Wednesday

. . . and it's very damp and foggy outside, at least it was when I looked half an hour ago.  It's expected to start raining at some point and I gather that there's a lot coming over.  As if we hadn't already had more than enough!

Three more days and we're still up to our eyeballs in work - planning, spiders, tracker, meetings - and the children, of course!  Slow, slow, stop, stop, slow is the name of the game right now as they grind to a sleepy, snuffly, slightly stroppy halt.  Having said that, they're making a jolly good effort to write a story about James and the Christmas Tree.  Monday was the introduction and beginning, yesterday was the problem, today is the problem sorted and Thursday will be the conclusion and then it's a few quick staples into a cover and they will have made jolly good little books!  I have to say, the phonic sessions are really bearing fruit as far as ability to spell is concerned, not just for the quicker, brighter children but all through the class.  It is freeing them up to develop ideas rather than wondering how to spell the words they need and rejecting good ideas because (Big Elephants Can Add Up Sums Easily) the words are 'too hard'.

Yesterday afternoon we were all so weary I abandoned making cards and instead we watched the DVD that cannot be named.  It was a big hit - they cheered, clapped, sang along, did actions and generally relived the show all over again.  And I - well, I nearly fell asleep!  Today is PPA (problem sorted writing for them), then I am due at a meeting in pre-school and in the afternoon it is Christmas art and then to the Library!  Nothing too stressful then.

And when I come home, it should be to a very clean house.  My self-Christmas pressy is happening today.  Four hours of housework.  The house isn't anywhere near as tidy as it ought to be but that won't stop any washing, dusting, cleaning and polishing.   My bedroom is out of bounds but everything else can be done, including the windows.  Money well spent.  Yay!!! 

And finally, a big thank you to my parents.  They were due to arrive here on Sunday: they always arrive here the day before Christmas Eve.  However, having realised that I don't stop work until Friday afternoon, they've said they won't come until Monday, to give me time for shopping, preparation and a bit of rest too.  Bless them both.