mid week check-in

A short school week for us, maybe also a short work week, weather permitting. We hope to go camping Friday to Sunday. The forecast is not so good unfortunately but I am ready: I bought myself a new head torch because there are no illuminated paths where we plan to go. What else would I possibly need?

This week, James is visiting secondary school for two induction days. I don't know how is going to cope. He is not ready at all although of course he himself would strongly disagree with me. I am not so concerned about his academic performance, there is a place for every child at secondary school, but he is emotionally younger than his yers. Fingers crossed. James' biggest worry is that he might be teased when he is the only one who has a "Nokia brick" and not a smart phone. He has neither now and is keen to get the latter....

There is also a lot of end of P7 show rehearsing and learning lines. James is a town crier. Never met one of those :-) and I am not entirely sure what the musical is about but he is enjoying learning his lines, the dances and the songs.

Alistair meanwhile continues to do the bare minimum at school, preferring instead to play football or plot games in his head. Annie has one exam left and is enjoying her time off. It is officially study leave of course but there seems to be plenty of socialising. Her final exam is next week and she is confident with the subject. Sam has started eating more healthily, which is well worth the mention, him being an 18 year old West of Scotland lad.

The garden is a bit chaotic. It seems that all is growing at top speed and everywhere... The forget-me-nots are coming to an end of their flowering period and I'll need to pull them before they seed, or else we'll be having nothing but next spring. They are taking over the world, starting in my garden. The flowers of my new mystery clematis have opened and I can finally attempt to identify it. I ordered a yellow variety, Clematis Tangutica Bill Mackenzie, which I absolutely love, but I knew straightaway that it wasn't that because it arrived with big fat buds (when it should be late flowering) and leaves that look nothing like they should... It is possibly a Clematis Crystal Fountain. Let me know what you think.

We have booked a holiday for October. It was a spontaneous decision triggered by the ok of my line manager to take time off during our teaching term, which we are not encouraged to do. However, all my learning material is delivered asynchronously online and is ready two weeks ahead of schedule to comply with copy right checks. I have no contact time scheduled for the week and can keep on top of online discussions from a remote location. Yeah!! It took two hours from getting the ok to having booked... Oh and we are going to visit my godmother in Turkey. I am so excited.

The seven week summer holiday on the other hand is looming gloomily on the horizon and I try not to think about it. No doubt we'll spend a fortune on holiday clubs for the boys but hopefully, we can go camping for a week or so.

I am working at home a lot at the moment. My office is right next to the clinical suite were all the fledgling vets have their practical exams. It is very noisy: nervous student chatter, barking teaching dogs, staff trying to keep all under control (loudly so).  The other day, I was minding my own business when all of a sudden, there was a most unpleasant and pungent smell in my office. I sniffed my underarms confirming it wasn't me. At this very moment, a colleague popped her head through the door, how embarrassing. She was looking for an escaped teaching ferret. What a stinker. The ferret, not my colleague. And no, I am not a vet nor am I involved in veterinary undergraduate education but offices are few and far in between and I take what I can get.

Jack is just priceless. On Sunday, he made himself a little nest with my freshly washed clothes and towels. He carefully pulled them out of the Ikea bag and buried himself in the pile. He knows how to live well. The photo is a bit blurry, sorry.

I thought I'd finished my postage stamp quilt top but I am not happy with the proportions. It was too long and thin. The photo was taken after I added two more long rows to make it wider and now I have added another but it is still not quite right. I have run out of squares and I don't fancy cutting more. Maybe the solution is to remove a short row. I'll sleep over it. Other than that, it is pretty awesome and I am looking forward to quilting it soon. Sam then wants me to make him a moving-out quilt in blacks, greys and white with a single splash of colour.... (we have the bought the fabric) but first I want to make something to wear for the summer.

Must dash, the boys are still at the local park, nearly 30 minutes past home time... better go and round them up.

Thanks for stopping by and saying hello xx