Camp Day 1

Lucy and I set off to Derbyshire for the girls' camp, first thing on Monday 1st August. After so much planning and thinking about it, I was mainly worried whether or not we would all fit in the site! I had booked a scout camp site all to ourselves, based on numbers of girls attending things in the past, and how many girls go to church. I had thought about 50 people maximum, but we ended up having nearer 70 people! I was so happy and relieved when everyone started arriving at the site, and putting up tents - we all fit on... just!! Our site was a beautiful wooded area (though with not much pitching space), just outside Matlock. 

After everyone was settled, we headed out on a 'little stroll' (The girls won't let me forget that I called it that...it was a pretty decent hike really! Me calling things 'just a little stroll' became a bit of a camp joke.) What beautiful countryside.

Yay!! - all my girlies!

In the evening, we had a camp fire... didn't get to use any of the several million marshmallows I'd bought though because it was such a face-melter!

Packing for Camp...

After the boys had left, Lucy and I had a busy weekend getting everything ready for our church's Young Women Camp, starting on Monday 1st August. Unbelievably, we managed to fit everything I had to take into the car (including 3 tents, a mattress, a trumpet and my fluffy dressing gown - and there were bags of marshmallows stuffed into every conceivable gap...)

Other things in July

July was as busy as usual, with various school trips, Monk day at school (where Tom dressed as a monk, and I went in to help do calligraphy and painting etc.), family trip to the London Temple, helping out with the Friends of the School association BBQ, making posters, quilting class, book clubs, Scott working late with Governors' Meetings, the dentist, a lovely 'Ladies Who Lunch' day trip to Ely (me and group of Mums from the school seem to have created this group!), a couple of parties for the kids, a farewell party for our church friends the Murphys who left to go back to America (Bye-bye Ryann!!!), and other bits and bobs...oh, including planning a camp in Derbyshire for 70 or so people! I felt pretty stressed towards the end of July - mainly because of the camp.

In the last week of July - the first week of the summer holidays, Jack went to summer school at his new secondary school for three days, and Harry and Tom went to a local church-run activity thing every afternoon, called Jump. They all loved it, and had a good, happy week. The picture is of Harry with one of the things he made at Jump. 

On Saturday 30th July, Lucy and I waved goodbye to Scott and the boys, who set off to France, via a couple of nights with Scott's Mum & Dad, Stone Henge, and Longleat Safari Park!

A Walk in the Country

One beautiful evening (24th July), we all went on a walk a few miles from our home. My friend Emma had picked me up one day previously and taken me on the walk - I'd not done it before, but loved the views over the landscape.

Harry and Tom obviously are unable to just walk...

Jack's Last Day of Primary School

Friday 22nd July was Jack's last ever day at Primary school. We'll have no more kids in this school again now. It was also the Head Mistresses last day too. She started there the same year as Lucy did, so it's nice they had that continuation. I went along to the Leaver's Assembly (which actually occurred this year - when it was supposed to be Lucy's Leaver's Assembly, there were huge rain storms and the school flooded, and we all had to be evacuated!) Here is Jack receiving his Yearbook, T-shirt and pen.

Sports Day & A Mad Hatter's Tea Party

Monday 18th July was an interesting day... I spent the afternoon at Harry and Tom's sports day. I was in the noisy 'mums-screaming-like-a-loony' section of the crowd, and it was great for the first time to have no younger children with me that needed entertaining!

The boys had two races each. Harry came first in the running and bean-bag-on-head races, and Tom came 2nd in the running race, and second to last in the sack race!

After sports day we rushed over to Jack's school for a Mad Hatter's Tea Party, which Jack wanted us to go to. Lucy was going to meet us there too. I ended up making a huge mess, because a big container of blackcurrent squash had opened in my bag, and gone all over our picnic, and the school hall floor. After that was cleaned up (with the help of a less than impressed looking teacher), I realised Jack still hadn't turned up.  By the time Lucy arrived, Jack still wasn't there, so I went and searched round the whole school. He wasn't anywhere, so leaving Lucy to look after Tom and Harry, I drove slowly home looking for him - finally found him about 4 houses away from ours. He said he didn't want to go any more, because none of his friends were. I said he jolly well was going after all the trouble we'd been to! It was quite good when we finally got back to school - there was a magician/tricks guy who was pretty funny. What a palava though...

Jack's School Play

On Wednesday 13th July, Jack performed in his school play, Alice in Wonderland. Jack was very good as the Mad Hatter! (Type-casting!) He's really enjoyed all the rehearsals, and isn't at all shy in his acting.