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After he was sick all night and felt very ill all day, it was lovely to see Jude smiling when he opened his present from his cousins 

Thank you Alex Julie Harry and Robert. He loves his mute and as you can see he loved the card!

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Happy birthday to John. A trip to the German Market in Birmingham for Bratwurst und Pommes, Heisse Marroni und Glühwein this evening (including an interlude in the Library of Birmingham for John to thaw out).

Made me miss Winti though. The Christmas market there takes over the whole town. 

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Happy birthday to my little monkey Jude who puts a smile on my face several times every day.

Also making me smile today were tales of mispronunciation in guided reading and discussions about Christmas decorations including speculation as to which Christmas animal Jamie would add to the Welford menagerie. Reindeer to pull the bus? Penguins to wander the corridors or perhaps a polar bear to sit on in the reading corner? He claims none, but watch this space... 

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Apple crumble at lunchtime and biscuits after school. Thanks Gemma! Delicious and very welcome!

Year 3 loved Un elefante today and made me promise to teach them another song next week. Some of the girls demanded a sneak preview. Cue pretending to be a singing dancing cow whilst on break duty!

A very excited 11 year old has gone to bed smiling at the thought of presents in the morning. I know already what tomorrow's smile will be!

And with winter tyres now fitted, the summer/normal ones are in a tyre hotel in Corby. Wonder if they'll send a postcard?

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This made me smile when I found it on Pinterest.

When I commented that I felt like I was herding sheep at points in our PE lessons, Y3 listened and got the point. They told me that sheep do wander around aimlessly and make a lot of noise. 'But we don't bleat, Miss.' True...

The excitement of an impending birthday has not dimmed for a certain 11-going-on-12 year old. "Two days! Just two more days" I caught him muttering to himself.

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My cousin Catherine wins today for making me smile as she glued her fingers together with superglue.
Having extricated one finger, she posted this picture on FB which led her sister Lizzie to reminisce about our Grandma 'grandma would have said 'gargle bicarbonate of soda' or 'do a wee jobby'"
And she is quite right - Grandma's answer to everything was 'a wee jobby'.
It's been a long time since she died (I was 17) but I still miss her. She was a hoot!

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Doggy related smiles today. 

Huskies playing paw games, and latte froth like you've never seen it before!

Go to http://www.socibase.com/de/g/344-3d-latte-1 for more 'latte art'

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As I was stretching my hamstrings - very ineptly! - I thought of the above.

And I thought you'd like a smile at me doing it. The boys found it quite amusing at least!

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(Gist translation: When life is all monochrome,  smile some colours into it)

A good run on a cold day.

Good news about yesterday's drama - so relieved!

New pink and green pens (so sad that I get so excited about writing implements!)

Jude has been nominated by his ICT teacher for a chance to go to the Gadget Show.

Two interesting (work related) invites.

It's the weekend!

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John's beautiful photograph of a Copenhagen sunset today.

Smiles at the Year 5 and 6 cross country this afternoon - loud and overexcited kids, and mud! Hope the drama turns out not to be as dramatic as it looked though.

Isaac came home with a brilliant report with teachers questioning the wisdom of Fischer Family Trust predictions - and that always makes me smile!

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Not sure which I like best. What do you think? 

Cabaret rehearsal this evening made me smile. Hard not to smile - and spit - when singing "Oh Chitty you Chitty pretty Chitty Bang Bang"

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I liked this image - wish I'd found it before my Y3 lesson this afternoon, but it'll work well for y6 tomorrow.

An unintentional extra 40 minutes in bed today meant the day started more hectically than I'd have liked, but it was rather welcome!
The sun shone - always a winner!
Y4 enjoyed their Spanish lessons.
Some Y3 managed to listen and participate well in PE, and then made me smile by telling me I'm beautiful!
My dentist made me smile - although not very easy when you have a numb face - by continually reassuring me. I suspect he remembered my gagging fit last time I went and thought I was more nervous than I actually was. I'm fine as long as he doesn't shove anything too far back in my mouth.
The moon is shining brightly as I write - I can see the craters. Beautiful.
Looking forward to episode 1 of Borgen :)

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I refuse to start Christmas until December but the Steiff shop window made me forget my usual reluctance.

Other things making me smile - 

the excitement caused by chocolate in the staff room;

Good feedback on my observation; 

More Innocent Smoothie hats. 

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Fun and games in and around Zürich. Thank you to Zoëand András for having us and to Lils and Hellraiser for the giggles and hugs. 

You'd think this was dusk across a lake. It's actually taken from above the clouds, mountains peeking through! Beautiful and this photo really doesn't so it justice.

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Meeting Yvette for a chat - and Prosecco!

A beautiful husky - I'm sure Jude wishes I'd bought it home!

Beautiful Zürich.

And dinner in a hut at the airport!!

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Pudsey ears attached - raised some smiles when I went to the fish and chip shop with them on!

A beautiful day albeit chilly. Great run this morning.

And Chuchi's been taking selfies with my 'phone. Cheeky monkey!

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Curry night with TwinCR - lots of smiles at tales of running through mud, oddly placed bruises and continental races. 

And huge smiles when teaching year 5 this morning when they discovered the word for seal 'una foca' in Spanish - and asked my permission to say it!

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Good to see a sea of smiling faces greeting me when I had an observation today! Also good to see observer smiling!

And in note that it's impossible to sung Chitty Chitty Bang bang without smiling!

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Bit busy tonight so just time for a thought!

I wonder if smiling a my windscreen will break the ice and save on de-icer?

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It always makes me smile when kids at school bring me things, and the smile is always a bit broader if it's Spanish so I was really chuffed when one of Year5 at WPS gave me some work she'd been doing at home after last week's lesson.

This follows two lots of beautifully presented work from a Year 4 at WCPS over the last two weeks of lessons. And lots of Día de Muertos calacas too!

Further smiles as I mountaineered up the shelves in Sainsbury to ensure the best Innocent Smoothie woolly hats for the mini cuddlies. Chichi Monchichi is particularly pleased with her raspberry bonnet with silver button detail!

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Thanks to John for today's pictures, taken on his cycle ride. I do wonder if he doesn't take so many photos to give him an excuse for a rest...

A run today that felt good - and was under 10 minute/mile average - now THAT made me smile a lot, especially as it involved a very long drag of a hill.

John and Isaac came back from shopping for a new school bag proudly brandishing a Brussels sprout tree.

Jude made me smile with his speed arriving in the kitchen when I mentioned that there was a cake bowl to scrape. Life is made richer by doing such things.

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Bowling last night made me smile. Well, there wasn't much else I could do really, I was that bad! At one point I even shot putted the ball (I'm obviously missing my vocation!)
However, I'm afraid I didn't manage to do it quite this well...


(Should play automatically but if it doesn't click to the website!)

And, having read an article in The Guardian about Gyles Brandreth and his campaign to revive traditional games, we played "The parson's cat" this evening - although it became "Jim Parsons' cat" and lead to such responses as "Jim Parsons' cat is a neurotic cat called Nigel" and "Jim Parsons' cat is a xenophobic cat called Xenia" (X is very tricky as is K once you've used kinky!) And Jude very cleverly referenced a TBBT episode by use of the adjective 'jazzy'.

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This had me guffawing. If I had been at work, I might have wet myself, especially if it was after lunchtime when teacher bladders are at their fullest ;)
It is not only true, but the baby's face is so cute!

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The end of the first week back after half term - and it was a good one! Lots of kids excited about learning Spanish, some really insightful comments from unexpected quarters about life and death whilst discussing Día de Muertos, Year 3 being really mature in their thoughts about similarity and difference in RE and lots of pizza illustrations whilst explaining fractions to Year 5 today - "I didn't understand until you started drawing pizzas, Miss!"

#TBBT tonight was so funny! Absolutely rib cracking, sidesplittingly hilarious!

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Looking for a picture of me as a child at Christmas, I came across this one that my sister had uncovered a couple of years ago whilst make me a book for my (big) birthday.
She captioned it 'What's with the life size doll, Lisa?"
Quite!
I also question the length of my dress. And the wallpaper?!

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A cuddly meerkat with a hat. What more can I say? Made me smile! 

PS Innocent Smoothie woolly hats are well used in our house should you have any spare ;)

Another good day at school; I think I'm going to enjoy this Spanish unit with year 4, and Year 3 PE is always amusing albeit frustratingly like herding sheep at times!

And I've exceeded my steps target for the day without going for a run - possibly that "sheep herding" did it...

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Smiles today started early as we had to leave Lancashire at 730 to be back for 945 and Jude's final performance as "Bob the apprentice" at Holiday Club. 

He was finally hired today having been squirted with a water pistol and had a foam pie in the face. (Pictures will follow when he's sent them!)

Then Agnes (stripey top on left) posted this picture on her FB page. More big smiles!

Back to school tomorrow. Hopeful of more smiles as I meet two new classes and try out something new!

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I've been to Darwen! And 'the Lisas' were reunited!

Very smiley!

And look at those hard and cupboards! I didn't take a picture of the wonderful

AGA as I was too busy warming my bum on it ;) 

Bonfire and fireworks in spite of torrential downpour - including innovative use of a broomstick to 'nudge' a non spinning CatherineWheel (to cries of dismay from children well versed in the Firework Code!) and some highly amusing 'firework reenactments' from the younger guests. 

Brilliant time had by all! Thanks for having us!