Half-Term Holiday etc.

We had quite a quiet week for the Half-Term holiday - we didn't really leave the house! It was great!

Tuesday 17th February was Pancake Day, so we made pancakes for tea...

I like having fruit pancakes (like Granny Flinn used to make), with apple, banana, and orange (plus whipped cream and warmed up syrup!)

On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, I spent the mornings painting the cabin (it seems like it will need about FOUR coats of paint!!), and Lucy and Tom helped at various times too. I would then go on a 3k run on the treadmill. The kids did quite a bit of running too in the holidays, and Tom and Harry spent hours on the trampoline (as well as the X-Box!)

We didn't really hear much from Jack up in Yorkshire with John and Hannah, but this picture appeared on Facebook one day!!

On Thursday night I ended up going out to the Chapel to have my Temple Recommend interview with President Clayton. He'd scheduled a long appointment, so we could also have a talk about my calling and how I'm doing. I was grateful for it, and we had a really good talk. Scott had had to work late, but came just as I was finishing with President Clayton, for his Recommend interview too. President Hirst was up at the Chapel as well, so we talked for ages too.

On Saturday 21st February, I spent some of the day preparing a Young Women lesson for the next day. Harry got taken to the Ramsey Pantomime in the afternoon, with Henry Wakefield.

On Sunday 22nd, we went to church in the afternoon, for Northampton Ward Conference. I had a meeting with the new Young Womens Presidency, then taught my lesson, which didn't really go anything like how I planned, but still went well I think. Afterwards we had a meeting of the Ward Council and Stake Presidency. 

The whole family came to Northampton, because the Hirsts had invited us to dinner afterwards. We had a lovely meal, and the kids all just went off and played while the adults chatted.

We left in time to go and collect Jack from Peterborough station at 9.15pm. I was really happy to have him back again!

Jack had had a really good week, going to a Stake Youth Fireside, Youth, a Stake swimming gala (he didn't compete, but did loads of diving, including off the 5 metre board), doing computer drawings, tiling a roof, going to some big indoor water place with flumes and stuff, and babysitting the twins and Asher while John and Hannah went to the cinema. I asked him what he had learnt (as well as the actual work experience) and he said in particular that he doesn't need screens. (Yay!!)

On Monday morning (23rd February), I went visiting teaching to Becki Cain in the morning, then went to Harry's school after lunch to pick up Harry, Oliver and Holly (from his class), to take them to a technology afternoon at Lucy, Jack and Tom's school. I stayed with them for the afternoon, and they had a lovely time! There were three kids there from each of the local primary schools, including Ethan Cryer.

The technology teacher was Mr. Austin - Tom's form tutor. He was really good with the kids, as were some boys from Jack's year who were also helping out. The kids all made a metal paper weight thing, which they had to drill, file, smooth off, punch with numbers, make a screw thread, and assemble.

Here's Harry operating the metal drill.

I also had a really good chat with one of the Deputy Heads who had dropped by. She recognised me as having other kids in the school, and we talked a bit about Scott's job (her competitor!), and marketing etc, plus about travelling. She seemed keen to join us on our travels!
It was a great afternoon anyway, and I dropped the kids back at school in time for home time.

On Monday evening, I went back to the school again for Lucy's Parents' Evening. I met with all but one of her teachers. They all like her and think she is working well. We had some discussion about odd bits that she needs to work on to improve her grades. On the whole, I'm pretty impressed with the teachers. I feel so sorry for Lucy having all the A/S Level stress to deal with now for the rest of the year.
She is doing English (working at an A/B), History (fluctuating between A/C), Politics (working at an A) and Biology (working at C/B). She's thinking she will probably drop the English after the A/S's.

On Tuesday 24th February, I picked up Tom from school in the morning, and we went to Peterborough for another Orthodontist appointment. He was missing one of the blue rubber bands between his teeth, which he thinks he swallowed the day before!
This time they glued metal bands to his upper back molars, and attached a kind of bar between them. They gave me letter to give to our Dentist, who now needs to pull out two of Tom's top molars. This will give all his crowded teeth room to grow and spread out a bit, then he has to go back to the Orthodontist in about 9 months.
I dropped the letter off at the Dentist's on the way to taking Tom back to school, and they rang me later in the afternoon and made an appointment to have Tom's teeth pulled out tomorrow (Thursday 26th).
Jack had an after-school detention (for forgetting one of his books on Monday!) and then we went up to church for Seminary, Activity Night and Youth.
Also yesterday, I had a nice email from a lady I don't know:
''I see your Stamps of Life cards and think that you make the best cards of the whole design team!  They are so creative and simply make me happy!  Because of that, I want to thank you!  God bless you!!''

Today (Wednesday 25th February), I made some cookies and gift boxes in the morning (after giving Donna some job interview practise in her car after she dropped me home from school. She had an interview for an administrative job later in the morning, but wasn't all that bothered about getting it!)
I then went to Visiting Teach three ladies over in March (who the cookies were for.)

This afternoon, we had a Tesco delivery (which I did online at about 11.30pm last night!), Lucy's friend Georgia came over and stayed for dinner, our Home Teachers came over, and Scott and Jack went Home Teaching in March.