Countdown has begun

I did something on Monday that I haven't done for 26 years.  Hmm, whatever could that be?

Before you start reaching your own conclusions I'll tell you.  But if you are my line manager at work, please look away now.  

I booked a holiday - in term time.  Which means that now I have to resign! 😱. Because they give us 11 weeks holiday a year it means the school absolutely refuses to let you have any time off during term.  No swapping one week of the summer holidays for another one in the term.  The rules are there and there is no room for compromise.  Obviously when Rachel  and Jon started primary school we were restricted to school holidays and then I went to work at a school and even when both 'kids' were grown up, I was the reason why we couldn't book anything when it was cheaper and less crowded.  

So, I now have a deadline - we go at the beginning of July so I have to resign by beginning of June at the latest.  Eek!  It's all becoming more real.  We will be going to Lake Garda in Italy and whilst we have been there before and I have a belief that you shouldn't return to the same place twice, we are going to the other side of the lake to where we went last time.  We will be staying at Desenzano del Garda.  It looks lovely and gives Paul ample opportunity for practising that Italian again.  It will also give me ample opportunity to remember how lovely it is to drink prosecco with every meal, (yes, they even offer it at breakfast) and eat my own body weight in pasta.  Which means my body weight will probably have doubled by the time we get home.

After such a happy start to the week, it ended at a dreadful low point.  We had some tragically sad news about one of our students and whilst it was not unexpected, it still shook the whole school community to the core.  I think all staff went home and hugged their children a little tighter than normal that night.  I know it sounds trite but it really does make you realise that nothing can be taken for granted and we really should not put off anything that we want to do.  So here's even more reasons for resigning and having time to go places and do things I've been talking about for ages.  I just need to get the courage up to start that conversation with my line manager ...