Thursday's Activities

Another aborted attempt to learn to knit! Jack feels this photo deserves a funny face.

Thursday
The kids went to art. For Jack this involves lots of eye-rolling as the elderly teacher is not awfully gifted in the teaching dept, or in the talking to kids dept either. ('No, don't do it like that! That looks rubbish.') But he is putting up with it until the end of term. I told the lady we wouldn't be continuing after Christmas and she looked rather relieved. She is much more comfortable teaching adults! Having said that, Grace did a really good pastel landscape yesterday!

While our kids were at art, W and I scrubbed the kitchen. Unfortunately, it wasn't *my* kitchen (which could use it) or even W's (which is pretty spotless). It was J's, the friend who has left for the US. Her husband is staying in Oxford for another few weeks in order to defend his thesis, before taking up his new job at the Pentagon. Their furniture has been shipped and so W and I helped to clean the house they were renting. We certainly made a lot of spiders homeless!

This reminded me of the *panic* my mother used to get into about cleaning the houses we left when we were in the RAF. Someone always came to inspect the house and woe betide you if you did not leave it sparkling! Fortunately, this rented house did not have to meet the same military standards! Leaving a house, I seem to remember, was called a 'march out' but I don't remember doing any marching.

I tried to spend the afternoon working on my books business but interruptions came thick and fast. Jack, my Chief Interrupter, cannot seem to hold onto ideas until a more convenient time, but always needs to tell me *now*! The phone rang all afternoon too and a carpenter came to give us an estimate for some work that needs doing to the exterior of the house. :gasp:! Don't know where THAT money will be coming from!

It was a strange evening. Both kids were out gallavanting. Jamie sat in the corner of the living room with headphones on, playing various instruments, laying down tracks to use in an EQ workshop for the sound guys at church. Did you understand any of that? Good for you!

The cat was in a weird mood and kept crying for something, attacking my knitting , jumping into boxes and baskets and leaping onto piles of books. Oh, those piles of books. I had hoped to get my new lists out today, but just couldn't get the work done earlier in the week. Now we have a busy weekend ahead so it is looking like Monday at the earliest!

I want to get cracking on those Tudors again today and then get the house ready for visitors tonight. Some of the worship team are coming over to practice for Sunday's service. I also need to fit in a rehearsal for myself this afternoon, so I don't embarrass the kids when I sing tonight!

Oh, let's face it, I am going to embarrass the kids no matter what I do, if it involves doing it in public! I may as well make it spectacular.