Waffles sans maple syrup

I find myself back into the swing of life, panicking to try and get everything crammed into a 5 week half term. Life is manic, but then it usually is, right from the days as a teenager- dog walking, working, music rehearsals galore, oh and school!
The Easter holidays were lovely. Such a refreshment is so necessary- non-teachers find it so hard to understand. Mind you, I was pleased that I did manage to get a fair amount of work done. I levelled all my English assessments (holiday recounts) on the first couple of days of the holidays. The first day of the holidays, I had a lovely time playing a concert in Woking, enjoying some shopping (more books oh dear…) with my dear friend E, despite initial panic at strange hour long train diversion- thank the Lord that I did the unheard of, and left myself an hour and a half extra to travel!

On the Wednesday and Thursday I went to stay with my Uni friend Kath in Oxfordshire, which was an unexpected and happy experience. Kath shares my taste in books and particularly my love of browsing charity shops and second hand bookshops for new books. Don’t tell her boyfriend (or my mum!) that we both managed to buy a significant amount of books in one afternoon! We meandered fields, searched perplexedly for the site of a Medieval village in an old copse. Later, we enjoyed friezes in a tiny rural church and chips in a gastropub. On the second day, it was blowing a hooley (as my Dad says) and we visited the Rollright stones (she counted 60, I counted 67! Tis true- no one counts the same amount!) the whispering knights and the stone King. She met up with a fellow teacher to discuss their musicals concert (she’s a music teacher!) and we ate lunch in a garden centre, where the girl playing piano there played my grade 7 piano pieces!!!!!

Maundy Thursday evening, we had a service at church which was a new experience- foot washing involved, to recall Jesus washing the disciple’s feet- I thought this was lovely, an act of humility and servitude to to others, but since we’d never done it before, and I was the first one asked to come forward, it was a little daunting at first (and I am ticklish, so wore a slightly nervous smile).

On Good Friday, we discovered that my mother and I had both bought Hot X Bunnies, meaning we had a total of 24 for two people! At church, we hosted the local churches united for the service. It was a blessed time, with many followers having followed the cross around our area. I sang the cantor for the trisagion and reproaches which was slightly nerve-racking.

Subsequently, in the afternoon we had a 1 hour meditation, which was a very special time. Rach talked to me about prayer writing a while ago, and I do tend to try and prayer write at times- I tend to find writing poems as a form of praise and worship as part of this, and helps me to focus! I spent some time doing this. After the service, I went for a country walk with my friend Debs and her daughter N plus dalmations, which was a real blessing. I realise that for me, walking, surrounded by nature is such an important need in my life. When I returned home, I wrote some songs.

Saturday was the big spring clean at church. Yes, me and intense chores are antonyms, scrubbing at surfaces fills me with dread but there you are! Oh, and of course, there was no purchase of books in the afternoon (Ahrgh, what’s happened to my nose!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

After 2 lovely days at my Dad’s (plus Easter Sunday service), including doing planning, I enjoyed 4 halcyon days in Felixstowe, where I swam, walked extensively and er- bought some books (and started those rascally reports!).

My return to school has been fairly innocuous thus far (whaaaaat, I hear you ask?). I actually experienced not just one, but TWO music composition lessons with my year 3s on Monday that did not result in my wanting to tear my hair, perforated ear drums and a hoarse voice! They worked enthusiastically, sensibly, cooperatively, intelligently and efficiently (whoa, too many adverbs!) and completed the task correctly- tis a rare and beautiful thing! Things took a slightly less positive turn with year 6, who are too big for such a small music room, and are a bit noisy (SATS repression), silly and cock-sure, but it wasn’t too bad- and those children from my class last year who were problematic, were actually mostly fine. I am back with the horrendous year 1s again this half term- they are equally crazy. Transferring them from assembly in the dinner hall to the music room in the main building took 15 minutes- it is like herding a bunch of particularly stubborn. Or that game with the heads that keeps popping up- as soon as one was quiet, another would pipe up, walk at snail pace, start arguing, grab at a display board, sneak a drink from the drink fountain, start a mini-scale war, paint a Van Gogh…
Literacy is great fun at the moment- we are studying persuasive writing, and we’ve been looking at adverts. Science is going to be less painful as we will be covering ‘Keeping healthy’ (although, that said, finding pulses is always challenging!). Today we came up with unique selling points (internet enabled watch for anyone?) and tomorrow, I will assuming the persona of Sir Alan Sugar to present my class with an Apprentice style challenge to come up with a sales pitch for a After school club, and I shall be hiring and firing! They’re very excited!

As I type, I am watching the programme about the 33 stone teenager, Georgia- poor thing, I know lots of people are judgemental on overweight people (and I certainly don’t approve of what a lot of parents feed their children- as someone who was brought up in a house with very little money, despite my middle-class background, I was always made to eat healthy foods, cheap vegetable stews and I worked on the allotment etc) but I really do understand the emotional tug that food has on some people, I feel it myself quite frequently. I am fortunate that I have a high metabolism, walk lots, am often too busy to stuff myself, enjoy breakfast etc, but I am certainly one who eats lots when miserable! It does seem to in the short-term act as a morale-booster. She lost a parent when young, had some social and obviously emotional events have an impact on how our lives shape out . It is amazing that she’s managed to become so heavy though, but I reserve judgement, I don’t think I can judge, she’s encountered a huge amount of grief in her life. I really admire her determination and really hope it works out for her!

Tomorrow, I have the thrilling pleasure of teaching athletics.

Books, books, books...
39. The unknown Ajax - Georgette Heyer
40. A civil contract – Georgette Heyer
41. Four gospels, one Jesus? – Richard Burridge
42. Whizziwig – Malorie Blackman.