But I Smile Anyway…

Is it just me, or is time just flying by, right now?

I’ve got my drink. Hoping it doesn’t get cold before I manage to drink it… seems a bit of a theme ata the moment, what with everything going on!

• If we were having chai I’d be honest with you. It has been such a manic week, I can’t even remember what I have been up to! Okay, thta was a bit of an exaggeration… it’s been busy, and we have had staff in and out, as well as me going to my first face to face meeting with some other Phase Leaders in our academy, which was actually really lovely! We have got an influx of work experience students coming in a few weeks, so I have been getting paperwork ready for that, too, as well as rewriting report formats, and researching ways to show our curriculum, or ways of learning, within EYFS. I’ve had kids fighting, crying, but equally, kids laughing and being so loving. We had our class photos taaken on Friday, and I have to tell you that if you ever need a boost to your ego, you should stand in front of a class of 4-5 year olds! I wore a little make-up, which I never do, usually, and all I got, all day, was “Mrs Bhathal, I love your lipstick/hair/make-u/top/shoes/pants (yes, really!) It was so sweet of them! We did a littlepainint today, and I Was teaching them how to use watercolours. As we had been learning about family, and growing, we wanted them to try and paint their families. So, I had to demonstrate… here’s mine!

• If we were having chai I’d mention that I took Lil Man to cricket several times, this week, to give him a chance to get it out of his system, as for the next two weeks, there will be none, because he starts his assessments, today! Lil Princess came with me to one of the matches, and sat in the car the whole time, listening to music!
• If we were having chai I’d say that, as I type, my back is killing me. I have been up and down, to and from the loft all day, bringing everything we own, down, so we can go through it. Also, clearning out boxes of paperwork, and filling the skip slowly and steadily, too… it is satisfying, but boy, is my body letting me know it has had enough. In fact it wasa telling me that on Saturday, too, which was shy I was in bed until 2pm! I was awake from six, but so exhausted, that I needed to listen, and just relax. But right now, I can’t wait for my bubble bath, so I can add some Epsom salts aand relax! I have found some really funny things, and stuff that I had totally forgotten about, but one of the best finds was my original floppy disc with the beginnings of my first novel on it!

• If we were having chai I’d leave you with the little dude, Sonu Singh. He was being rather cute Sunday morning, curling up on our bed, after trying to wake us up early. It was like a furry apology. Bless him!

This week, I am going to school in my pyjamas, for Pyjamarama – a charity day to celebrate bedtime reading! I will be busy at school, preparing for the new year, as well as beginning the assessing for the current year group. Home will be a mixture of getting Lil Man to study, as well as more clearing up in the house!

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!

Three weeks of term gone! Seriously, where has the time gone???

Let’s catch up! Grabbed a cuppa?

• If we were having chai I’d tell you that it’s been another interesting week at school. We had a four day week, what with the May Bank Holiday, so there was an awful lot to fit in, what with Number Day on Friday, as well as an after school meeting about a new EYFS charter that our school Academy and and another want to collaborate to create. The kids were great, as always, showering me with lovely little pictures and notes. It is so wonderful to see them actually writing independently, now, and us being able to read what they are trying to write! We had a Specialist Teacher in, well, two actually, to see two of our students, and though they are hard work, we were reassured that we are doing all we can for both these children. However, I am getting more detail about next year’s intake and O.M.G. I am sorry, but be prepared for a lot of school related things, come September! 😳
• If we were having chai I’d rewind back to Monday, where I ended up spending three hours in the car, watching Lil Man play a cricket match, and it was a good un! Yes the weather was awful, and the wind nearly carried my car across the motorway at one point. Yes, as I sat in the car watching, the surrounding trees were nearly bent double. but, the long and the short of it – They won! He played four cracking wickets, getting one for eight off four overs, and of those four overs one was a maiden, and one was a maiden with a wicket! Oh, and he caught one out, too! His Geoffleship, you would be proud! (Did that sound like a different language to you? I am only just learning cricket-speak!) It basically means he bowled four overs (six throws per over) and gave away only eight runs, and he got one batsman out, too. The catch was a bonus extra! There was two nights of training, too, and though he wasn’t picked for one match, he was for another, but it got rained off. Instead he spent Sunday afternoon practicing his bowling in the cricket club nets.

• If we were having chai I’d tell you that I have been enjoying lots of reading, as always, even though the weekdays tire me out. I was chosen to take part in the book tour for Dawn French’s newest book, recently released in paperback. and I was also given an arc of another imminent release, of which I was one of only eight arc readers to be chosen! On, and I was tagged in a lovely post about my books, too! Must get that writing mojo back… actually, I have been recording voice notes with ideas for the scenes not yet written for book two… that’s something!

• If we were having chai I’d mention that the house stuff… still at solicitors stage… so watch this space…

This week, along with usual school duties, I am covering nursery for an hour or so, then I have a meeting, with real other people, not a screen, to discuss that charter I mentioned, above. I have a Zoom style meeting with someone to get quotes for removal services, too. There are the obligatory cricket training sessions, as well as a match too. Oh, and I will be on at Lil Man to knuckle down, as his assessments start next Monday! Eek!

This still stands, too!

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

On top of school, the next five 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… 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!