It'll feel better in the morning

... or maybe not. My girl is dealing with a massive disappointment and hurt this week, by people who truly should know better. And it makes my heart ache to see it. But I'm so proud of her for how she's handling it. There was even an expertly timed, skillfully executed moment of quick witted sarcasm by her later in the day about it. She's sad though. And we've some decisions to make off the back of it all.

That aside, she's had some really good moments in the day too. She did a brilliant hour of clarinet practise. She's got some lovely Mozart duets to work on that she is already making good progress with. Her "ensemble" at music school this term is a duet and I think it will give Katie more opportunity to shine than she's currently experiencing in her bands. Her substitute clarinet teacher gave her Hedwigs Theme which had a lovely section she'd not had in the piano version so she also spent time carefully getting that right this morning. She has a concert on Saturday. It's her first "proper" concert in which she's playing two solos and where family & friends are coming to see her - several who've not heard her before. She is playing her NCO audition pieces, it's the first public outing for one of them, so lots of careful practise of those pieces too.

We made it to school on time by the skin of our teeth. She said she really enjoyed Christian club at lunchtime today and she was also super excited that she's the first person in the year to get their third pen tracker.... two more until the license is hers. I don't have the heart to tell her that as a leftie, she'll soon grow to hate the hideous school handwriting pens. That it will leave her work smudged and her hand covered in ink. That the biro is the most wonderful piece of left hand technology available but not approved for use in primary schools!

I met her from school with Monkey and a huge crunchie which softened a bit of the blow of today. Piano time did her good when we got home before we headed out to ballet. She was a happy girl as tonight she got to dance in her character shoes and skirt for the first time. Her teacher has told them she's watching out for children to put forward for a Northern Ballet project so she's quite excited about that too.

This kid makes me so proud. She puts her all into every single day and is relentless in her fight to not be pushed down. She could quite easily roll over and mope bitterly today. Many a grown adult would have. But she's picking herself up and getting on with working her little butt off. I love this kid.