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Thank you to the scary Skeleton Pirate for the lovely cakes. 

John returned from Zürich with suitcase full of iced tea, Apfel Farmer bars and Kurbissuppe. 

And I spent an amusing hour looking out through old Earnshaw newsletters and the 1993-4 Earnshaw yearbook. 

Cue picture of "Jesús and his (muddy) disciples" otherwise known as the International inter-wing football team - I'm bottom right!

And evidence that my ability to 'unintentionally say things that could be misinterpreted' is longstanding.

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Smiling is a little painful at the moment thanks to the loss of an impacted wisdom tooth this afternoon.

This made me chuckle - I'd add 'it'll puzzle them' to that - and you still win!

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I ran 5 miles today.
Hurrah!

On this day last year, it snowed it Switzerland. This year, it's quite warm!

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An image from yesterday.

I think I'll copy Sarah and get a Tattly as encouragement next time I run a half marathon. A good reminder for everyday not just when running to be honest!

And one from today - my pink pixie! Thanks to Rob who's an artistic whizz with an iPad (and not just with an iPad!) and drew this for me!

Wondering what to call her? Any suggestions? 

Smiles today -

The joy of making Dorset Apple Cake with self raising flour for the first time in 2 years. 

A tidy desk and dining room table. 

Summer and winter clothes swapped. 

Remaining untouched by 'The Great Storm' - seriously underwhelmed and slightly disappointed too. I had high hopes for a fence that needs replacing...

Reading in bed. 

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Picking apples from my own tree and making apple crumble (with a Swiss twist - Bircher-müesli topping)

That's made me smile today.

I now have enough apples to be bobbing from now to Christmas ;) (That's only 1/10 of the ones in storage - and I've already processed two bagfuls!)

And the Ten Commandments according to Switzerland http://www.dicconbewes.com/2013/10/27/the-ten-swiss-commandments/ also made me smile - the 11th commandment is "Thou shalt be obsessively tidy to the point of picking up every stray leaf and polishing traffic lights, and thus ensure full employment!"

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A happy stone sent to me by Kathy started my day with a smile...

Especially as there was a miserable stone next to it!

Smiles as my visit to the dentist did not reveal a mouthful of decaying teeth causing my toothache so I could have lunch. (I have an impacted wisdom tooth so I probably won't be smiling much on Wednesday when it's removed...)

Some tidying and eBay posting made me  smile as we searched for the names of various Gogos/Crazy Bones. 

And a run late afternoon - managed to choose a route with lots of steep hills, but the view at the top of the last one was rather pretty. 

Oh, and Liverpool beat WBA!

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It's half term. At last.

John is back from Denmark. 

Boys are both doing well at school. 

I can have a lie on tomorrow. 

My friend Dom got a new job, Dawn was confirmed in her up until now Acting role, and Rachel finally got to move house. 

I received an email mentioning Denmark and LEGO that, whilst highly improbable, made me smile. 

And so to the picture that tickled me. I'm so juvenile ;) 

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I donned my WPS house Tshirt on returning home from work at WCPS.
I wish to put in for a transfer to Watt or Murdoch or even Boulton.
I am simply not wide enough to display the whole name of my team.
Still, it has my name on the back which is rather nice. And it fits!

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Another day when smiles have been hard to find but not completely lacking. Looking back, there have been more smiles than tears but it's the latter that stick in the mind sadly.
So, I'm reclaiming my smiles!
Year 3 worked really hard all morning and made some great Tellagami.
It wasn't raining at break.
I shared a laugh with children whilst on duty.
My new colleagues looked after me when I was sad and cared enough to ask if I was OK.
I got home earlier than I thought I would.
I didn't have to cook dinner.
I went out with friends and colleagues.
Janey was amazing in her show and we all whooped with abandon.
I have a family that love me very much.

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I've been holding on to this thought today!

I smiled today because

• Year 5 couldn't come up with any effective ploy to annoy me this week having tried water bottles, swapping pens, pencil cases and Tippex in previous weeks!
• I got a parcel of resources :)
• my colleagues are funny.

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In need of help today with my smiling. Although someone has just driven past with a Peppa Pig bed strapped to the roof of their car...

This picture helped!

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Just come downstairs to find John ironing whilst watching Victoria Wood on TV. Oh the memories! If you were to ask my university friends about me, my Victoria Wood impressions would feature high on the list if things they'd say - along with my love of Winnie the Pooh and possibly a mention of a purple shell suit...

I can see the smiles as I was asked to recite another sketch - usually about Kimberley and raspberry yoghurts!

And then there was Accrington Stanley... 

Also makes me smile today -

*a run in the rain that reminded me of running in the shadow of the Matterhorn in Zermatt. 

*the return of EdTechRoundUp - and embarrassing myself as usual!

*Jude's rendition of songs he learned on camp about bananas, teapots and Superman. 

*amusing exchanges on FB and Twitter. 

 Translation - There are always reasons to smile. Look for them!

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This is the most beautiful photograph (I didn't take it so thanks Viv!) After the (torrential) rain came the glorious sight of a double rainbow, brightening the grey sky and shining happily.

I'm also smiling (albeit somewhat wearily!) after the last 24 hours with colleagues from work - an unforgettable time, and only the beginning! 

And from the sublime to the ridiculous - I have a new vacuum cleaner which also makes me smile as it's one of those that "follow you around" - although it's not called Henry, and it's not a robot one either!

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I have to take a "small object of positive significance" with me to a meeting this evening and I'm taking a snail shell. It's very special to me because it was given to me by special people, reminds me of special times and always makes me smile when I see it.

I also have new glasses. Perhaps I will actually wear them in public... ;)

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This made me smile - and I so agree. I shall also be watching Educating Yorkshire ;)

And this lovely mascot for Fukishima Industries made me chortle (even if you are supposed to pronounce it Foo-koo-pee!)

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Good job I'm not a werewolf!

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I still have a voice at the end of the day.

I didn't have constant battles with pencil case fiddling this afternoon - although I have now declared war on Tippex!

The sun was shining when I left school. 

It was GBBO night. 

All good reasons to smile. 

And I have a lovely bunch of flowers too. 

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Today I got to see the bus in the playground having missed it arrive on Friday. Some of the kids haven't quite got the idea of why it's there and were telling me that we're going on trips in it. Virtual trips perhaps!

Great to have Jude back, muddy and tired but having had a good time.

And thanks to Simon for this image from his new home.

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It's my birthday and I'm smiling for so many reasons. 

Cards and gifts from family including chocolate, Prosecco, a Freitag purse, a new MBP, money and a panda onesie with matching slippers!

And lots of greetings from around the world on FB and Twitter. No idea why a photo of me nearly 2 years ago started getting attention but it made me smile to inspire discussion and debate about my 'look'!

Thank you everyone xx

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On this Saturday last year...

I intend to spend my birthday a little energetically this year! Having said that, if I hadn't broken my foot I would have been running 10K around Tamworth. And if I still lived in Switzerland I'd have been having another go, and this time paced myself better in the hope of breaking that elusive 2 hours!
As it is, I've done all my planning and intend to have a restful day. And then celebrate again when Jude is back from Boreatton.

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Core fitness this morning and I now have a snuggly hoody and great running top as well as aching arms!

A trip to the Apple Store and the Genius Bar lived up to the name - my MBP is in Apple hospital but soon to be fixed.

And as Jude is on school residential and John is in Zürich, Isaac and I went off to Pizza Express for tea.  Prosecco makes me smile - and so did the ISW mums (past and present) on FB. Miss you ladies xx

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Toadstools in the garden. Pretty red and rather large...

And now obliterated thanks to Stevens and Stevens, Fungi Destroyers: armed only with sports equipment, they scythe all errant mushrooms in their path! You have to smile at their enthusiasm.

Also making me smile today:

Teaching PE today was just like herding sheep, sheep with tennis rackets!

Class assembly rehearsal. 

Looking at Jude's packed case for residential, and discovering that he has actually packed everything he needs!

Educating Yorkshire is on!

It's Thursday - no teaching tomorrow. (Still be working though!)

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I'm in survival mode. 

Today my 'weapon of choice' is a raging waterfall, a fluttering flag and  a rainbow.

And a (rather weak but still there) smile.

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After today, I needed a mountain! So I went and found one and it worked - it made me smile!

So I found another...

and another, this time with a lake too.

And then I had to stop because, although I was still smiling, it made me cry. 

Life's like that sometimes.

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Marching around the classroom teaching Year 5 the Alphabet rap today and I had a flashback to my first day at WCPS. The Head walked in to find me barefoot leading 30 children around the room chanting in Spanish. I recall him asking if he needed to remove his shoes to join in and replying that we were trying not to make too much noise!
Also had fun with the oddly named GIMP editing or 'playing with' photos as the children put it.

And, having learned about the bell, the pipe, the valves and the mouthpiece, Year 4 and I were finally let loose on the cornets today. The looks of amazement as we heard our first notes were brilliant!

The kids took their cornets home- I've just got a mouthpiece!

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Mr S coming back from USA was a smile-worthy event - especially as he came bearing gifts!

A run in the sun was also smile-inducing although very hard work.

And Isaac creating a geography masterpiece was also amusing. I hope his teacher appreciates the effort!

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Working on a Saturday? Well, not really working but spending Saturday in a school, taking part in a "show and tell" for language teachers from across the country. Lots of fun was had, and it was great to see friends again - and make new ones. My mini talks (on year3 writing stories in Spanish using 2D shapes and the quickest demo of BookCreator app ever) went down really well and although I didn't win the raffle, I did come home with rather a lot of Danish pastries (not all for me!)

Great day and lots of smiles - once I arrived at the correct school!

Loving the 'MFL-Twitter-teacher selfie' taken by Fiona. Loving the MFLTwitterati - not all in the picture!

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The day had a few good bits like a tasty mocha and then core session, but by bedtime my smiles had dried up. 

Still, I found one as I prepared for a talk tomorrow. Who wouldn't smile at a face like that?

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One of the joys of my job is the ability of children to surprise you. Constantly. Sometimes it's not for good reasons but usually it makes me smile. And this afternoon, after y5 and I arrived back from a day at another school, I was left flabbergasted and beaming by the appearance on the computer table of a gift (above). I had no idea who'd put it there, but when I turned and saw it, I nearly burst into tears. What a kind thing to do!

I said "thank you to the person who's left me a present" as the class went home, and someone told me who it was. I taught this class Spanish when they were 4/5 yo and in Reception - and they've not forgotten now that they're 9/10 yo as they showed today when they asked to play 'the toenail game'. The (school) record is 24 - and it is held by my gift giver who recorded this exceptional score whilst in that Reception class. He's a great kid - and, whilst my eyes are drooping and my body aching, I'm still smiling now at his kindness.

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Bill Bailey.

Genius. 

That is all!

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I failed to take any photos of International Day at WPS but someone did! Here's one I can share of "Heidi" and "Hawaaiian Barbie" ;)