Word of the week - Amelioration

I feel like so much has happened this week and so much progress has been made, especially in the house.

We have had all the scaffolding taken down, the fence has been fixed and a new front door has been put in. The best thing is that my drain has been cleared, every time I used the washing machine or dishwasher the water was coming back up into the kitchen sink. It was really annoying having to use a jug to empty the water out, that I was only washing what was needed and had a massive pile of dirty clothes, now I have finally emptied the washing basket!

On a personal note, I have wanted to lose a bit of weight for a while, ideally I would like to be 9 and a half stone but I have found it so hard to get below the 10 stone mark. This week I decided to do a detox and just have water, juice and fruit for a two day period (yesterday and today) This morning I weighed myself and was 9st 13lb! I am hoping to lose a couple more pounds but I am going to take it slow to try and keep it off!

Apart from the miserable weather, it has been quite a pleasant half term and I am actually looking forward to going back to work. I love the last term as everything exciting happens at school. Staff and children find out their new classes/teachers, there are end of year assemblies and parties and playground duty isn't so bad when the sun is shining!

For your information the word amelioration means to progress or advance and comes from the 1650s word meliorare meaning to improve.

Word of the week - Exhale

It has been a really busy few weeks, so busy that I have had hardly any time to blog and have just been catching up again this week.

We have had birthdays, including this Alice in Wonderland party We have had illnesses... I barely have a voice left through all the coughing! And we have had exams, daughter pulling her hair out with GCSE worries and son barely batting an eyelid (as boys don't) with his A Levels.

The half term is here again and I feel like I can finally breathe (with the aid of some lozenges) I have little planned but hope to fit in as much fun and relaxation (in equal measures) as possible and will be kicking it off by dressing as a schoolgirl for my friends St Trinians themed birthday party tonight!

For your information the word exhale comes from 1400 latin word exhalare meaning to breathe out.

How has your week been? Come and link up with #wotw hosted by Jocelyn over at the reading residence

Word of the week - Enervated

I know its Friday night and I am bound to be tired but getting back into the swing of things has definitely taken its toll on me... When are the next holidays again?

I have been getting into bed by 8 o'clock and my legs are aching! (yes, definitely back to reality) I have also been planning my daughter's Alice in Wonderland themed birthday party for next weekend, complete with all the tea party food' including a whole set of pick'n'mix, croquet in the garden, (oh yes I really need to sort that out) a craft table and the movie for all 13 girls to watch. Thank goodness there is an extra day off next week!!
It's a short post as I am feeling enervated!

The word enervated means deprived of strength or vitality and comes from the Latin word enervare - to remove the nerves from.

This post is linked to #wotw over at The Reading residence

Word of the week - Sagacious

I was quite looking forward to this week, getting back into the swing of things and enjoying the sunshine on the morning walk to school (that didn't happen) I was mostly liking the fact that it was a three day working week for me, apart from the fact that on one of those days I had to attend college to do a test and have an interview!

Back in November I applied to do a Diploma in Photography at my local college, it's something I have wanted to do for years but have never found a course that is suitable for me. All the courses I have come across have either been too short and not providing a qualification or full time meaning I couldn't work while I was doing it.

When Thursday came I was feeling quite nervous, not so much for the interview but more for the test, I mean I support children in their Maths and Literacy everyday so what if I went for a test and failed it? Luckily there was no waiting around for results as the tests are taken on a computer and the results come up the second you finish taking it.

After passing both tests...Yippee! I had an interview with the Performing Arts tutor, who was really sweet and encouraging, she liked the photos I had taken in to show and said I would be a perfect candidate for the course and I left feeling rather sagacious and pleased with myself!

For your information the word sagacious means clever and comes from 1600's Latin word sagire meaning to be astute.

This word of the week is linked up with #wotw over at The Reading residence.

Word of the week - Insouciant

Surprisingly the holiday hasn't flown by like they usually do and although we have spent quite a lot of time out of the house it has been pretty relaxing. It is nice to be able to go and visit friends and family without having to rush back home for kids bedtimes or to make sure the washing is done and the kids have finished homework.

This week I have spent time catching up on my reading and have even had a few afternoon naps, although I'm surprised I need to with all the lie-ins I've had! I think next week when I go back to work I'm going to be falling asleep in class!

Word of the week - Crescive

Another week and another word I've never heard of, have you?

This week has been the school holidays and without all the hustle and bustle of daily life I have been able to take in just how grown up my children are getting, like really grown up, I mean my son has a moustache AND a beard... when did that happen?

At the beginning of the week I started to feel ill (typical) and my kids were so understanding , they didn't expect anything of me instead they would ask if I needed anything and happily get on with chores around the house (I have taught them well)

Its really lovely that they are growing and becoming independent but there are certain things I miss about them being small, as well as seeing all the milestones and having lots of cuddles the thing I think I miss the most is being the cleverest person in the world!

You know when kids go through that 'but why?' stage and they just want to know everything about the world, well I always had an answer... Okay sometimes it was a made up answer but to them I knew everything!

I remember a girl in primary school asking my daughter if she knew the words to a certain song and she proudly replied "I don't know the words but my mum does, because she knows the words to every song in the world!" It's true, any song that came on the radio or TV, I just had to sing along to it and I still do now. I love music from all eras and genres so she got it into her head that I knew every song and who was I to burst her bubble?

Now sadly times have changed, I find myself asking my children how to spell certain words and random facts, well my son knows them all, he's like a walking encyclopedia.
I am know in awe of them, how clever, polite, funny and beautiful they have become... but then I suppose I did teach them everything they know!

For your information the word crescive comes from 1560-70 Latin word cresc meaning; increasing or growing.

This post is linked up to #wotw over at The Reading residence.

Word of the week - Ebullient

This week I am being positive!

It hasn't been a great week, but then it hasn't particularly been a bad week either and I'm thinking there are people going through a lot worse than I am so I need to be grateful for what I have.

If you didn't know already, it is the last week of term (for some) and I am really looking forward to the Easter holidays. I haven't got much planned as yet but I hope to spend some time with friends who I don't make enough of an effort to see! I also want to take the kids out on a few day trips, do some crafting and sort the garden. I'm actually quite excited about giving my house a spring clean! (it really needs it)

I know its a bit of a weird time of year to try and lose weight... particularly for a chocoholic, but I'm hoping to lose half a stone before my birthday which is around 6 weeks time. I have never been a gym type of girl but hopefully a few sessions of 'Just dance' on the Xbox Kinect will whip me into shape... along with getting good use out of my juicer rather than raiding the cupboard for biscuits.

For your information the word ebullient means overflowing with enthusiasm and excitement and high spirited.
It comes from the Latin word ebullientem meaning to burst out, to bubble. It was first recorded in 1660s

This post is linked up with #wotw over at The Reading residence.

Word of the week - Efficacious

I quite like finding words that I have never heard of to sum up my week and this week I have found the word efficacious. Last week I said how motivated I felt and as this week has been so eventful I feel that my motivation was efficacious in achieving and getting things done!

This week I spent two days on a first aid course and I learnt so much that I am considering becoming a doctor... OK maybe not a doctor but I am much more confident about dealing with emergency situations than I was before and as I have wanted to do a first aid course for ages I'm glad I finally did it!

At school we have been really busy, yesterday we took a trip to the London transport museum which was great fun but taking 60 children on public transport first thing in the morning is pretty stressful, both for us and the other passengers!
Today the whole school took part in Sport Relief and they could choose to either bike ride, scoot or walk around Streatham common. Luckily for me I was in nursery and as they only have little legs we didn't have to venture all the way to the park so we just went a few times around the playground instead.

At home I have had the workman putting new windows in the house and having a grand total of 22 windows it was a pretty big job! It was obviously a lot harder for the workman than it was for me but I did have to move the whole house round to make sure there was nothing within a metre of the windows. I have also been doing a bit of work in the garden hoping that the weather will stay pleasant enough to spend some time out there.

And to finish up the week over here on T&G I will be launching my first linky by the name of Positive Pic of the Week where you can post a picture of something positive that has happened during the last 7 days. Hope to see a few of you joining in and sharing a bit of positivity.

For your information the word efficacious means 'capable of having the desired result or effect' and comes from the 1520s Latin word efficaci meaning effective.

This post is linked up with #wotw over at The reading Residence.

Word of the week - Motivated

This week has been pretty quiet (well compared to last week anyway) so its given me some time to think about things and make plans!

 As I mentioned in my Joys of Spring post the lighter evenings and warmer days make me feel motivated to do stuff. I want to do things around the house, learn new things and have a few plans for my blog too (watch this space)

Having ideas and dreams are good but unless you have the motivation and drive to carry them out then they just end up staying as dreams! Hopefully this feeling sticks around and I keep myself busy with all the plans I've made!

For your information the word Motivate dates back to 1885 and means to stimulate towards action. 

This post is linked up to #wotw over at The Reading Residence

Word of the week - Assiduous

Ive used the word assiduous to describe my week because its been a bit non stop and constant!

Monday and Tuesday were pretty much the same as they always are; a bit manic, making sure we have everything we need for the week ahead.

Wednesday is my day off and I usually spend it pottering around the house, making phone calls, catching up with housework and blogging, the man usually does the school run but this week he was busy. So having been told by my teen that her shoes were flapping and her shirts were stained I went shopping. While out I thought there must be somewhere that does some sort of accessories for world book day. I prefer the look to be thrown together rather than to buy the outfit (plus its a lot cheaper) but could I find anything... no! I did however manage to buy myself a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt in Peacocks, on a half price offer for only £11...bargain!

On Thursday morning we turned the boy into Burglar Bill with a torch, a sack and some bits we found in his wardrobe and set off for school. Thursdays are usually busy at school as the children go swimming and this week, on the return from swimming the teachers had to go off to start parents evening, so another Teaching Assistant and I were left with sixty 8 year olds to entertain! It wasn't all bad because we got to watch 'Tangled' and I'd never seen it before.
After dropping all the children off to their waiting parents I had to make my way to the nursery to join the team for our parents evening. I job share with another Early Years Educator who has Fridays off to look after her elderly parents and there are 2 teachers who jobshare as they have their own babies to look after. For the parents who come into the nursery I can imagine its a bit daunting to face a panel of 4 of us (they must feel like they're at a job interview) but we are all very nice! The evening went really well with lots of happy parents and thriving children and by 7:30 it was finally time to go home!
It was lovely to get home to my social media and see that I had won a giveaway...yay!

Friday is my day in nursery and feeling like I had only just left I was back there at 8:30. It was a lovely sunny day and so we spent our playtime outside digging in the soil looking for worms and buried pirate treasure, needless to say we didn't find either but we got covered in dirt in the process and that's always a good thing (its good for the skin)
At the end of the day when all the children had gone, the profiles updated and the nursery set up with all new activities for next week it was finally time to breathe a sigh of relief and make my way home.
My 11 year old had asked if she could go to her friends after school and just as I got in and put my tired feet up I got a phone call to ask if she could sleepover, well sure, one less child for me to look after right? Then 10 minutes later another phone call to tell me she didn't have any clean clothes or pyjamas and could I bring them! So taking my tired feet I walked another hour to drop her things off and come back and missed my soaps on the way!!

After a very tiresome, assiduous week I would like to give a big kiss to whoever it was that invented weekends and I'm going to have a nice rest!

For your information the word Assiduous comes from 1530's Latin word assiduus meaning busy, incessant, continual and constant.

This weeks word of the week #wotw is linked up with The reading residence on the link below

Word of the week - Relieved

This week I have been recovering from my fragile state so I'm feeling relieved of all the pain. I was however still feeling quite anxious about an observation that was due on Friday. It wasn't really anything to be worried about, just a member of senior management observing how I was interacting with the children in nursery as a preparation for my appraisal. I don't know why I was feeling nervous about it, maybe because I hate that idea of someone watching and judging me. 

After all the worry it turned out that my senior manager had an unexpected meeting with a parent and so was unable to do my observation which was a great relief for me but in a way I wish I had just got it over and done with because I know she will catch up with me at some point! Anyway for now I am just going to enjoy the weekend and forget all about it!

For your information the word relieve comes from the 11th century french word Relevare meaning 'to raise, alleviate, lift up, free from burden.'

For the word of the week #wotw I have linked up with The reading residence on the link below

Word of the week - Fragile

Ive chosen the word fragile as my word of the week because that is just how I have felt for the last couple of days and still feeling now!

There are times when I feel ill and I just want to snuggle on the sofa and watch movies or read a book but when I feel fragile I cant even do that because the sound of the TV irritates me and my head hurts too much to read!... OK enough of me feeling sorry for myself, at least I got ill during the holidays so I don't have to take time off work or face a class of 8 year olds feeling like this! Although my daughter is not best pleased as we were supposed to visit family and now shes stuck indoors and bored!

When I look at the word fragile I just think of Fraggle rock (yes that's showing my age) I don't know why, maybe because there's not many words with 'frag' at the beginning! 

I do find words really interesting and like to know where they originate from so for your information the word fragile is from the 1500s and comes from the Latin fragilis meaning 'liable to sin, morally weak'... OK yeah that sounds just like me!

For this word of the week #wotw I have linked up with The reading residence on the link below