Over the past week we have . . .

Made a toy to her own design and entirely by herself with me not seeing the bunny until it was finished (Design and Technology). Made from recycled fabric and stuffing she then asked me to take this photograph to submit it for a Blue Peter entry. The entry she managed by herself and looked up the criteria on the website by herself (IT), wrote by hand her evidence (writing) and packaged up photos and paper, sealing the envelope also by herself so neither M nor I saw what she's written. I'm a bit worried she's not covered off all the criteria she should have done.



Been delighted to get an airdry clay pig, created especially for Chloe and carefully painted for Chloe by her friends over the summer. She reflected on how lucky she is to have so many lovely friends. I echoed that sentiment on my own behalf.




We've been to Latinetc for Latin, Music Theory and Science. Due to it being half term, everyone had time to go into the playing field for parachute games (in French!) with much laughter:



We spent a very enjoyable afternoon into early evening at new friends trialling the Big Bubble kit I'd bought for camp. I had intended to trial it at Latinetc but it turned out it needed washing up liquid and the environmentally friendly stuff just doesn't give good bubbles. Was relieved to find it works with earth destroying Fairy. Now I need to purchase more Glycerine as they only provide enough in the pack for one use :-(.



She cried in the car about Music Theory as she didn't understand it. She was fixated on the staves being strings (as in guitar tabs the lines represent the guitar strings). I promised to help her the next day, but remembered when dropping her off at AL's house, so delegated and AL's mum kindly helped explain the treble clef. When I got home she did her homework, getting the bass clef words wrong (finding the words in the music), so revisited her understanding getting her to write on the keys of her kiddie keyboard and now she loves Music Theory!



C and Rubes enjoyed an hour long snorkelling session at our local pool. I grumbled to Beccy about the state of the pool. The passageway exiting the ladies changing rooms has had the drain gaffer taped since the beginning of term, which is an improvement as when it hadn't been gaffer taped it was an accident waiting to happen as if you stepped on the drain it skedadled away leaving sharp tile edges exposed. They spent millions refurbing the reception area but nothing was spent where I think it really needs it - the drains and the changing rooms. One of the advantages of switching her swimming to mornings is that it is cleaner and hasn't yet acquired that ammonia smell from people letting their kids urinate on the floor. C&I always wear flip flops.

Photo evidence. Will see if it is repaired before Christmas.



After snorkelling, Rubes came back to ours and they spent the entire day sewing. Ruby made bride and groom outfits with a bridesmaid outfit too. C is unable to smile because she cut her lip with her own fingernail (side effect of having guitar as your instrument - long fingernails on your right hand) when getting changed at the pool.



She went dressed up as a pumpkin to a bonfire party at Beccy's. Marcus made the pumpkin soup. It was delicious but led to a stupid argument when I said I couldn't cook and carve the same pumpkin as getting hte flesh out is too difficult. M said I could - he has a recipe where you scrape the pumpkin and make the soup, putting it back into the pumkin as a tureen. He hasn't actually made that though. Roll on next year. We usually hide in our back room from all the scary trick or treaters. Has to be said I don't like Halloween at all and would happily abolish it, or rename it Pumpkin Night, which is the only pleasurable part about it.

Outfit, of course, was too itchy;



So she opted for thermals underneath, which, given it was an outside party, was just as well:



She rediscovered a ceramic pumpkin mask she'd made last year;



We have also been to a Ceilidh which was lots of fun but meant the next day I rested up in bed until 5:30pm so as to be mobile enough to drive. I had strained my back painting the windows the weekend before and the dancing proved to be inadvisable (though lots of fun at the time). Beccy has lent me some magnets that are held under clothing. She says they help. I will try them but they require granny knickers (the magnets velcro inside the top band) that I don't possess (so you all know far more about my choice of underwear than you ever thought you would or should!). So I need to go on a big knicker purchasing trip.

Sunday again I was careful all day as I needed to go out in the evening. Being in pain puts me in such ill humour. I was very horrible to M as he was drifting through the day not doing anything productive and I was frustrated by not being able to do anything myself. The house is a state and I had been assured a man was coming to do skirting boards in the bedroom, so I thought M could use the rainy, stay at home Sunday to move the bed. He questioned the sense of doing it now when he hasn't got a date for the skirting board man, I wanted it done as there is a lot of other furniture to shift and other things need doing in there too that will be easier with the room empty (eg rescuing my heart pendant that flew down under the floorboards via the space that would be blocked by skirting boards had we any). I got upset (possibly hormonal as well as in pain, we'll see) realising that the agreement with the skirting board man perhaps wasn't as agreed as I'd been led to understand. For example the radiator cover - I'd said to M I wanted a brass radiator cover infill, not the mdf ones. He'd said at that time he'd clarify that with the carpenter as he hadn't stated brass. It transpired he didn't say radiator cover at all. I hate being lied to or deliberately misled and got very upset and said I just wanted a nice house and if I had my own I could just get it nice the way I wanted, to which he responded that I could get a job and buy my own house. I don't think retelling the rest of the exchange would do either of us any favours, me the least. I lost it somewhat and got personal :-(.

The bed has now been moved.

I still don't feel happy as I've achieved what I wanted by having a total uncontrollable breakdown and I wish he'd just want to push forward on these things as I do. He doesn't even notice it all.

In any event, the bed will now stay there as when the bedroom is finally done, I am getting a new bed - a two singles together type as I think I'll sleep better on my own mattress than sharing a mattress with him. If I sleep better perhaps my mood will improve. It's worth a try eh?