pfb -in fact only child - off to secondary on Thursday...

The lecture was fab: I understood more of it than the previous one we went to! There were only about 4 U16s there, and most were retired engineers by the look of things.

ds1 asked an obscure question about gravitons, which I didn't understand, but the speaker got quite excited about

Oh that sounds OK then MAS. He'll be able to have a chilled, relaxing Sunday!

key day sounds like ds' school's focus day...don't know what he'll be doing - I like the sound of the Am I a Sheep !
They'll be back sometime after 6pm on Saturday so time to recover - it really is a very short trip.

I'm sure he'll have a great time. Are they back on Sunday? Then back at school Monday? They'll be shattered

ds1 has a "Key Day" tomorrow on Opening Minds - he's just thrilled because he gets to miss PE, which he's still not enjoying!

His timetable is:

• Team Building Activities
• Who am I? I am a sheep?
• Understanding and coping with my emotions

-weekend weather looks fine too

He will have a fantastic time MAS - just be prepared for all the dirty gear that is going to come back!

! glad he enjoyed it roisin Lecture sounds good too !
Ds off tomorrow at 11 (Marchant's Hill PGL place) so into school at usual time with all his kit - feel a bit wibbly about it, but ds seems fine so far ! am going to pack his bag with him this evening.

Bribery and corruption can work wonders!

I think he should be fine. He was still in bed with the light off at 9pm as usual, though possibly not as 'wound down' as usual!

He's up-to-date on homework too because he wants me to take him to a lecture about CERN/LHC tomorrow evening

Well done roisins DS. Is he going to be tired tomorrow morning?

ds1 safely home, he enjoyed performing. But it was part of a big event and there were lots of speeches, including a "very boring accountant". Apparently the yr7s were good but MrG had to tell the yr10s/11s to be quiet several times.

Promises of chocolate rewards tomorrow break for those who turned out today and maybe Lazerzone tickets for people who did today's and do next week's concert too.

So that's how they manage to get a 50-strong boys' choir in a state secondary: bribery and corruption

I think it is this weekend magenta.

Hope he got home ok Roisin.

MAS is it this weekend your DS is on his bonding trip?

oh well done both boys

The pasta bake actually looks and smells lovely - he has had two helpings (not bad to say he did not think he would like it!)

ds1 is doing his first concert tonight with the boys' choir. He gets back to school c.8pm, so won't be home til much later - depending on whether he can scrounge a lift with someone or whether he has to wait for the bus.

He was quite nervous this morning: I hope he's enjoyed himself.

Well done your DS Bellavita!

DS came home with a Student of the Week certificate for his efforts helping out at the open evening last Thursday.

He has brought his pasta bake home and I asked him if he wanted that for tea or the roast dinner that we are having. His reply was "well what if I don't like it?" I told him that was fine and there was enough dinner for him to have if that was the case, but he is not so keen on having that either

great about your dd magenta - good for her !

Magentadreamer - that's great! ds1 is like that too: there seems to be a real sense of achievement in his school and it's "cool to be clever" and work hard and do your best.

I think the major difference to our school is we have vertical forms and actively encourage yr7s to get to know older pupils, who - given the nature of our school - are often a negative rather than a positive influence! And the tiny yr7s quickly pick up the teenage/hormonal attitudes towards school/teachers/homework/wearing your tie scruffily, etc.

• going to bed now, night night

Oh and she couldn't possible talk to a boy cos they're all just sooooooooooo annoying - I'm hoping she'll carry on thinking that for years to save on all the teen angst she'll go throw when she discovers that not all of them are annoying...

It's probably a phase she's going throw and stroppy pre teen girl will kick in next week...

Gosh magenta - can you send her over here to speak to DS? He is beginning to be soooooo moody

Erk@Ski trips to the States! Thanfully DD's school takes them to Germany so I'll only have to sell the one kidney to afford that!

The turn around in DD since she started High School has been amazing. Tonight she was saying she needs to revise for her Maths test next week as she really wants to be in the Top set and not no2 set! Last year she would have sooner pulled her toe nails out then admit she wanted to revise. She switched off so much in Yr6 I was really worried about her. Now she can't wait to tell me all about her day, what she did in this lesson and that one before I got can't remember if I asked her!