It's a lovely sunny day. Unusually for a Friday everything went smoothly this morning. J got up in cheerful mood, finished homework without complaint (although he insisted a device for measuring temperature is spelt 'thermometre') & I made him scrambled egg. We left early, in time to call in at village shop to find they hadn't got any wholemeal bread. Tim was almost ready when we got to his house & I got them both to school in good time for gym trail. Since then I've done 2 loads of washing, tidied up a little, sent an email & typed half of prayer bulletin.
After school yesterday we went into town & got J's hair cut. It's now ever so short! Bit disconcerting in barbers as all staff Spanish so talking in foreign language & I kept thinking 'What are they saying about us?' J just sat & scowled in silence like he does at hairdressers but they gave him a lolly which cheered him up. Then we went to Waterstone's & managed to get him a book by Bear Grylls which he wanted. He's just devouring books at the moment which is good I suppose.
I've been reading a book by Fiona Castle called 'No Flowers... just lots of joy' which is very moving. It's about her marriage to Roy & his illness & death & how she managed afterwards. I've got a couple of copies for the church library along with some other books. Being church librarian is such a doddle, I love reading & buying books. I might write a couple of book reviews for the magazine. Or should I tidy out a kitchen cupboard instead?

I keep thinking there must be loads of things that have happened over the last week or so but I can't remember them. Old age!
To update you on the ant situation, they started getting everywhere, all over the worktop & everywhere which was horrible but prompted us to be really clean & tidy (for a while). Then last week when P was bringing the paper recycling sack back in after the bin men had been he realised it was crawling with ants. So that's how they've been getting in - we've been bringing them in! So this week there's been no ants at all which is good, especially as I really don't like having to kill them.
I am actually trying to have a major tidy-up as there are several birthdays coming up, especially P's Dad who is soon going to have a very significant birthday. Really hoping P's brother & his wife will come, maybe a couple of his carers as well. I don't think he wants a huge fuss though.
The problem with so many birthdays so close together is it means lots & lots of cake & I've just got back into the healthy eating scene after a major lapse over Easter. P is really supporting me in this - he arrived home from Somerfield last night with a cherry pie, chocolate mousse & a box of chocolate brownies!

Hi I'm back. Not been blogging as a) couldn't manage to sign in last time I tried & b) not been well largely due to side effects from osteoporosis drug. Saw doctor this morning & he said the fact that tablets were giving me a sore throat was potentially serious so 'Perhaps we need to try a more expensive drug' so I'm trying another which I take once a month instead of once a week & we'll see what happens.

On Saturday J hurt his leg on trampoline, think it's just a strained muscle. Wrote letter to teacher asking if he could stay in at playtime then when he tried to stay in at lunchtime as well she shouted at him. Not very happy about this but P had a governor's meeting with acting head that evening so had a bit of a word.

My brother popped in for a visit on Friday evening which was nice. His mother in law had been with them for Easter & he'd just taken her back. He says she's doing well.

Since I've been to healing service I haven't had the really horrible feeling in my head I've been having. Just sort of waiting to see how it goes, really.

Have signed up with an online/telephone tutor service mainly to help J with homework although they also do tests to monitor his progress. Tonight was the first night, the problem was though that the phone lines are open from 4 - 7 & he didn't start his homework until about 6.40 so I think we need to start earlier in future. He said they were nice & helpful when he phoned though.

P, Digger, runner beans, tomatoes, strawberries & aubergines all doing well.

What a lovely sunny day we're having! Just like the middle of summer!
J didn't have a good start with new teacher. She told him off for not paying attention in Maths & he was most indignant as it's 'the third time we've done percentages and I understood it the first time so how am I supposed to just sit there and listen?' I think I'm going to have to write her a note as if a child has been diagnosed as having ADD I don't think it's ok to tell him off for not paying attention. Sadly we're stuck with our present education system which means the children are spending nearly all their time revising for their SATs rather than being able to learn something interesting & challenging. If anyone from the government reads this SATS ARE STUPID OK!!! Children, teachers & parents all hate them. They are ruining children's education. Well that's my opinion anyway.
He brought home a letter last night saying he was going on a trip today & needed to be at school at 8.40 wearing casual clothes. All his casual trousers were on the line but managed to dry out his trackies on the electric airer. Bad traffic jam this morning but got him there just on time. Rushed home to get ready for house group which was at Lucy's house which is lovely. Really is like something from Ideal Home Show. She has a huge dining room in which you feel you should be having a medieval banquet or something. Only 4 of us there & had a good time but did spend most of time chatting. I led the worship bit which went ok. I'm not stressing out so much about the group, the other people are all really nice & I do enjoy their company.
There's more I wanted to write about but must rush, things to do before school.

Hello it's me, finally able to get hold of the laptop again, ie J gone back to school & P gone back to work. Wasn't sure if J would go back today as he has a very bad cold & ear ache. Was hoping he would as church was running an Alpha breakfast this morning & Louise had said she'd come. Anyway J got up ok & put on his uniform although there were a few outbursts of 'Do I have to go to school?'He's quite worried as his teacher is now the acting headteacher so he's got a different teacher for this term who's reputed to be a bit strict. I wrote a note to her explaining he wasn't very well & couldn't hear properly so hopefully he won't get told off for not being able to hear what she says.
Getting ready for school was quite organised as I'd got most of J's stuff together the night before. Thankfully I'd realised on Saturday that I'd been mistaken in assuming that empty PE bag + empty laundry bin = washed PE kit. What it actually = was PE kit crumpled at bottom of school bag. As it was nice & sunny though I got it washed on time.
I phoned Louise to check she could come to the breakfast & she couldn't cos she's got the cold as well. In fact she sounded quite bad. Have horrible feeling that J might have given it to her as he stayed there most of Monday & Tuesday.
The reason he was staying there was that P & I went to a healing service near Eastbourne. We set off in the rain wearing our winter clothes & got there to find bright sunshine & everyone in summer gear. I felt a bit silly in my boots.
It was quite nice to go away, just the two of us & I think it was the first night we've had away without J since he was born. I'll tell you about healing service in next post but something really strange happened on Beachy Head. We parked the car & P pushed me along the cliff edge & the scenery was absolutely amazing. The really sad thing was though that at one place near the top there were all these little crosses & bunches of flowers.
Anyway P had pushed me further than he intended & wasn't too keen on pushing me all the way back as the ground was quite rough so he left me looking out to sea & went to get the car. It should only have taken him 5 or 10 minutes biut he was ages so I was wondering if the car wouldn't start or something. Then he phoned & said he'd been busy talking. Turned out as he set off he bumped into someone he used to work with years ago who has a 2nd house in Eastbourne. Then as he was walking on he heard someone calling & it was someone who used to come to church whom we hadn't seen for about 15 years & who now lives in Eastbourne. Amazing or what?!!

Haven't been able to write anything for a few days as been busy, busy, busy but here's a quick update:

• We spent Maundy Thursday at Old Warden air museum. I think P could look at old aeroplanes for ever ('just look at those struts!') but after 3 hours J & I had definitely had enough & retreated to the restaurant to eat cake. They also have a bird of prey centre & we watched 2 displays which J absolutely loved. It was good but I found it a bit disconcerting when a hawk pulled the head off a chick right in front of me then sprayed me with feathers.

• In the evening P & I went to the Maundy Thursday supper & communion while J was at Tim's. Supper was really good, succumbed to temptation to have second helping of pavlova.

• Good Friday service quite short & simple but still moving. In the afternoon spent an hour in prayer room while P took J for a walk. I was really looking forward to just sitting quietly but the person who was there with me kept chatting. Trouble is she's quite a lonely person so just enjoyed chance to get out. When she saw I was down to do 2 hours on Saturday she said she'd like to come too. I spent most of the time on Saturday writing out prayers on post-its to put on the wall. I also did a painting of the empty tomb with a hill with 3 crosses in the background. I think my effort could be generally said to be pathetic. On Sunday P did a painting of exactly the same scene which was about 200 times better. We had quite a few people turn up for the prayer rooms, considering some people had families visiting & others were away.

• About 15 of us turned up for breakfast at 8.30 on Easter Sunday. I just had fruit but there was cereal, croissants & toast as well. There was a very nice atmosphere but it seemed a bit of a wait until the service at 10.30. I felt I had to sit at the front as the church has been rearranged - they've lowered the platform so the musicians go on there now & in front of them are several rows of chairs for children, To the side at the front they've put chairs for disabled people so I felt I'd better sit there. I'm not used to being right at the front, I felt I had to keep looking really interested during the sermon. It also became apparent that having the children alone at the front away from the supervision of their parents could have certain disadvantages. It was a nice lively service anyway. By the end of the day I was tired out which was a shame as P's Dad came over for dinner & I was struggling to keep awake. Still I think he enjoyed it. J really enjoyed his Easter eggs as well, so did I actually. P had made a simnel cake but I just didn't have room for any.
  

On Wednesday I went to the coffee morning & also P & I helped set up the prayer rooms. I'd spent ages on Monday typing out verses from the Bible & P had made a cross, nails & crown of thorns on Wednesday morning. P laid the cross on some purple cloth which Linda had brought & we arranged some simple verses from Psalm 22 round it. I think it looked pretty effective when we'd finished. We put up a poster of Isaiah 53 on the wall & also some verses about hope & fear as somebody had put up some sheets on which to write our hopes & fears. Also we put up 'the great commission' from Matthew's gospel to read on the way out. Mavis also made a little Easter garden as well.
In the other room some others put up displays about various charities we support & a map showing the whereabouts of some of the people we support abroad.
I think it all looks good, I just hope a lot of people come to it, so far not many have signed up.
I'd better go now, J is begging to use the computer & I need to do some tidying.