MY use of the word came from my beloved Nanna and my mum. I was often told to quit flarching. Especially when my two sisters were in trouble and I wasn't. I'd step up the flarchiness!!
Quite simply, it's being smarmy! It's being over the top with complements/actions towards somebody in order to gain favour and get your own way!!
So, my little sisters would be in trouble. I'd make mum a coffee, want to get on her knee, try my best to get on her good side and be uber uber good. Clearly mother would still be irritated and I'd get told off for flarching!!! Honestly! Parents!! Hands up who's flarched?!!!
Thanks to Sadie, I'm not sure I'd want to admit to it now!!
Another phrase that now makes me giggle is my way of saying I'm hanging out the washing. I have dear dear friends in Canada who always respond in the same way to when I declare in Spring. That it's a glorious day and I'm pegging out in the garden! I'm not saying what they think it means here! I'm far too polite!
Today I'm going on a course 'How to deal with hostile parents'. I wonder if it's going to be answers on a postcard?!! The rest of the school is having a day of transition up to the next class. I'm not required to be there. My role next year is changing and it's going to be very very odd. I'm not going to be class based! I'm going to be full time pastoral support/early interventions officer!!!! We've not bashed out my title yet!! But it's what I've been leaning towards for a long time. One to one support for those who need that extra help accessing the curriculum for numerous reasons. It's going to be hard leaving the academic side. I'm not quitting Maths and English altogether - I'll be doing this in 1-2-1 support, but only in little snippets!
I'll miss the life in a classroom. I'll not miss the stress of being in Y6. I'll not miss endless cover supervision - though I'll still be called upon to do this ad hoc. Keeping my oar in so to speak.
Anyway ..it's done nothing but rain hard Oop North lately. Really hard rain. It's wrecking my blooms! A lot of my plants are going rusty! But yesterday I managed to get out side to sit for just half an hour and noticed my Delphs blooming. Not en masse yet grrrr. But looking good. Lots of blooming weeds sprouting. But a quick hoe will see them off.
Andy Murray's tennis match was a great thing to watch and in celebration of him winning, I made a cake!
Talking of cake, it was our Summer Fair thingy last Thursday and I was one of three manning the cake stall. To say people went mad for my rhubarb and custard cakes is quite truthful!
Two mums were actually 'fighting' over the last one! Feedback was that they were really really good!
It's basically a basic sponge mix with custard powder replacing 50g ( 2oz ) of the flour.
Once cooled, take out some cake from the middle, add a teaspoon of stewed rhubarb and pop the plug of sponge back in.
Then make custardy buttercream using butter, icing sugar, custard powder and milk. Swirl or smudge on and add sprinkles!
I also used some rhubarb essence from Lakeland in the sponge and some custard essence in the buttercream.
I also made chocolate fudge cakes and ginger buns with cream cheese icing topping. I called them ginger cheesecakes!
All for a good cause! Our school!!
Right, need to get a wriggle on. I'll be late for my day of learning!!
Thanks for all your comments on my last post X
Lots of love from
Rachel * Last Monday but one get up* Radiostar xx
Couldn't resist looking up the meaning.a
ReplyDeleteYou've given me a laugh in the ferry queue this morning. Xx
Hahahahahahahahaaaahahaa you set me off a giggling again!!!
DeleteLove the purple flowers, your cakes looks absolutely scrummy, I am a good baker but I am really C**p at icing, can't get the hang of it x
ReplyDeleteI just smudge buttercream on normally - I'm not the best at piping but I have a go! If you look carefully at the cake tin pic you'll see the cakes all look different!
DeleteOh my word....your cakes look amazing and I love the sound of the rhubarb and custard cakes.
ReplyDeleteThe bat cakes look totally awesome and I may have to nick that idea for my DDIL's Halloween birthday party.
Have a fab day today-x-
I'm thinking those little chocolate stars pushed into the cream, leaving bat ears .....
DeleteThose cakes look amazing. Well done on your new job role. You seem perfectly suited to the role. I only hope that when Lily starts school (oh no! Next year. That's far too soon) there will be someone like you to look out for her. X
ReplyDeleteAwww thanks for saying that. I'm sure there'll be someone at Lily's school who'll look after her perfectly and she'll soar X
DeleteMy students flarch a lot when they have forgotten to do their homework :)
ReplyDeleteHope you tell them to 'Quit Flarching'!
DeleteI've never heard of flarching, and as a Canadian I have no idea what your Canadian friends think you are doing besides hanging your wash out on the line. Your cupcakes are a thing of beauty. If we lived closer, I could have given you an armload of rhubarb and you wouldn't have needed essence (by the way, I've never heard of rhubarb essence either). It's always such as lesson in language reading your blog. I hope your new job description is a good thing and that you enjoy it. -Jenn
ReplyDeleteThanks Jenn. I had real rhubarb, I just used the rhubarb essence in the sponge cake mix instead of vanilla essence like I'd normally use. That, with the rhubarb fruit just packs a great big rhubarby wallop in the mouth!
DeleteThat is a lovely colour-themed border. A micro Sissinghurst. (This is no flarch by the way).
ReplyDeleteLol Philip I had to google Sissinghurst! I was shocked to read it is one of England's most famous gardens as I'd never heard of it!! The gardens there, however are stunning!!
DeleteOh the 'not so fun factory' is full of flarchers m'dear although I can think of other terms not printable for them! Raining cats n dogs here too, my first pond lily flower is not going to take much more of it I fear. Your garden border looks beautiful lass.
ReplyDeleteCheers John! How can water lilies get too wet?!! Insanity of nature!
DeleteHope the course went well. I'd be interested to hear what techniques you were taught. Your new job sounds as though it's going to very rewarding. I'm sure that sort of role isn't given out willy nilly so well done to you.
ReplyDeleteThe cakes look scrumptious and I really like the sound of the rhubarb and custard ones. Well done on the fund raising. Does the money get spent on the children, even indirectly? The reason I ask is the Head I worked for once asked the PTA for donations towards staffroom chairs and blinds. I was pretty gobsmacked at the request. She was equally gobsmacked when it was refused :) xx
The money will be spent on resources for children as the budget is precisely nil for next year!! I'm pretty gobsmacked at that Head's request too!!!
DeleteI honestly don't know what happens in schools sometimes. When Amy was in Y1 her school didn't have any money for anything and sent out a request to parents for craft bits and glue! At the school I worked in they built a brand new IT suite, only to find out it couldn't fit a full class in, so it was all ripped out and used as a music room. Total waste of money. I don't mind giving money to anything the PTA organises as long as it gets spent on the children. It would be nice if schools let parents know how the money raised has been spent. Thomas' school subs Robinwood, summer trips, a book for all the children at Christmas etc. To me that's the sort of thing it should be spent on, not fancy chairs and blinds for the staffroom. xx
DeleteHope the course went well. Did you get any useful tips. Your new job sounds great but I wonder if you will encounter more ungrateful parents (hope not). Your flower boarder looks wonderful and the cakes delicious. I think I'll try the rhubarb and custard ones too. Might use rhubarb juice instead of essence. Have a great week you'r nearly there.
ReplyDeleteCarolx
OMG I just looked up flarching :-0. Those cakes look dee-lish-us! Your new role sounds like it will be very interesting and fulfilling. Go Rach! Xx
ReplyDeleteI totally know what pegging out is ... (col). Our Milos Raonic did a fantastic job as did our Denis Shapovalov. I like learning about Flarching, I will use with an older sister later this week, she is still Flarching about! Cakes - ah delicious but not thank you; diet!
ReplyDeleteha ha ha, I am here to help! It's a corker of a word. Going to try and get it into daily conversation from now on. Back later to read your post properly, but wanted to say thanks for comment. Have sent you an email so I hope it gets through. xx
ReplyDelete