This Week: 17th October

Oh dear! Where did last week go? Bad blogger!

The weather ... still a warm and pleasant early autumn, but supposed to be getting cooler and more changeable this week

I am wearing ... black and white pyjamas.

I am reading .... finished Selling Sparrows, and back to a book about the 80s I have been ploughing through slowly over the past couple of months.

I am creating ... the Revival sweater is almost done, but proceedings have been interrupted for me to need an emergency pair of fluffy, snuggly socks for Star to take on her trip to France.

I am listening ... to Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis by Vaughan Williams. We are playing this in my next orchestra concert - loved it before, but love it even more now I have the insight that playing and rehearsing a piece of music brings. I had no idea that it was written for two string orchestras - a small second orchestra plays alongside the main one.

I am watching ... last week I watched Downton Abbey, the X Factor, the Hotel Inspector and Who Do You Think You Are (last episode). I am not a big TV watcher, so for me that is quite a lot in one week!

I am enjoying ... Sanex shower and bath gels. Or rather, I am enjoying the fact that this stuff works so well on the dry itchy skin to which three members of this family are prone (not me!). It is cheap and cheerful, but seems to work just as well as far more expensive prescription grade shower gels and bath oils for dry skin and mild eczema. Cherub doesn't spend half the night scratching itchy skin any more.

I am planning ... how to fit an extra day into the week. An extra day's work that is. I am going to be doing some overtime to help out over the next three months or so while the archive is a staff member down.

Learning notes ... glowing reports on Cherub from her teacher last week - she has settled into Year 1 very smoothly, is responsible and helpful, eager to learn, and gets enthusiastically envolved in both teacher-led and independent learning activities. None of which surprised us as that is very much what we see at home, and she seems very happy with school so there was no reason to think there would be any issues. Angel spent a day here on Friday at a photography workshop, and has just come home with details of a product design study day at London University for next month. Star has been contemplating GCSE choices for next year and is thinking she will opt for triple science (separate physics, chemistry and biology GCSEs rather than a scaled down combined science version), art, business studies, French and child development. Plenty of time before she has to make a final decision though.

Cherub ... was Pupil of the Week for her class last week, which meant she had to collect a certificate, badge and trophy (which she gets to keep for the week) in front of the whole school during assembly. This was scary and she had to be brave, she tells me. She is also very proud of herself.

On the menu ...
Monday: chicken stir fry
Tuesday: chicken and broccoli crisp bakes, chips (fries) from the fish and chip van
Wednesday: minced beef with mashed butternut and sweet potato topping
Thursday: honey mustard chicken and pasta
Friday: salmon
Saturday: leek and potato soup
Sunday: [out]

On the calendar ...
Monday: modern dance exam for Star; Angel wants to try out the adult gymnastics class at the gym where she coaches
Tuesday: tap dance exam for Star; full day working for me
Thursday: Star leaves for six days of intensive French theme parks; Sixth form information evening for parents and students with Angel

A picture from last week ... a rare picture of me with Cherub from our meal out on Saturday