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Year 4 so enjoyed reading postcards from Tobermory this morning - and I loved the looks on their faces when I showed them a picture of Tobermory. "But that's Balamory! They live in Balamory? Wow!" They've written replies which will be on their way later this week as so many wanted to take them home and finish them properly! 

So that was the day started brightly. And it mostly continued that way. Which was good! 

I'm wondering if I can finish my book  tonight... Only one way to find out! 

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I have not had a good day.

And yet, amidst the 'rubbishness' there were smiles.

A class demonstrating the Latin they'd learned for European Day of Languages last week.

Postcards from Mull arrived today and I'm looking forward to helping Year 3 reply on Wednesday. They won't believe that they've come from 'Balamory'!

A friend that I haven't seen for half a lifetime was on Sky News looking very grown up and highly intelligent talking finance and stuff; amazed at how he managed to keep a straight face given the interviewer's made eyebrow choreography!

Ducks - or are they geese? - crossing the road. 

And it's Only Connect time :)

Finally, this video/article made me smile.
http://sfglobe.com/?id=13124&src=share_fb_new_13124

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I've looked at this properly for the first time. Makes perfect sense to me. Not that I'm always good at it but it's good to  be conscious of what you should do even if you don't always do it!

Sunny days always make me smile- even if someone insists on lighting bonfires when my washing line is full of fragrant washing...

Worship at church tonight was great too. I love singing when nothing gets in the way of letting go! 

And I managed to do some reading in the garden. Always a bonus! 

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Photobombed by Isaac's phone!

Yummy dinner at the Cock Inn including irreverent comments about fellow diners who needed to find their indoor voices! 

And 'the collected sayings of Malcolm Tucker' caused great amusement too, especially as Dr Who went a bit Tucker today! 

We shall henceforth announce "ah, I see there has been some spillage" when anyone is sick.

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A yellow rose just in time for MacMillan coffee morning day. 

And a new plaque for the wall. 

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Utterly pooped after teaching all day and leading two assemblies for European Day of Languages. I did enjoy all my lessons today and both assemblies however. 

I shared this in the assemblies. It made lots of children smile, and me too. 

Worship group also made me smile. It sounded - and felt - really good. 

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John is home bringing me an excellent gift. I admired these collapsible baskets in Switzerland but never bought one as I had my trusty shopping trolley, and they're quite expensive. So I'm very pleased :)

Obviously I'm more pleased that he's home after a week away... Really ;)

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A busy day at school including break duty, an impromptu assembly and cross country club. A happy day though. I love the way children tell you the most random things at the most random times!

I liked this graphic explanation of the solar system too that was posted somewhere this evening. 

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Very tired. Energy flagging. Smile still there though as my facial muscles are doing ok - it's the rest of me ;)

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Busy day including church, washing, changing bed linen, a long run, making a curry, doing the bins, finishing planning and making resources, chivvying on the boys and tidying up. 

So I'm following the above advice and choosing to read rather than waffle on. Suffice to say, today saw smiles, not least slightly ironic ones as the boys joined me in my footballing misery as ManUtd and Spurs contrived to lose. 

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Smiles from my favourite Swiss Misses (and their Dad!) Thanks to Familie BP :)

An uneventful trip to BSCB this morning (apart from being chastised for singing!) and a morning of successful shopping activity (well I thought it was even if the boys aren't sure about some if my purchases!) 

Assembly prepared including Disney and Pokemon, and important emails answered. 

Dinner at Pizza Express and cuddly you madness with the boys. 

That sums it up really. 

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Today's smiles:

• I was able to walk this morning in spite of Boxercise last night.
• I ran 5 miles and had to slow down and do extra bits so I didn't get too far ahead.
• I ran up Cardiac Hill quite 'easily' - by that I mean I wasn't dying to walk and could actually breath! And I even managed a sprint to the gate. Twice.
• I didn't duck out of Core even if I started to feel how tired I was part way through.
• Isaac, on a reward trip to Alton Towers with school, thought of his brother and won him a toy.
• Jude declared Isaac to be the best brother ever.
• John's having fun in Washington.
• It's French week in Lidl next week and they should have snails!
• Both boys enjoyed Friday night Fusion/Ignite.
• Isaac loaded the dishwasher to save me the job as he knew I was very tired.
• It's the weekend tomorrow.

I saw this smiley notebook in Tesco this evening.

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A handmade card from a Y2 greeted me this morning telling me that I'm the best Spanish teacher 'in the hole world and I like you so much.' How could I not smile? Especially as this was followed by 6 big purple kisses.

And then I saw this on the door of a classroom. If only!

However, whilst I did have other things to do, I still smiled. Although it turned to a bit of a grimacey smile when we did Boxercise after school - loved it but it hurt! And an evening of ferrying children here there and everywhere didn't allow much chance of rest but if the boys are happy, I'm happy!

And I finished A Clash of Kings :)

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Lovely flowers from John; shame he's away for the next week :(

Smiles today at school. Y3 were wonderful this morning. I love their enthusiasm! And Y6 were much improved. Books mostly marked and only stopped photocopying and preparing for next week as I ran out of copying credit. (Oops!) 

Home to hugs and smiles from the boys, and I'm now listening to Jude playing his trumpet upstairs having just received a tweet from John who is 'somewhere above Iceland.'

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I got some funny looks this morning when I paused on the way down the path at school and started taking photos of the gates. However, they couldn't see the beautiful spiders' webs. 

Cross country club was fun , although most of the children seemed to think that sprinting was the way to go. We'll see next week when we try running for twenty minutes without stopping!

And it was good to stop work early enough to sit on the sofa and read my book rather than trying to squeeze in a chapter or two when my eyes are wanting to close.

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Nothing like a bit of 'amusing fruit' to make you smile!

And I love these banana animals!

 Lots of things made me smile today but it's hard to pinpoint one thing in particular.

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An attempted reenactment of 'The Feeding of the 5000' at church this morning with two lunch boxes shared amongst the congregation (approximately 400-450) made me smile. Which is good as it was all about the joy you get from giving. 

A good run this afternoon - and I remembered to stretch afterwards ;) And this made me smile!

Watching Jude snoozing on the sofa made me smile as he looked so peaceful and it reminded me that, however big he gets, he's still my little boy. 

And I actually finished all my work and the ironing, and made the beds again in time to read my book before bed. 

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Happy birthday Bob! Lots of balloons, cake and purple wrappers (although is hide them from your Dad and brother!)

My very special nephew makes me smile especially when he says Bonjour! I need to teach him a Spanish word now.  

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This article made me smile today http://www.buzzfeed.com/patricksmith/21-things-that-could-only-happen-in-sheffield?s=mobile

I enjoyed laminating large numbers of sheets to make games for my lessons next week. And I finished my planning AND a piece of consultancy work AND managed running group and core class. All before picking up Isaac from school. 

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Another outing for Señor Brócoli today (this time on PSHE) and a great game of 'patito' and 'gatito' with Y2. 

And whilst preparing dinner I was amused by spontaneous songwriting with my eldest, cowriting Sweet burger bun to a well known Guns N' Roses tune and performing it raucously in a variety of voices including the guitar solos!

Then there was CATS! Absolutely brilliant. We were on the front row and a cat took a shine to my colleague, getting her up to dance and making eyes at her throughout including in the curtain call. Well worth the late night train ride in a carriage that smells of Chinese takeaway. 

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This picture, tweeted by @elvisrunner made me smile - and laugh - this morning before work. *

Another tiring day of teaching but lots of smiles along the way too including some great ideas about the rights of language learners. And a sunny break duty too. 

This evening I've even begun to conquer my Excel phobia!

*Translation: I'm single. Please take me.

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I had a good day at work; two out of three classes were a delight to teach, and the other were just annoying! And I was so happy in one class to see that the child volunteering most was a young lady who had problems last year and hardly said a word from February onwards. Back to the child I first met. I missed one of my favourite pupils who left last week but I'm pleased he has a place at a good school for him. 

Rodrigo Botones was a hit today. I think it's his fur! 

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I am very fortunate to live near Sutton Park. It really is quite lovely, especially when the sun is shining and I'm running along in a world of my own!

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Coffee and croissant this morning with John whilst Jude was at BSCB. 

Reading in the sunshine. 

I finished Game of Thrones. And started A Clash of Kings. 

Curry for dinner. 

 

Isaac isn't well which isn't nice but he was feeling a little better at bedtime so that made us all happier. 

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I'm a mad woman that runs. And then does a Core class. Good to be back. 

Not so good that I had an occular migraine (I think)  this afternoon especially as, at the time, I couldn't look up what was wrong with me as I couldn't see properly. But I can see now so it could be much worse!

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I'd forgotten how 'young' Y2 are at the start of the year. We still had fun though! Year 5 enjoyed drawing Picasso faces. 

And I enjoyed a bit of sunshine when I got home. 

Plus John is home tomorrow :)

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Today I have learning about extremism and challenging homophobia at work. Lots to consider and I did get a numb bum on the button stools again, but also very enlightening. And I ended up crying with laughter at one point after a particularly amusing contribution by a colleague. And I have a new favourite Eric Carle book. 

Big smiles and great pride in Isaac who was taken on an unexpected run in Games today when he expected to be rowing, and didn't do it half heartedly like some of his peers who were sent back but ran the whole way. He was exhausted when I got home! 

And Jude had music lesson today with his new teacher and enjoyed it. That made me smile too. 

Oh, and John churning cheese on Switzerland made us all smile as we recalled Eurovision and the Polish milkmaids ;)

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Back to my other school today - and children!

Lots of smiley children who were pleased to see me and wanted to tell me all about their holidays. And a morning of Picasso faces followed by an afternoon of rounders. It makes me smile when I share the lesson objective and it's met by one (or more) children hissing "Yessss!' Today it was half a class so that was a great moment. And there were less "arguments" today during rounders so either my umpiring is improving or they've learned that arguing doesn't work!

The boys went back to school today too; Jude was pleased to spend time with his musical friends for the first time since sad news in the summer holidays, and Isaac carried out his Prefect duties as best he could (although he seems to have done lots of 'munging around' waiting for opportunities to be helpful) before school starts properly tomorrow.

And finally, I had to smile as I was repeatedly congratulated on not breaking anything this holiday!

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First day back to school - no children and lots of 'bum numbing' as we were sat at the children's dinner tables on button stools for much of the day. However, there was Haribo and I did manage to nag the Head into rewarding me with chocolate for my 'spelling mistake spotting!' so wasn't that bad really.

I borrowed today's picture from my friend Carmen - she posted it on her FB page and I liked it. It made me smile as it reminded me of my Trees 365 blog!