Corin concentrates

on the really important business of trawling eBay to look at motorbikes and motorbike parts.

Meanwhile, I print stuff out ready to laminate for our Open Evening next week. Tomorrow, I have just short of 150 sheets of paper to run through my laminating machine. It's my own fault - I suggested something....I'm now seeing it through, but I do think it will be worth it once it's done.

After the "bad mummy" incident last night and feeling downright horrible, today has actually been a really good day. Taught 5 lessons on the bounce with lots of positives, progress and the added advantage of not being able to be "got" because I was in my classroom.

Came home to find that James had come in and gone straight back out again to his friend's house, but had found the missing coat. I waited with trepidation for his return to find out what he had lost instead and to my delight found out that he had not lost ANYTHING today and had had a brilliant day. Merits all over the place - in French, in English, in Music. He also got a stack yesterday but didn't tell me because "bad mummy" basically didn't give him a chance.

He showed me a fantastic website that they use in French to help them develop vocab then challenged me to see if I could beat his score...he beat me!

We've been out for tea and then spent an hour at his school at an information evening which was actually quite useful, both in terms of James' settling in but also for snaffling ideas for our school. I spoke with James' form tutor who reassured me that James had settled well and that he was a lovely boy, very polite. In a rare moment of clarity for me, I reminded myself that THIS is the important stuff and all the other things will come, in time.

I'm now £175 worse off, having written a cheque to pay for a residential trip to Menai next month. Having run/participated in those trips myself, at the Conway Centre, I know how valuable they are and how much enjoyment the children get from it. James is very keen to go, so there was no question. I did realise though that I have spent upwards of £600 on school related items in the last 3 months. That's OK - we'll continue to support his activities and get by, but for a fleeting moment it made me annoyed that a certain someone is getting away with continued non contribution to James' financial upkeep. It's moments like that that make me think that if/when there is contact, I am really going to lose my cool, despite my best intentions.

Of to bed - the sky is cloudy so I will not, unlike last night at this time, be getting the telescope out and looking at the wonderful spectacle of Jupiter and it's 4 moons. I have to confess that although I was so tired this morning as a result of staying up late to look at it, it was well worth it - "awesome" seems somehow inadequate to describe the wonder of being able to see so far out into our solar system.

I'm better today. Can you tell?

Night peeps - geeks need sleep too.
xx