But I Smile Anyway…

I’m not quite sure how I will be wording this week’s update but believe me, it’s been a doozy… And not necessarily in a great way…

So, get a drink. I might need a stronger one, this week!

• If we were having chai I’d ask you first, if you read my Spidey post, yesterday? Because I have already typed out a huge amount of my frustrations, there. Life in my class is anything but idyllic, for the adults, but thankfully, the children seem to be blissfully unaware, and are engaged in the activities we have for them, so that is a blessing, at least. Times are getting tougher with the children with special needs, in a way that it feels like we are unable to support anyone else… I can’t keep on about it, but the struggle is real, Peeps. There is so much more, going on, but but I can’t even write about it here. At least I have a suportive management team, above me, and a fantastic team who I manage. And, to brighten your day, further, one of them managed to drop pants and have a number two in the sensory garden! And someone had to clean that up… The life we teachers live, eh! I got this from one of my team, on Friday, and it gave me the pick me up I needed, too,

• If we were having chai I’d say that, on Thursday, it was Diwali. Due to circumstanges beynd my control, (school. Say no more), I hadn’t slept particularly well, and after getting through the school day, I went to my in-laws, where we did a few fireworks, ate lots of yummy food, and then Lil Man went to his cricket. I fell asleep for a while on the sofa, waking in time to pick him up and head home, so it was a very understated day! It was Bonfire night the next day, so fireworks have been going off every evening, and we live close to Brands Hatch, where they have a huge display every year, so we saw a little of that through our windows.

• If we were having chai I’d tell you, (sorry, school, again!) we did have a Diwali DAy on the Friday. The children and adults were asked to wear either traditional or colourful outfits to school, and we learned about rangoli patterns, and made divas, and then, to top it off, we had a Diwali Dance workshop, too! It was really fun, and we enjoyed it. The kids were so happy to do something different!

• If we were having chai I’d say that a handyman came to help out with some jobs had around the house, and we also got the last of the flatpack furniture delivered on the Sunday. This time it is wardrobes, and I am not trying those! So someone should be coming this week, to put them together, and the kids will finally have their cupboards and storage!
• If we were having chai I’d mention that we popped out for dinner on Saturday night for a family meal. It was lovely. A local Indian restaurant with a great ambiance! We spent a good three hours there, enjoying lovely food and each others company, even though it too, the teens some time to warm to the idea that we were going out!
• If we were having chai, I’d excitedly tell you that I got another lovely review of Marriage Unarranged, too!

• If we were having chai I’d whisper that we are thinking of getting another cat/kitten, to keep Sonu Singh company, but it’s still at discussion stages! We would love to get a dog, but the practicality of that… not something we could do. No one will be home in the day, to walk, let out for loo breaks, etc. And we don’t want to get a dog, only to have to pay for someone else to dog sit every day, either. But we can dream, for now…

This week, I know, will be tough, as I am staff members down, on several of the days. (Thank goodness for volunteers!) We also have Parents Evening, for two of the evenings, a beautician appointment, and the dentist, as well as Sonu Singh’s vaccinations. I hope the furniture is all put together, so we can get the kids clothes all put away, and that we find someone to install the blinds we have purchased, too! I think that is enough, don’t you?

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Seriously? Where did that half-term week go? I had so many intentions… but not many were fulfilled!

So, grab your drink, I’ll be hurrying back into school this week!

• If we were having chai I’d touch upon school a little bit. See, I had a couple of work based plans, and none of then required going into school. However they did need some time sitting at my work laptop… but I confess, I barely did that, at all. I touched base with my email, and watched part four of a traing course, that is really good, but I coulnd’t face any more. (Wrote five pages of nots, though!) I also had some paperwork I wanted to get my teeth into. Nope. That didn’t happen, either, however I did get some research done, and ordered a few books I think that my class would enjoy. Okay. Enough about school!
• If we were having chai I’d say that, typically, a couple of days into the break, the sniffles started. It happens every time. Run down from work, we get a break, and your average educator will fall ill. Because we finally sit down and relax. And it didn’t help that Hubby Dearest and both kids were snuffling, too. Still, I rested up, and it wasn’t as bad as it could have been because I insisted, to myself that I needed to rest. I read a couple of books, and then managed to get my flu jab done, too. So, try and hit me now, Winter germs! (No, seriously, don’t try. This term will be tough enough with out!)

• If we were having chai I’d have you know that there was a little bit more flat pack furniture to put together, in the form of Lil Princess’s desk, and chair. She is happy. Thank God! She’s not an easy one to please! The wardrobes that should arrive next weekend are too big for me to attempt so someone will be fixing them together for us… Then it’s just the dining room/ conservatory to furnish, as well as a sofa for the summer house. Getting there, Peeps!
• If we were having chai I’d reassure you that the cricket bruise is almost gone now, thankfully, but I seem to have accumulated plenty more little ones, as I find. myself walking into things all the time! I could be like a dot to dot, but you woulnd’t end up with a particularly pleansnt picture at the end! Lil Man did have his training on Thursday, but it was uneventful.
• If we were having chai I’d say that during the week, we ventured to Bluewater for an afternoon, and had lunch there. On Saturday, for Lil Princess, who was getting antsy at home, we went to Canary Wharf in London, and wandered around the shops there. All so expensive, but it was good to get out of the locality for once! Then we stopped off at the O2, o n the way home, and had dinner there. Then on Sunday, it rained something crazy! So we chilled at home, and I read a whole book, instead of looking at school stuff. It was also Halloween, and we got no trick or treaters, but, to be honest, with the weather, I wouldn’t want a child out there!

• If we were having chai I’d leave you with a photo my furbaby Sonu Singh, stretched out on my bed. He has kept me company a few times the last few days. I think he likes my cosy throw, and it compliments his colouring, too!

This week, I start with an INSET day at school, before the children start on Tuesday. My own two don’t go back until Wednesday. We have a book look evening for parents to check out their children’s books before parents evening, and I have a serious meeting with a parent of an older child, so I can act as translator. It is also Diwali on Thursday, and Bonfire night on Friday, so there will be plenty of fireworks, and food, too!

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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!

Hello there, Peeps! Another week has just flown by, and I can’t believe that we only have another 2 weeks until the half term holidays!

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

• If we were having chai I’d tell you that school was a blast, this week. The children are generally so well settled, and we are learning how to manage our SEND pupils, in a way that will help them, too. But more importantly than that, we had a special visitor this week. Amanda Prowse, my favourite author, and her brother, illustrator, Paul Ward Smith, came to visit our school, to read their new picture book! We were honoured to have them here, and both of them were just amazing. Even more so, because they gifted every child who came to the reading (180 kids) a copy of their book! We were gobsmacked at their generosity, and the children absolutely loved it! And on another note, we had our P.E. lesson on the Friday and the children did very well with their dressing up!

• If we were having chai I’d say that home wise, we got quite a bit achieved, too. (Less we, more he, to be honest, as I was at work!) But, now we have wardrobes in our bedroom, and new carpet, and the rest of the carpets have been washed (though the musty odour as they dry is a bit unpleasant!) The wardrobes for the children’s rooms have also been ordered, now, and will take around 4 weeks to arrive, then, it’s just the desks to order, and a dining table and sideboard, and rugs. We are gettind there, Peeps!
• If we were having chai I’d mention that on Friday, Lil Man and I attended his Colts Cricket Awards presentation. All the teams were celebrated, and he came away with a medal and a little trophy for his participation. There is another one, this Friday, which is a dinner and awards, for the Men’s teams, which he is invited to, as he played for the Fourths, regularly.
• If we were having chai I’d say that it was a lovely week for my book, too, as I noticed that Amazon had 90 reviews, now, then my beautician messaged me with a photo of my book baby, being read on a beach. It is now a beach read! Added to that, my Pops finally read my book, too, which was just hearatwarming!

This week, aside from work, and the awards on Friday, there isn’t anything out of the ordinary happening, I think… so we shall see what comes up before the next update!

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!