Tuesday

After the first few hours it was as if last week had never been.  It's amazing how quickly we get back into routine, me and my children.  It's comforting and reassuring and we all need routine, one way or another.

I needed to call an infant staff meeting after school and, in apology, ordered some lovely cakes from my friend, JustJules Cakes.  This time they were shiny and starry in honour of the theme for the meeting - our Christmas show, Shine, Star, Shine.    This link should lead you to a photo of them on Facebook - I think.  Apologies if it doesn't.

We got a lot sorted and now I have a lot to do.

My student is in for her first week of familiarisation.  She has three weeks before Christmas when she has certain things she has to do, find out, etc, followed by several weeks after Christmas.  She should be teaching for 50% of her time by the end of her school experience. 
After yesterday she can tick off the bit relating to attending meetings and doing playground duty.  At one point I thought we were going to be short on parents to help with swimming so she obligingly went over to the pool and came back an hour or so later hot but happy as it's not something she will be able to observe in many other schools.  Ditto for the violin lesson - every child in the Infants has a class violin lesson each week, all the way through their time in the infants.  Again, that is unusual and worth observing.
I think she was a little 'giddy' by the end of the day.  There's such a lot to take in and take on board in a school and when none of it is routine, it can be very confusing.  Just explaining things to her makes me realise quite how much I do automatically, naturally as a teacher.  No need to plan it through, it just happens!

Well, I'd better go and check that all is in order for school today.  Ho hum!

Dad needs to sweep his lawn!

Monday

Back at school this morning and I'm looking forward to seeing my children again.  As a teacher, one shouldn't get over-attached to ones class, but the little ones function best then there is some  affection in the relationship.  They need to know that they are liked.  Indeed, there have been times when some go to some length to check that you still like them whatever they do.  Sometimes in the past it has been hard . . .

Back home too, after a few days with my parents.  As always, I had a lovely, restful time and was fed and watered well, both literally and emotionally.  I didn't enjoy the drive back yesterday morning though.  It had been raining hard on an already soaked landscape and there was quite of lot of flooding on the road over.  Nothing too deep - I think about one foot in the middle of Bishops Stortford was the worst - but it required some anxiously careful driving.  Of course, when I got home, the sun came out!  Not for long though . . .

The sun certainly shone over the weekend.  I took some nice autumnal photographs so here are a couple.

On Dad's lawn, much to his dismay, but they made a nice photo or two!

I just love the colour and lines in this!

Monday

And so here we are, back to work today.  All over Facebook there's the sound of parents clapping their hands in glee.  It's quite sad really from more than one perspective but they're my bread and butter (indirectly, of course, don't be silly) so no complaints - not many anyway!

Here's the little jumper I was talking about yesterday.  Cute isn't it?  And just look at those titchy little socks too.  I hope L likes them.  The clever designer knit look of the patterning is just a result of the yarn colours, nothing to do with me and the matching at the raglan seams is also sheer good luck!

I'm now onto practising those little bunny bootees I was talking about last week.  It all seems fairly straightforward so far, but I will need softer yarn.  Knitted in acrylic, it's very stiff and solid: it's meant to be to some extent, of course, being double knitting yarn and 2.75 needles, but the acrylic makes it very unyielding and harsh for little toes.  Still, this is just a practice and the end product will be made with purpose bought yarn, not with my odds and ends.
And then in between times, I'm getting on with the socks for R too.  Never a dull moment here, you know!

Remember that banana fool recipe that I told you about last week, the one where I wasn't so thrilled as it separated before it was time to eat it?  I mentioned that I had frozen some to see how it reacted.  Well, I got one portion out yesterday to see and I have now renamed it as banana sorbet.  OK, the ice crystals were large because it didn't get its semi-frozen beating to break them up, but now I know it works I will churn it in the ice cream maker before storing in the freezer.  A squeeze of lemon or lime juice should tart it up a bit.  Definitely one to do again and, when I'm feeling lavish, a scoop of it on the banana bread I made and froze should be very tasty indeed, especially with a squidge of maple syrup or caramel sauce.

Enough mental meanderings - I'd better go and have my bath and get my stuff together.  I do not want to be late today!

Edited to add:  I rather fancied a colour change, seeing as winter is over (supposedly) and Spring is springing out all over.

Sunday

Last day, end of the casual times for a while.  It's been a good fortnight, one in which I have felt more fit and well that I have for a while and in which there has been plenty of time for resting, relaxing and generally unwinding.  For once I don't feel I need another week to recover although if you came along and offered one I wouldn't decline!

I finished that little jumper and very cute it looks too.  I'll post a photo when I get it off my camera.  I also had a go and some little baby socks which I don't think are as small as they need to be.  Hardly surprising really, seeing as I used DK yarn and size 4 needles instead on the ones on the pattern, but they'll do for someone, I am sure.  I will try the smallest size and see if that works better - once I have finished this pair, that is.

The other piece of news, such as it is, is that the vegetable chili worked out really well and now I have a pot of spicy deliciousness for lunch and other meals.  I think I will need to jiggle my meal plans around to avoid having to freeze a pile of it.  I'm trying to run down my freezer a bit and I'm not going to succeed if my leftover veg meals produce such a bounty as this, am I?

Today is going to be slightly on the boring side.  It's mostly going to be getting ready for the next term.  DG and DD come for lunch so that will be very nice and a break in the dullness!  Better get going, I suppose . . .