Gifts | But I Smile Anyway...

Fickle Nickle!

05 Dec 2017 45 Comments

by Ritu in Family, Poems, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Anniversary, Birthday, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Exchanges, Fitbit, Gifts, Nickle Allergy, Pandora

This weekend, after realising that I am allergic to my Pandora bracelet, Hubby Dearest worked really had to arrange for an exchange for one of their (more expensive) Rose Gold ones!

This nickle allergy!

Honestly, I hate having lots of money spent on me, I don’t need expensive things! But my body obviously has other ideas!

And something else I don’t like, is exchanging gifts, as I feel that what was chosen for me has such sentimental value, but in order to actually wear the item, it had to be changed!

Still, after a whole load of phone calls and emails, and explaining to Pandora that if we exchanged, we would end up spending more, as the Rose Gold is a more expensive bracelet to furnish with charms in the future, we ended up at the shops on Sunday to change it over!

And the whole allergy experience ended up as a poem!

I am quite a simple person
I don’t have expensive tastes
But because of reactions and allergies
I can’t be bought things in haste

Would you believe a little metal
That goes by the name of Nickle
Can cause such a commotion!
My body, oh so fickle!

Now my birthday’s a great example
Of my body’s annoying habit
Having reactions to gifts
First time was my Fitbit!

Religiously I wore it
Counting steps as I waled, in a flash
But after a few weeks of wearing
I came out in a terrible rash!

We exchanged it for another
More expensive, and rash-proof, we thought
But alas the same thing happened
And so we returned what we bought!

this year my Hubby gifter me
With a bracelet of the Pandora sort
But guess what? Allergic!
It contains Nickle – Who’da thought?!

But after much disctussion
Phone calls and emails galore
I’m now the owner of a rose gold one
And suffer rashes no more!

Ritu 2017

Truly Appreciated! #MondayBlogs

24 Jul 2017 36 Comments

by Ritu in Children, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Gifts, Life of A Teacher, Teacher Appreciation, Teaching

Yes!

Finally, the holidays are here!

Admittedly, I will be in school today and for the next two days at least, just getting tidied up, and then prepared for next year, but it will be without the pressure of teaching and assessment! The days we spend in the classrooms like this can be quite restful to be honest!

But I can’t not mention the end of term, and the emotional goodbyes that were seen, with the Year 6 students who were leaving us for the portals of Secondary school, members of staff who are moving on, and of course, bidding farewell to our existing classes.

They may be hard work, you may want to tear your hair out on a regular basis, but you do develop a true emotional bond with the lovelies!

I have to admit to a few tears, especially in the morning when one of my darling boys was going. He won’t be joining us next year as his family have moved, but I had a special place in my heart for him.

As his mum hugged me, and thanked us for the last year, she got teary, and that got me going too! He hugged me close, and tightly, and my heart hurt… honestly!

Fast forward to the end of the day and I had been hugged by a LOT of kids, and mums too, and was the recipient of the obligatory thank you presents too, and what a generous bunch of parents we had too!

I think I may be putting on weight before I lose it again, with all the chocolates!

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The handmade notes were gorgeous, the flowers, beautiful, the candles much appreciated and the stationery, well, I always need that!

But the handmade ornament was stunning, the cat mug perfect, and the Prosecco, well, what can I say!

I loved reading the cards, seeing my babies trying to write their own names too!

But we must move on…

I am lucky that I will have some of these children for two days a week next year, as I venture into Reception so to see the progression will be wonderful!

And I shall enjoy my summer recharge those batteries, ready for a busy September!

HAve a great day Peeps!

The Holidays Are Here!

24 Jul 2016 53 Comments

by Ritu in Children, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Bookmark, Gifts, Last Day of School, poem, Teacher Appreciation

I have spent my first vacation day in a truly lazy manner! Dozing on the couch, and eating takeaway!

But I had a wonderful last day of term! There was so much love, so many hugs from my little babies!

There were tears too, from Lil Man, and his classmates, as they were saying goodbye after being together for the last 7 years. So he enters a new phase in his life, and sheds that Primary School Boy tag, to now don the Secondary School Boy one!

I was inundated with gifts and cards again from my students, which was totally unnecessary, but so appreciated. Every year it humbles me how much these parents and kids think of us!

Handmade gifts, and cake! Pens, lots of pens, and chocolates! Flowers, and my first award! Check it out!

How sweet!

Then we were given a card which was written so sweetly, I just had to share…

This was to our whole team!

I’m not a meany. I wanted to do something that would show my appreciation but not just by giving a bunch of sweets, so I did what I enjoy a lot, and wrote a poem! This I then made into bookmarks, and explained to my munchkins that as they grow, they will read, and they should use this bookmark… so they don’t forget where their learning, and hopefully, love of books was cultivated!

From School to Nursery

When you started
You were so small
Now in a year
You’ve grown so tall
Without your mums
You’ve learnt to stay
With all your friends
You’ve learnt to play
Being your teacher
Has been such fun
We can’t believe
Our time is done
And come September
You’ll start big school
We hope you’ll find
That learning’s cool!

Ritu 2016

Hope you all enjoy your weekends and holidays if you are on them too!

It’s The Little Things…

09 Jun 2016 19 Comments

by Ritu in Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Flowers, Gifts, kids, Nits, Nursery, School

It has been nearly a year since this classful of kids and I started our journey together, and things have been good at times, and really rough at others.

They still aren’t easy, by any means, but I am pretty proud to think I have nearly managed my first academic year, with a pretty hard bunch of children… A baptism of fire, it has definitely been!

But it truly is the little things… nearly 9 months ago, I had a particular child who was REALLY hard to deal with. He spat, kicked, bit me, and swore (at 3 years of age). I remember writing about him here.

This week, however, for the 3 days he came in, he ran into the classroom and gave me a flower! Ok, they were dandelions and weeds, but still… how sweet!

Here they are, drying!

I seem to have a habit of picking up little friends in my classes!

Then there are other ‘little things’ I’d rather not have to worry about, from school…

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No, I don’t have them, thank God, (I got my mother in law to check me like a monkey chimp being nitpicked by its mother!) but a lovely little girl in my class has them, and she is another one who seems to have an affection for me, and she is always cuddling up close to me!

Not quite the gift I would cherish, so I have taken preventative measures!!!!

Teaching is such fun!

Thank you for your presents, your presence was not necessary

07 Jan 2015 9 Comments

by Ritu in Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Gifts, Necessary, Presents, Unnecessary

You know you get invitations to weddings, or parties, or other functions, with this written along the bottom:

Please, no presents, your presence is gift enough.

…or some such like phrase. We see them at the bottom of most wedding cards, or invitations nowadays. It’s become the latest tag line to use.

Though, a lot of the time, most guests still come with a wrapped box, a gift bag, or an envelope with money enclosed.

So, what is it? People not reading the cards right. Or still feeling obliged to bring a gift. Is that line there genuinely? Or just that, an overused tagline?

Or is it an invitation, knowing a gift will come, monetary or otherwise, regardless of whether you want the person there or not?

Just thinking….