a new watch or something?”
“Not a watch, John, no. Time. Every day. Help me out a bit. Act like their dad, not their babysitter. That’d be the greatest gift.”
But I Smile Anyway... 