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Half term

Whatever happened to half term?? It seems to have disappeared in a flash, do doubt partly as I was working having had 3 days off the previous week for Kerrie and Ryan's wedding. The plan was to not have a plan - both girls have exam week coming up and so our major intent was for them to spend at least half an hour a day or so doing a bit of revision. This has sort of worked - we only had one day where I got an irate message from Glenn that Izzy knows 'absolutely nothing' about her maths... we'll see. With half term comes effort grades and if they genuinely know nothing, it's not for a lack of effort. Abi did really well, keeping up her average and getting a 6 (top grade) in French again. Izzy, who we always worry is apt to cruise if allowed, got the first 5.0 average grade we've seen from either of them and 3 6's in French, English and DT - well done Izzy! I tend to assume all the kids work hard but it seems not - according to Abi "all the boys always get at least a couple of 2's" - thank goodness for girls when you have a Daddy in the house for whom effort matters above all else!


This week has been a bit of a low for everyone other than the kids as we come down from the highs of the wedding. Glenn can't listen to a Madness song without a tear in his eye, and I had to get my head around the fact that it was back to work and I probably need to take it seriously again! Thank goodness we are moving towards the summer and everything getting a bit more flexible. Actually we are already into that part of the year where every weekend seems to have something going on and there is no time to fit more in. Next weekend we are in Taunton, the 2 weekends after that Glenn is in France and then we are pretty much into July and end of term / summer holidays. Then I have to get my head around the fact that the kids will be in year 7 and 6 respectively - gulp!!


After a very fraught and busy week at work (who needs American clients?!) I had Friday off and so we headed to Bucklebury Farm with one of Izzy's friends in tow to make sure I didn't find myself drawn back to the computer. We haven't been in ages - the kids used to love it there and so it was a really nice thing to do for a couple of hours. As with many things we are coming full circle. I gave up taking them because all they wanted to do was go on the slides and it seemed like an expensive trip to pay for everything only to have them spend 2 hours in the nosiest bit (for them and me). Now they wanted to walk around all the animals and feed them again - much more satisfying (i.e. we get to have a walk). Of course we ended up back at the slides but that's ok - I can leave them there now and so I went for a walk in the woods - all happy!


Today I picked Abi up from riding first thing with the intent we would be home in time to watch Glenn racing in Pen Woods. As it turned out by the time we got home, with plenty of time to spare to see him start let alone race, the lure of a sunny garden and her book was too much and so instead they played at home while I weeded the path - a never ending but cathartic task which is a permanent feature of keeping our garden looking neat. Poor Glenn came home after 3 hours of racing looking absolutely shattered - he could barely stand up let alone string a sentence together. I'm not sure how he made it though the last hour of the race, sheer bloody mindedness I suspect! He's spent the rest of the afternoon and evening slumped on the sofa looking in need of a good nights sleep. With that and back to school / exam week it's early to bed for everyone tonight I think.





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