Project 366 : Photo diary week 36

This week was all about "back to normal". We all went back to school and Sophie went back to the UK. The big question, though, is how long will the new normal last ? If there are three cases of COVID in one school, apparently it will be closed, and, according to one of Sophie's friends, there are already two cases in the upper secondary school that Juliette has just started at. Oh well, we'll just have to wait and see what happens. There's nothing else we can do !

Sunday 30th August - The last day of the school holidays for me, so we opted for a lazy day. I phoned home and we worked out when my mum and dad would be picking up the keys for Sophie's new flat. I sorted out my school bag (first time I've looked in it since July !) and we went for a walk with the dog, along the new canal path. It looks really pretty with the reflection of the sky in the water. It's crazy to think that this used to be in the middle of a big road. They rearranged the two lanes of traffic and added a bus lane, a cycle path and this lovely walk in the middle, at a lower level so you can't even hear the cars. Pierre had a problem with his new bike. Something to do with the gears block on the back wheel. Our next door neighbour helped him sort it out but suggested we dropped it back for them to check, as it's a new bike.

Monday - Back to work for me but, as I'd managed to see my timetable online last night, there were no big surprises for me. There are three English teachers in my school and, since my colleague retired a few years ago (the one I visited last week who gave me the tomatoes), I always end up with one trainee teacher and one fill-in who only stays a year. This year, I have two fully fledged colleagues - woohoo. Unfortunately, one of them is off sick long-term so they need to find a replacement again *sigh*. Got home and Sophie had cooked dinner - big smiles ! She'd been busy making a Harry Styles bag as well, which actually looked really good.

Tuesday - It was the kids' turn to go back to school today, so I was welcoming in my form class all morning. They seem nice enough but it's a bit of a squash, with the "socially distanced" tables ! Pierre went in for the morning and was off in the afternoon. Juliette went in late morning and stayed all day. It all went OK, but Juliette is in a brand new class with none of her friends from her old school so she feels a bit lost ! We headed back to the sports shop with Pierre's new bike. They kept it in and are going to rework the gears - apparently something needs changing. They'll phone when I need to go and pick it up. It's just as well the buses are free or we'd have spent a fortune going there and back over the past two weeks ! There was a strange "black hole" cloud formation today, which looked a bit weird.

Wednesday - Today was the integration day for the 11-year-old pupils, so they had a special teambuilding mission, going around school (to meet the teachers and see everything important in the school). We had all created Powerpoint questionnaires for them to learn the rules and give them important information for each subject, but, as always happens in September, computer issues meant that we had to totally make something up on the spot for the first group. Nightmare ! Sophie's last day at home so she was busy packing and choosing recipe books and foodie things from the cupboards to take with her !

Thursday - I headed off to work slightly earlier than usual, at 6.25 rather than 7am, so that I could go with Sophie to the station. Her train from Dunkerque to  Lille was at 6.50 but it was cancelled. Luckily, she could get the next one at 7.12, which still got her there in time for her Eurostar train *phew*. I was at work but sneakily checked my phone in between lessons to check she was getting on OK. There was another delay at London but she still managed to make it to each connection just in time ! My dad picked her up, dropped her at the flat, went to get her click-and-collect shopping, dropped that off then she had time to settle in, unpack and figure out how everything worked. Except the oven which totally confused her !

Friday - Last day of the week *phew*. In our school, each class is confined to one room, except for lessons that need specific equipment (science, art, PE, music ...) so there's lots of running about for the teachers. In both Juliette and Pierre's schools, they change rooms for each lesson though, so there's no effort to keep things socially distanced. Most of the computer issues in the various rooms in my school are getting sorted out, which is good news. I have a new replacement teacher - woohoo ! Only had time to say a quick hello before the bell rung though. She's starting on Monday. Got home and discovered that Pierre had taken completely the wrong key with him so he couldn't get back into our house at lunchtime. Luckily, our neighbours took him in and gave him lunch. He has no idea where he put his real key so I'll have to get another one (or maybe two !) cut. *Shakes head in disbelief* ! Another dog walk picture for today - thank goodness it's the weekend !

Saturday - Slept in until about 10.45am ! Blimey ! Obviously all my early starts at 6.15 have caught up with me ! I'll soon get back into routine hopefully. We went to McDonald's for lunch, then grabbed some extra exercise books that the kids needed for school and dropped into the cemetery to water the flowers. A quick dash to Lidl and that was all that was required today - aaah ! Caught up with Sophie on a video chat and asked my dad to go and help her work out the oven. It took them ages apparently, even with the instruction manual ! I've been munching my way through the pears that my friend Catherine gave us last week from her allotment. They are totally delicious - really sweet and juicy. Hmmm !

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