Let it snow!

My school under the snow.  Very picturesque I know.  I can even add that the smell of burning log fires lingered in the air, obviously not emanating from the school but from the surrounding houses.  And I was welcomed by a little birdy, a robin to be precise.  Poor darling was throwing itself rather majestically against the windows in a feeble attempt to escape.  I opened all the windows but it was terrified and kept hiding in all the nooks and crannies of my classroom.  The Head turned up 20 minutes later and funnily enough, it flew straight out quicker than you could say robin on holly and ivy.  

Rocky road to roasts,pain au chocolat and petit dej...

It's bitingly cold.  And to make things worse, it's getting darker and there is only one solution to wintery blues, well in my book there is only one logical solution: Food.  Steaming stews, piping hot soups, Sunday roasts and of course living in Lyon means dipping your pain au chocolat or biscottes in a big bowl of ricoree or hot chocolate.  The French other half prefers ricoree whilst I think it just smells of fake coffee.  It's actually chicory, which to us  is that bitter tasting salad.  My rocky road was very rocky.  Please note that yes it may look like lumpy poo but it was darn delicious.  I couldn't find golden syrup so used honey and no digestives here nor rich tea (sob) but Petit Lu did the job. Love the no bake no fuss approach.  I think rocky road = life.  Rocky road to finding out who you are!  Oh forgot to add the frankfurter sausage omelette was rather marvellous too (pic 3).   

Wise words

By helping others, you will learn how to help yourselves.
Aung San Suu Kyi 

Oh how it rained incessantly today! Lyon was soggy like a bowl of cornflakes and somehow rain seems to make kids more excited and adults grumpier.  My twenty three 7 year olds were definitely feeling zesty and wanted me to share in their rapture at our seasonal downpour.  Needless to say that when you work in a school out in the sticks(ish) then snails, slugs, worms and other creepy crawlies become dear slimy friends.  I took a deep breath, racked my brains and hey presto an afternoon of sublime art took place.  We were feeling truly inspired by this book:


Enough of stuffy classrooms! And into the cold with rosy cheeks, hoods and mittens, my kids marvelled in ooh and ahhs at the colours of Autumn.  An array of merlots, burgundies, carmens dazzled our eyes.  We felt dizzy with glee at the sight of yellow golds and deep sunset oranges.  By the time they had leaves coming out of their ears, we felt it was time to head back to the warmth of the classroom.  And for a chatty class, I was feeling chuffed because at one point there was actually silence.  Two hours of cutting, glueing and creativity ensued. 
  
And this is when Aung San Suu Kyi's quote really inspires me in my everyday job.  When I have a kid covered in PVA glue with leaves splattered all around their desk whilst their hands are stuck together, I cannot help but stifle an inner giggle.  Although I should be sighing despondently when staring at a bunch of leaves and thinking what the heck is this?  It just makes me want to laugh. "Hmmm" I say dramatically followed by an awkward scratching of the head and delve deep into my imagination "So er this is a great... a great... lion?" (I'm assuming the big round blob is a some sort of head and the squiggle is a tail).  If the reaction is a pair of eyes lighting up, I know it's going to be ok.  If the head sinks into a palm, I know I must muster all my diplomatic skills known to any NGO to get myself out of this mess.  I have potentially damaged a child's self-confidence forever and unless I want the self-confidence police after me, I know I shall have to remedy this and quickly!  That's where patience floats in.  She's really good at turning up out of the blue.  
Here are some of their chefs d'oeuvres and they are all rather chouettes:  

Autumn in Lyon

Far too late for me to write anything constructive or beautiful so shall attempt to start blog writing proper tomorrow.  Cup of verveine and 250 pages of Bizot's Portail left.  Cosy night ahead.