Mainly Sunny.

Just the briefest of posts as I'm off out of the door in 5 mins for a charity quiz night with people from work.I won't be an asset to my team as I know nothing about sport, celebrities, current music or films. Too bad there aren't going to be any natural history or science questions. I nearly had a melt down over what to wear tonight as I needed something that I don't wear to work but is comfortable and reasonably smart. Most of the stuff I don't wear to work is more on the ultra casual/gardening side. Found one top to wear but it needed a wash. Threw it in the washing machine, went to iron option 2 only to find the moths or something have eaten a few holes. I'm back to an almost dry option 1 otherwise it would have been the black vest I wore to work all day today.

Wet and Windy.

The weather took a turn for the worse at lunchtime with the arrival of heavy rain and strong winds. Yet again I had my class work right through playtime though by that time most of them had finished their written work about Malala and were happily drawing while I worked with the last few children. I'm getting quick at sticking in sheets and I don't feel guilty about the minimal way I mark as it is what we have decided on as the school marking policy anyway. 

After work I drove across town to visit a few places. Town traffic is already at a halt even at 4.00 and it took 20 minutes to get across the bridge. Going from the bridge back into town and then on the return journey the road on my side was almost empty so I had an easy drive. I went into B&Q to order the plastic sheets for the shed roof only to find that if you order on line you get free delivery for orders over £50 but if you order in the store you only get free delivery for orders over £200.

Back home I could see the clouds rolling down the hills and blocking my views of Exmoor. 

Peter has taken a couple of holiday days from work as his arthritis attack was building up to a similar point where he ended up being taken by emergency ambulance to hospital a few years ago. He says a that a full day's rest is already making a difference.

Dry.

It was a bit grey and chilly this morning which suited me as I really needed to make a start on report I had been asked to do for school. I am the Art and Design coordinator which is only a small role (thank goodness) in these days of the all defining SAT's and the over-riding importance of reading, writing and maths. We do have several Arts' Weeks each year but the ideas and planning originate in staff meetings where we share all our ideas. And there are plenty of ideas from everybody. I just have to write the occasional report or lead a staff meeting. 

Out in the garden there are many signs of the approaching spring. When I first went outside this morning it was strangely and peacefully quiet.  Not a sound from those pesky rooks. But if I listened carefully I could hear them very faintly in the distance towards East Down. Sure enough when I got home this evening they were back making the usual racket. 

 I had a nice afternoon teaching the Reception children and only once did I have to insist on the correct shoes being put back on my little friend. The staff meeting after school was to discuss and update our marking policy so that it is consistent and easy to implement. We had a quick diary dates meeting at lunchtime but the rest of the break was spent in great hilarity thinking of and asking each other pub quiz type questions as a number of us are going to a quiz night on Friday which is being held in support of Macmillan cancer relief.

Windy.

It has been a day of blue skies, fluffy white clouds and a strong wind. I've been at school again for the whole day which has confused my poor little mind and I kept thinking it was Wednesday. That's what happens when I change my routine. I kept thinking I was going to stay for a staff meeting this evening but that is tomorrow. On the other hand I really thought it was Mothering Sunday this weekend and was surprised to hear it is not until the 30th of March.

I taught the other Reception class this morning which I had been a little worried about as I've only been in there twice but somehow I remembered a lot of the children's names. They were also making wolf proof houses in groups but we had proper flat paint brushes which made the job easier. One group of 3 boys who couldn't decide if they wanted red or blue paint came to a compromise and said they were going to paint a pattern. In practice anyone with a red brush painted as much as they could including anything painted blue and vice versa. We had to have a discussion about that or they would have ended up with a splodgy purple house.

In the afternoon I was back with the Year 2s looking at the life of Malala Yousafzai and comparing her life in Pakistan with their lives. Many of the boys got very enthusiastic when  we came to a picture of some Taliban  with guns and even more enthusiastic about the fact that men tell women what to do. It took some annoyed comments from the girls before they agreed that maybe that wasn't a good thing. One thing they picked up on was that if boys and girls can't mix then how do you get a boyfriend? That seemed to be quite important to them. On Tuesday afternoons we end up with the whole school singing in the hall. That's good fun but as I sat and marked/stuck work in books after school I couldn't get one little tune, Somebody's waking up, sniff snuff. out of my head and I sang it most of the way home as well.

Vytas and Sally are now in Koh Tal, Thailand and about to start a PADI (diving) course. It's a hard life for some.

Dry.

There was a touch of blue in the sky this evening but for the rest of the day it was more grey - I think. I say I think because I've been working with the reception children all day and I can truly say that it has been non-stop from start to finish. One challenging little lad spent the whole day relentlessly trying to acquire a pair of trainers from other children's pe kits or even from other children's feet. He just did not want to wear his own trainers which have special supportive insoles which he needs to wear. We ended up having to use the high up bolt on the door to keep him in class. At the same time we were working with groups of children who were painting large boxes, with enthusiasm, to make wolf-proof houses for the 3 Little Pigs. In spite of painting aprons I was still wiping paint from children's faces, hair, legs, shoes and clothing and had to rinse out one brand new dress at lunch time. And we were one adult short today as a student helper had called in sick. Needless to say my day flew by.

I was able to leave school by 4.15 so I had time to buy fresh fruit and veg and then have a stroll around the garden once I got home. 

Foggy

The day started off nice and sunny, then in a blink low clouds started rolling in and stayed with us for the rest of the day.

I finally got round to finishing off a power-point about Malala Yousefzai for school. It got me thinking about the amazing resources we have at the click of a mouse. When I first started teaching we didn't even have access to a photocopier. The occasional purple splodged letters home were done by the school secretary on a Banda machine. How things have changed in the last 35 years.

When I did get out into the garden I was well wrapped up against the creeping damp as I picked beech leaves out of the heathers. That's quite a satisfying job as the large copper leaves are easy to spot and removing them makes a noticeable difference. The heathers are coming into their own now making a good splash of colour on the hillside. I appreciate them even more when I think how they are growing in pure clay, conditions which would defeat most plants. One thing I did not appreciate today was the incessant clamour from the rooks in the trees overlooking the lake. So far there are 18 nests but if nothing is done to discourage them in a few years there will be hundreds of rooks in those trees. 

It was even foggier/cloudier when I drove up to the road to leave the bin bags for the dustmen. 

Sunny.

Plenty of sun today with a brisk breeze that kept the temperature down except in any sheltered spots. 

My task for today was to cut off the smaller branches from the 2 downed trees. The smaller stuff has been cleared away and there is now a pile of bigger branches on the back patio. If the chainsaw doesn't make an appearance I can at least get out the circular saw and cut them into logs for the wood burner. 

It was a good day for hanging out some washing under the willow tree.