But I Smile Anyway…

Morning, Peeps. It’s Monday again. Where is the time going? Week five in school already!

My drink is in hand… are you ready?

• If we were having chai, I’d say that school has been good but hectic. We still know Ofsted will be calling at some point, and until that is done, we are all on tenterhooks. There are so many plans and hopes for school this year, and September is when we are all getting our heads around everything. This week my children started their first-ever full-time week. Though it was only four days, you could see the tiredness in their eyes by Friday (as you could ours!) But they coped exceptionally well. You can certainly see the characters coming out now. I am in each of my two classes two days a week, along with one day of management time, and it whizzes by. I am getting to know 60 children well, instead of 30, which is a feat in itself and keeping track of the almost 40 we have in Nursery. All a joy to behold! (Is it any wonder I am shattered!)
• If we were having chai, I’d tell you things at home are always busy, too. Lil Princess wasn’t feeling unwell one day, which had her messaging me from school, wanting to go home, and me trying. to contact her school to find out what was going on, a doctor, and juggle a child who had been struggling with his behaviour in class, resulting in me needing to speak to several parents, too… All at once! And Lil Man picked up his first cold, so it was teenage stroppiness, times 2 as he insisted he was fine when he wasn’t!
• If we were having chai, I’d say that I made a conscious choice to not do any housework or ironing during the week, and Saturday found me cleaning and washing, changing bed linen, and unpacking grocery shopping, as well as taking Lil Princess to her optician’s appointment, and cooking a roast dinner! Hubby Dearest was tackling the windows, inside and out, and giving the summer house a clean, too! Sunday, devoted to that huge ironing mountain, and then chilling!
• If we were having chai, I’d give you a peek at Sonu Singh since we didn’t get one last week. He’s been keeping his Daddy company in the week and taking great pleasure in waking me up at the crack of dawn every morning to get his food! But, as the cold weather begins to creep in, it is lovely to have him curling up with me, warming my feet!

This week, it is pretty manic in school, with me at a training session all day, today, then staff illnesses and planned absences meaning the whole school will be trying to club together to ensure all avenues are covered all week! I can’t even remember what is happening at home! Oh, yes, a Futures Exhibition for Lil Man, and a special appointment for Lil PRincess on the weekend!

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Morning, Peeps. It’s Monday again, and the morning of the Queen’s funeral.

I’ve got my cuppa, and will spend the morning watching the proceedings on the TV since school is closed today.

• If we were having chai, I’d say that school was an excellent place to be, with the children beginning to stay for lunches with us. You can tell this is the year group who have been least affected by the last couple of years’ lockdowns, as it feels like a more typical intake compared to the last couple of years. There will always be wrinkles to iron out, but nothing that appears to need industrial action! We stayed with the children for their lunches last week to ease them into it all and allow our lunchtime supervisors to become familiar with them and their personalities.
• If we were having chai, I’d say that I had a first this week. Lil Man is no longer a Lil Man, as he was invited to his first proper party, with his mates all getting to that turning 18 time of life! We live a little further out now compared to before, so it was engineered that we spent the evening with the in-laws, and were able to pick him up before heading home at around midnight. It’s scary, that first time, letting go. But he has a sensible head on his shoulders and as long as he keeps it that way, there are no worries. I think he had a good time, but he was shattered after!
• If we were having chai, I would tell you that I have nothing more to report, since the week has been busy with school… Sonu Singh is fine, but a reluctant model this week, so no pics today!

This week, school is only 4 days what with HRH the Queen’s funeral today. The children start full time with us as well, so I am sure I will be even more knackered than usual, too!

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Morning, Peeps. It’s Monday again, and I am feeling a tad sombre.

Have you got your drink?

• If we were having chai, I’d say that school went relatively smoothly. For the first week, we had our children in class. They only stayed until 12pm, before lunch, but it was a good time to be able to get to know the children and for them to become familiar with the adults they would be working with and some of our rules and routines that they would come to see as second nature soon enough. There was a bit of upheaval as we had a couple of staff shortages, meaning we needed to juggle our teams around, but we managed!
• If we were having chai, I’d say that Thursday was a tough day for us all as we learned of the death of the Queen. It affected me more than I thought it would, but what made it even harder was that I also lost my great aunt that same evening. I’d like to think that they board the same flight up to wherever to be with their husbands who will be waiting for them.

• If we were having chai, I would tell you that the tiredness is ever present I have found a new app that helps log menopause symptoms and when we are experiencing them, which I can compile into a report for whenever I need to see the doctor. That will be helpful. I don’t want to rush down the HRT route unless I have to, but I am definitely beginning to understand my body better.
• If we were having chai, I’d tell you that reading was slow, expectedly, but I managed a couple of books over the week. Unfortunately, I had no energy for the editing I really need to do, so I may need to focus on that more these coming weeks!

• If we were having chai, I would end, as always, with Sonu Singh. He’s had Hubby Dearest for company, all week, and we have been here during the weekend. I think he could feel I was down because I’ve had a lot of snuggles from him over the last few days, bless him.

This week, we will be having lunch with our classes, but they leave just after 1.30pm, so we have time to recoup, as we have lunch with them, too! A few appointments to go to, as well as a possible meeting with the Society of Authors local group, though I am not sure I will make it, with everytiing else going on in life! The weekend is ours since cricket is 100% finished for the season, but let’s see what it brings.

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Hi there, Peeps! One partial week of school done!

It was good to be back, but I am ready with my cuppa to let you know how it went!

• If we were having chai, I’d tell you that Monday was a bank holiday, so we chilled out as much as possible. Well, I did, anyway, since the rest weren’t back until Friday!
• If we were having chai, I’d say that school started for me on Tuesday, with two Inset days. We had a motivational speaker in to help us learn how to respond to situations productively and not to dwell on the small stuff, and then there was some time in our classrooms and a few other meetings. It is strange this year since I don’t have my own room, as I will be teaching across both Reception classes, which will be good for me to understand the whole cohort, but it also leaves me without a home! Still, we got stuff done. Then the last two days were home visits to the children who will be starting next week but who didn’t attend our nursery. They are always a good opportunity for the parents to speak to us in their own home environment, as well as for us to see the child in a secure place for them. I think we are ready for Monday when the children will attend all week, but just in the mornings, but the question is… are they ready for us?

• If we were having chai, I’d say that I definitely knew I was back to school since my eyes start to close at 9.30pm! But i am 100% certain that I am feeling a lot of things due to Perimenopause. I was speaking to my beautician, too, and she suggested I talk to the doctor about HRT, before my symptoms get worse.
• If we were having chai, I would share with you that it was my birthday on the weekend, and though I had an awful headache that day, it was still lovely. I was spoilt by my family. What more could I ask for?

• If we were having chai, I’d tell you that we had the final cricket training and match on Saturday, and he finished with a bang! No batting, but he bowled exceptionally well; 5 for 35 off 9 overs, and one of the wickets he took, he bowled and caught, one-handed! They won, and I think they finished second in their league, and it looks like a promotion for next season! A great finish!

• If we were having chai, I would end, as always, with Sonu Singh. I think it will hit more this week, but he could see the changes happening this week, with me being out every day and the kids not there on Friday… I hope he’s not too lonely going forward! He had great fun knocking my cards down, though, constantly!

This week, as I mentioned before, my classes will be in, but only for half days. It’s like the calm before the storm, you know! But it will be good to see the children where they should be; with us, enjoying learning! The rest of my life is pretty chilled, thankfully, because I have my editing to do!

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Hi there, Peeps! I’ve just finished the last week of my summer holidays, 4.5 weeks have sped by, and it’s been productive!

I have my brew. You got yours?

• If we were having chai, I’d tell you that I don’t really know what I have been up to this week! It has sped by, as the last week of holidays invariable does… We travelled back from the wedding weekend on the Monday, and the remainder of the day was spent unpacking and doing mountains of laundry!
• If we were having chai, I’d mention that I had a trip to Bluewater with Lil Princess which was fun. She had a list of things she wanted to get for before school, which we accomplished, then we chilled out at home.
• If we were having chai, I’d say that I continued to read plenty… enjoying more of the wonderful books I have on my TBR and arcs that I have been sent!

• If we were having chai, I would share with you the firepit that we lit the other night, enjoying the last few evenings of the holidays. The grass is still scorched in some areas from the heatwaves, but a day long rainstorm on Wednesday with thunder and lightning did all the plants and fields some good!

• If we were having chai, I’d tell you that there was more cricket as usual. 1 training session and 2 matches. Check that sky out during the training session!

• If we were having chai, I would end, as always, with Sonu Singh. This week, we have had several visits from our canine neighbour, Noodle, and he even met Sonu Singh, through the window! Lil Princess really wants a dog, and I can see how wonderful it is for her to have someone to care for… who knows… maybe soon we will have an addition to the family! Sonu is not so sure just yet, but we will make sure he adapts if it does happen, and he will always be King Sonu!

This week we have a bank holiday on Monday, and then I am back to school for two staff training days, followed by two days of home visits to our new students. My own two go back to school on Friday, for one day. The weekend involves a pre-wedding party and my birthday, so that should be fun! And hopefully, the end of the cricket season!

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