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I would say this is a fairly sneaky transition into the crux of this piece. I am fascinated with the "English" language. I am learning so may new ways to express myself. I love gob smacked. Back home in the USA, I would just be shocked, but here I am gob smacked. It is brilliant. I love brilliant. You can use it in so many situations; the children are brilliant, my friends are brilliant, it is a brilliant day. One of my Reception students told me that he was going to have an absolutely brilliant day. The children in my Reception class at Crumpsall Lane Primary School are all brilliant. I am having a brilliant time teaching at Crumpsall Lane.

I love to "sort things out." At home we figure things out, or straighten them out. Sorted is much gentler and encompasses so many different situations. My bank sorts out my account. The presidential race between Gore and Bush will be sorted out on Tuesday. You can sort out your travel plans, sort out your feelings, sort out the groceries and your socks.

The other day I asked my husband if he would do a favor for me "straight away." He told me that he has not been in England long enough to understand what straight away means, likely story. I wonder what he would have said if I asked him to do it right away.

At school I now use expressions like, carry on, jolly good, and clever. I am looking forward to using these expressions in my American classroom. At home I say get busy, good job and who knows what for clever. Clever is a brilliant word. It is a kind word and a truthful word. If I were a child I would love to be called clever. In fact, as an adult, I would love to be called clever.

We tidy up our classroom and put the rubbish in the bin. At home we clean up and put the trash in the trashcan. Try telling a group of Reception children to clean up and put the trash in the trashcan. They look at you as if you have just arrived from Mars. It did not take me long to start using these familiar expressions with my Reception students.
Enough for now, I think I will go have biscuits (cookies) and tea with my husband straight away. English tea, a wonderful habit that I will refuse to give up when I return to the states. I better save that bit for a whole new story.