Thursday evening

A very strange thing happened this morning. I tried to send a message and it wouldn't go. After that I couldn't access my dashboard at all, although I could at school. I couldn't again this evening, going the usual route through 'my account'. But I opened another blog (not one of mine), clicked on 'log in' and it brought me straight to my dashboard (without logging in) Very weird indeed. I have no idea what's up. No idea at all!

Anyway, I got loads done today. The school was closed because of staff industrial action but a few teachers and other staff were in. I was well pleased with the amount of work we got done. Assessments, a very important piece of paperwork, a lot of sorting out and three practice sessions on the piano. I think it's getting better slowly now - I can get to the end of most of the music without breaking down. Fingers crossed (but not while I'm playing)!

Wednesday evening

It's turned out a bit warm at times today but it's now chilled nicely and I'm starting to feel sleepy.

Today has been just One Of Those Days. L and I suddenly realised that we hadn't done the run offs for the speed races on Sports Day, nor had we done the long jump to find the 'best' boy and girl in the year. As a result, all morning was spent getting that sorted, thankfully in cool, fresh conditions. The afternoon was library and PPA and then K very kindly read them a story so I could continue with sports day preparations. Goodness, I am going to miss her so much next year!!!

As for the Wizard of Oz, we had a run through all the songs this morning and it wasn't so bad really. Monday is the first full run through - that will be the real test! I have the songs going round and round in my head. There's some very naff words.
Ha ha ha
Ho ho ho
And a couple of tra la las
. . . it's driving me crazy right now!
Absolutely crazy!!!

Wednesday morning

Thank goodness for a good night's sleep. After the muggy heat of the last few days the temperature dropped considerably and it was jolly nice to be sleeping snuggled under the quilt again. This morning is fresh and sunny and, at the moment, it's just perfect.

We took it very gently yesterday. Only three of my littlies owned up to sleeping well on Monday night and one of them said that they had slept downstairs all night because the bedroom was just too hot. There were a lot of weary eyed children in the school and gentle and slow was the best way to go. On top of the muggy weather they are, of course, slowing down at the end of the school year anyway.

As the afternoon progressed it got blacker and blacker outside (one Foundation Stage child said 'is it bedtime'?) and when they went out for afternoon play I stayed out as well, in the expectation that we might need to get them all in quickly, and so it proved to be. Firstly some HUGE drops of rain ('the playground has got measles, Mrs Clark') and then, suddenly, down it came. It's about fifty or sixty metres from the top playground to the school and in that short distance we got soaked! I've never heard the like of the squeals and shrieks that they uttered as they ran for shelter! And it kept up for quite a while afterwards, lowering the temperature and the humidity very quickly indeed so everyone started to feel better. Damp - but better!

Rehearsals go on apace. It's looking increasingly as if I might have to play for the actual show. Yesterday I had a very quick run through with the young lady playing 'Dorothy' on her big number, Over the Rainbow. My goodness, that girl can sing! It was stunning. I also managed to write an adapted version of 'If I only had a . . .' in D major, which I can actually play! Cheats 'r' us, that's me!!

And now I'd better get dressed and off to school for more piano practice!

Tuesday morning

The heart of the sun.
Mediterranean diet, here I come. Loada fresh tomatoes . . . (I hope)

A single, solitary, late honeysuckle flower.

No storm. No rain overnight. Even with two fans blowing it was pretty hot in the bedroom and I slept on top of the covers for the first time this year. I hate to think what the children will be like - I slept very fitfully because of the heat and I suspect some of them will have found it uncomfortable too. Slow and steady worked yesterday and I think it will be necessary again today.

As there was no rain overnight I popped out early to give the pots a good soaking and I couldn't believe what happened. It started raining. Just a few spots but big, big ones. Of course, it started just as I was finishing and as soon as I went inside it stopped! Classic. However, maybe it is a sign of things to come and there will be more, to soak the raised beds thoroughly. Certainly the sun has gone in and the clouds are gathering. It actually feel very pleasant right at the moment but it's early and promises to be hot again later on, without any cooling rain.

Today, being Tuesday, is PPA and KS coordinator time. I've managed to keep my coordinator time intact but PPA is somewhat fragmented, what with Infant singing and then a Junior song practice for their show. Never mind, it's all good fun (!) and, with only two weeks to go, time is becoming pretty precious! I must get into school early and practice myself.
Come out, come out, wherever you are . . .

Photos: As always, from the garden. I must get out and about a bit more!

Monday evening . . .

. . . and it's been the most sweltering day I can remember for a very long time. We started off with an unplanned lesson on 'sun safety' which revealed that every child had brought in some water (good) but that there was a sad shortage of hats and sun block (not so good), resulting in a notice on all the Infant bay windows.

After violins (baking hot in the hall) and assembly (even more baking hot in the same hall) I had a bit of respite until after playtime when it was a junior singing practise where I found myself in great demand as the only available pianist, Eric Morcambe to the contrary notwithstanding (and Mrs K Wales would know where that came from)!!! And the hall was - er - double baking hot despite the fans!

In the afternoon they amazed me. They produced some lovely writing, virtually unaided, which made me realise that the levelling I did last month and as reported in the annual reports is, in some cases, just a tad out of date.

I had to laugh in a sympathetic way. At the end of playtimes, my children all line up by sitting on a low wall just outside the bay. They're now very good at sitting and waiting. Today was no exception. The whole kit and caboodle sat on the wall to await the invite to come in and it was only when we were all sitting down and talking that I realised that the wall was so hot they had hurt their little sit-upons a bit. Bless them, I have now given them permission to stand by the wall if it's too hot as well as if it's too wet.

And also, radical me, I let them take off their ties and let their shirts hang lose. ALL DAY! For a golden oldie teacher that's mega-huge, believe me!

And will we get the thunderstorms forecast overnight? We will see! Fingers crossed.

Monday morning

Good start - I've just posted a blank entry! At least I noticed that I had. It's a beautiful morning, fresh and very sunny. That means it's going to be very hot later on and I'm not taking any chances with hay fever so the pills get popped with breakfast.

It's an ordinary Monday and I don't think I will be out of class, which is nice. There's violins, literacy, maths, theme (geography based) and music. All properly planned and, hopefully, enjoyable too. It should be our family assembly this week but as we had to swap with Y6, that's also off my mind now until the middle of November.

Photos: the crocosmia(s)

Sunday evening

This is the first flowering of a trailing geranium which has loads of buds and promises to look absolutely gorgeous in a week or so. The crocosmias (is that a correct plural?) have shot up and have loads and loads of buds, the first of which are just starting to open. Those tall, slender leaves also add a good height and shape to the bed. The lupins are growing apace but it only takes one night for the slugs to rally. Yesterday George went over the beds with a spot of weeding, resulting in the slug pellets being buried. Today I noticed the lupins had been got at overnight so I've fought back! I fear I will never be an organic gardener though! And I must remember to harvest the lavender this week. Oh, and there are just a few mini, titchy, weeny tomatoes! Yay!!! Sometimes (often) I love my garden and having George once a week to support has made such a difference. Thank you, George, very much indeed - you really do make a difference.

DD came over with a gift. She had dug up the fruits of a potato plant and presented the results to me. They look and smell wonderful and I am so looking forward to eating a few tomorrow, boiled with mint (yes, I haven't killed the mint yet) with melting butter and a sprinkle of Maldon sea salt (only the best here, you know). And more the next day, and the next . . . Thank you so much, DD - love you!

Apart from all that, hasn't it been a glorious day? Hot enough to want to remain in the shade, but no humidity worth speaking of and, surprisingly, no hay fever hassles either. The fan has earned its space and I am hoping the measures I have taken in my bedroom will ensure that it's not too sweltering by the time I go to bed. May we all sleep well tonight.