Elevenses !!!!!!

[MaryAnnSingleton]

ah, we can only do 1000, so here's the new one, hope you find it !

O's camp sounds great - hope he had a wonderful time !
No idea how the misunderstanding at school came about - probably nothing too serious,maybe T accidentally banged into this other boy who made a drama out of it ? who knows- but T seems happy and not worried now...I think it's more his perception of doing wrong rather than actually having done something wrong, iyswim.
Nice afternoon at B/stoke..bought T new bathers from Gap and he bought himself the book about the history of Island records. I got 3 for 2 t shirts in the Gap too,bargain !!
Nice food at Wagamama (Wagamama ramen for me and lychee and mango sorbet,boys had chicken katsu thing and various side dishes,including a delicious chilli squid thing...)
Hope cherry tree flourishes (I had a huge one outside my bedroom window as a child and could reach out for cherries). Don't envy you the sports day thing - am so glad that's all behind me !

Oooh, Wagamama sounds nice I love your reports of meals out - I am enjoying the food by proxy if that makes sense...

Dh and E have just gone to collect O. Dh is helping to strike camp so they will be a few hours yet. I can't wait to see O again and find out all about the camp. And then it is the dreaded homework and a bath! (not necessarily in that order )
I have just found out from SIL that BIL and 14 year old nephew are at the same camp as O. BIL runs an Explorer Sscout unit but also does the catering for all the units at most events. At this camp he is catering for O's pack. O will have been delighted to see uncle K and nephew H!!

Right, better go and put straw under my strawberries (lots of fruit starting to grow ) and then I have a huuuuuge pile of ironing [groan]

I too am dreading sportsday - when I volunteered to help I did not realise it would be for 6 hours over 2 days! Am a bit about it - it is a school sports day not trials for the Olympics, does it really require a 3 hour practice??

Good morning

Well, O had a fantastic time. He came home brown with mud, covered in a rash (suncream or prickly heat?) full of beans. He has had a go at archery, rock climbing, army style obstacle course, backwoods cooking, wide games, den building, rope bridge climbing, swinging on ropes over the river (and falling in) campfires with the obligatory songs and much much more.
Absolutely brilliant!
And apparently Knaphill pack were best catered for "we were the only ones who had hotdogs everyone else had sandwiches" thanks to BIL's love for food
They may not be the fastest or cleverest, but they were certainly the best fed

He is exhausted this morning, really dragging. Today is 3 hours of sports day practice and then after school is tennis club - he is going to be worn out!
I am halping at teh sports day for 3 hours [gasp] and then E is having girl M for tea.

Have a nice day!!

Roffle - O has just complained about his cereal because apparently at camp "we had a full cooked breakfast every morning AND eggy bread, all the other packs only had cereal"
Feeling a bit sorry for the other under-catered packs now...

so glad he had a great time !! at fancy catering too.
Am waiting to be picked up for radiotherapy - they want me ready an hour and a half before my appointment time- feeling a bit nervous! 37 lbs is see !

Good luck with your appointment MAS. Is today the marking up? Or also your fist dose?

Just come back from sportsday - it is a chaotic mess, but quite fun Doing it for real on Wednesday....

Am just going to put the washing machine on (first load of wet muddy camping gear) and have some lunch and then my friend K and I are going for a quick swim.

Will be back this afternoon

Hope today goes OK MAS. We're thinking of you

O's camp sounds fab Hippi, and brings back lots of lovely memories. I'm so glad they still get to go to things like that, it's so so good for them and so much fun. I'm feeling really sorry for the other packs too. They must have been smelling bacon cooking and then being faced with Weetabix. Poor things!

Hope T gets on fine at school today, with no more misunderstandings. I, too, can't picture T hitting anyone

We had a really lovely weekend. Village fete Saturday, and we were helping to run the school stall. It was so much fun, very very busy, so hopefully we've made a good amount. B really enjoyed picking up the hoops for us on the Hoopla, so she was happily occupied.

Yesterday we went out for Sunday lunch, which was a treat. Yummy Roast Pork for me, roast belly pork for Dh and scampi for B Then we went to an open studio where they were wood carving and willow weaving, which was fascinating and has given me some ideas for the school sensory garden. When we got home, the little girl from up the road was learning to ride her bike, so B went out to join her and then she and her family came in to play. 2 bottles of wine later, they didn't leave until 9 Was lovely. B is going to be tired for the rest of the week though.

what a lovely sounding weekend Hotcross - sounds perfect !
Hope real sports day goes well hotcross and that the rain doesn't delay it...
appointment was fine -car came to collect me an hour before, one other passenger,a lady from nearby who is on day 8 of radiotherapy for breast cancer - I had to lie on the bed,got x rayed and photographed and measured and marked with pen and 3 pinprick tattoos. I have been given a tube of aqueous cream to use afterwards, no shaving or deo. allowed and plain soap only...waited afterwards for a while as the other lady had to wait her turn (lots of new people starting today and the first 2 sessions are a bit longer) but it was fine, I bought a sandwich and read my book and then we got back in the car and came home.

Hi MAS. Well done - one day down How long did it all take in total? Will it use up a lot of time and will the same other lady be with you each time? Quite nice not being alone I should think. Did they actually do any radiotherapy today, or was it just measuring/preparation? How are you feeling? Sorry, loads of questions you've been on my mind all weekend!

I'm off to pick up B from tennis in a bit. She won the trophy last week, and we forgot to take it to school this morning, so I have to sneak it there before the coach has to choose the next winner. Oops.

ah,thanks hotcross - you are sweet !
It was just preparation today - it will take a whole chunk of the day though as my subsequent appointments are for 1pm, so there's 1 and a half hours before,then waiting for everyone to finish (unless there's just me !) and journey home again. Today I left at 10.30 and got home at about 2.15. - won't see the lady I met today as her appointments are always at 11.30. Bless B and her tennis trophy

Oooh, lovely sounding weekend hotcross
Well done MAS on getting today over and done with. Hopefully you will meet another lovely person on your daily taxi-ride, but take a good book just in case
E has M here for tea. It is going very well, they appear to be getting on very very well And she is absolutely delightful so she can come back anytime!

Bless B and her tennis trophy
O wants to do a summer holiday tennis course, but I cannot find anything locally. Bah humbug! Will keep searching!

Rigth, they have finished their pasta so I will go and clear the table and dispense ice lollies

Hello

Quick pop in just to check everyone's OK! I had Book group this morning, which was lovely, although only 3 out of 6 of us had finished the book It was 'Past Imperfect' by Julian Fellowes, and I quite enjoyed it...

I've been planning for tutoring, and am now off to make B a snack for before ballet. I had a phonecall from her swimming pool yesterday. She's apparently passed grade 2 and is being moved up Fortunately her little friend B is also going up, which I'm pleased about as they spur each other on. She would have been very upset if they were to be split up! Anyway, apparently she'll have 2 swimming lessons this week, and then change to Thursday next week. She'll be on her knees...

hey good for B !!
Am glad book group was good - ours is next week,here..have had no time really to prepare but took part in the webchat on mn this afternoon with the author which was great
T is off on his French day trip (Le Touquet) on Friday - the coach leaves at 7am !!
We went to Le Touquet on my school's day trip - I bought my mum and dad some wooden and ceramic salad servers,which they still have,the ceramic much glued together !

Oh no! I missed the Patrick Gale webchat I really really meant to be around for it, I thought Notes....was fascinating. Will catch up tomorrow.

France How lovely. We didn't do any foreign day trips - I guess St Andrews is a bit far from the channel for a quick hop across! I really hope he has a lovely time and I love that your parents still have the salad servers. Parents can be fab

Hope you've had a good day Hippi.

Hello you two! Am of the French daytrip - sounds great!! And how lovely your parents still ahve teh salad servers!! I love it when parents do that. My parents still have the ceramic toothpick holder I bought them one Christmas with my pocket money when I was 8. Makes me every time I see it.

Well done B with the tennis tropy - she is a star!! I have found a 4 day tennis course for O and his friend S to do in the summer holiday. (only 2 hours per day so nothing too taxing) Will just need to check with friend K if the week suits her and then book the boys on! O will be pleased.
He has also discovered he has a rather unexpected talent for Archery. He did it on his PGL trip and apparently came top of their group, and then he did it again at Walton Firs Cubs Camp, apparently hitting the yellow almost every time
So now he is pestering me for tennis and archery lessons and begging to be allowed to give up drama in return.
What to do? He is good at drama but there is no point carrying it on if his heart is not in it. Am all in a quandry....

Have jsut come back from helping at O's sports day - it was great fun!! I do love that school
O's team of 8 (Chad) came first and his House (Red aka Africa) also came first. So he is delighted!
He is going to his friend H for tea tonight. H's big sister C has just finished her GCSE's at WC and apparently she is goign to be making them a home made pizza and she has prepared some home made ice-cream. O can't wait!!

Right, I need your advice. I have been invited out tonight, just to the pub in Horsell.
It is with a group of mums with children in O's year with whom I don't have much in common with. It is however not a class thing, they are all friends and decided on a night out and invited me along. Three of them I very very much like. Two of them are okay in small doses. Four of them I really cannot stand. One is the mother of the girl who picked on O at the start of the year. She (the mum) keeps making barbed comments to me about O 'stealing the show' at the Christmas play (still, even though it is now June! ) and keeps telling me her dd does not like O. (fine, tell me something I don't know) The other lady is a bit rude and bossy, and the final two are into crystal healing and drone on endlessly about the subject.
So, do I go? I am sooo tempted to stay home, but I keep turning their invitations down and soon they will stop asking me. But to be honest does that bother me - as in a year's time our children will be at secondary and I won't see much of them....

Argh, what would you do, oh wise ones??

hey well done O 's team at sports day and well done hippi for helping out !! And yes, perhaps let O have a go at tennis and archery instead of drama - if he is still keen on drama after a break,it'll surely we something he can return to. And if it was me being invited out but my heart isn't in it I'd say no !! the crystal women sound dreadful (is crap isn;t it,though my best friend believes in such stuff) and the other woman just sounds plain jealous that O is a shining star ! so advice from MAS is not to bother -really, I wouldn't fancy it

I wouldn't go either! TBH, if you're not sure and not keen on many of the people going, then there's no point. Save your nights out for real friends!

Well done O! He must be so pleased I'd let him try other clubs too. My mum forced me to do 2 after-school activities, both of which I hated, was a complete waste of time. If he wants to return to drama, there'll be loads of opportunities.

We're going through a similar thing. B is less keen on her music class this term, and thinks she'd rather learn an instrument instead. That's fine, but she seems quite young to be starting music practice Hippi, didn't you mention there was somewhere dc could go to try different instruments and get some advice???

I don't do the wanky crystal nonsense either BTW! I once had a reflexology session with a very strange woman who did Indian head massage, crystal healing etc. She asked me what my relationship with my mother was like! None of her business Found another very down-to-earth reflexologist and she was fab!

at wanky crystal nonsense !!

Phew - am glad the concensus is to stay home Feel a bit bad about passing up the opportunity to be with the 3 I do really like, but as those 3 mainly mix with the ones I am not too keen on it is hard getting them on their own. But perhaps that is just the way things are.
The 3 I do like all have a ds at Cubs with O so I would still see them through that. One of the ladies I really do like has recently started work F/T so tonight was an opportunity to catch up with her, but if it means sitting with the other lot....

Bah, will make my excuses I think and snuggle up on the sofa with dh

Hotcross, if you go onto the surrey county council website there was a music section. In there I found details for a 'noisy library' where people can touch and try various instruments and talk to music teachers. The last one was in March, but hopefully there will be a date for another one.
E has given up asking for violin lessons now she is doing gymnastics. Tbh at the junior school they do a free lunchtime recorder club. I may just put her in that (if she wants) and she can discover a love / talent for music there (or not as the case may be) adn then take it further accordingly if she wants.

Right, washing machine beeping, back later

can you arrange to go out with the three you like,just as a foursome some other time ? Do you think they realise you feel less comfortable with the others ?

No, the three I like are very very firmly 'attached' to the others. They have always been a big group. I sort of skirt along on the outside (where I am most comfortable)
They would be horrified if they realised I don't feel comfortable with the others and their loyalties would most definately lie with the others.
Not a problem though. Whilst I like them, they are not my closest friends so I can live without them should I ever have to. Also, the 3 of them, their children are best friends. And whilst O is in their class and their Cubs pack, he is not part of their gang. But O is not too bothered, he has his own friends

Anyway, have just come in from gymnastics with E, still need to do dinner, do tomorrow's sandwiches, have a shower etc and I feel a bit headachy (busy day) so I may just sitck with my decision not to go!

Well, after all that agonising I could not go anyway.
O had been for tea at his friend H, H's mum dropped him back (they live within a 3 minute walk) at 6.30 and came in for a cup of tea whilst the boys disappeared onto the trampoline. I really really like H's mum so it was lovely to catch up with her. (H is her youngest, she has one dd at university and one dd who has just finished her GCSE's) She did not leave until gone 7pm at which time dh and I had a quick dinner. Then my sister rang in a panic about issues with the flat she is trying to buy, then O had a nosebleed and required a comeplete bedding change....
So... by the time I got in the shower it was nearly 9pm and I really really wanted to just have a cup of tea and an early night.

I do feel guilty though but never mind

blimey hotcross - I wouldn't give it another thought - you don't want to go,so really don't beat yourself up about it - no reason to feel guilty ! [stern emoticon]

Well done O. Above and beyond the call of duty to have a nosebleed, but perfect timing Did anyone say anything this morning at school???

I'm glad it's not just me who jumps through hoops sometimes about stuff like this. I'm not a born social type, I'd rather spend the evening at home than be forced to talk to people who don't float my boat Tomorrow night, I'm off to a PTA evening which I'm not especially thrilled about. One member winds me up a bit and she's the type who monopolises conversation and people fawn all over her. I don't get it The others going are lovely though, so hopefully it'll be OK.

B starts her new swimming class tonight. She's a little worried about being forced to go in the deep end, but hopefully it wont progress too too fast. At least her little friend will be there too.

Must go and hang the washing out. Bcak later

Have not seen any of them yet apart from mother of the not-so-nice-girl and she did not make eye contact until I said a breezy 'good morning' and then she replied in kind.

Wow - B is going into the deep pool? That is such fast progress!! At Woking they are not allowed in the deep pool until they are 7 I believe. (and E is now in the last level in the teaching pool and is already fretting about moving into the deep pool)
Well done B!!

Have just come in from swimming, am going to have a quick lunch and then E is having little S for tea. Back later