Watched 2 Audrey Tatou films this week, courtesy of LOVEFILM, with whom we are enjoying a 3 month trial, thanks to EH for the voucher..

First we watched Amelie, which went straight in as one of my top ten, although even I got a bit fed up with the ending. So fun and full of life and I love her wanting to touch things, loving smells and touches and I identified with that. It was also very funny, which is not a word which would come into any review of the other film we watched, A Very Long Film. Engagement. It was beautiful, sad and I cried, and am only sorry that I am about 5 years behind everyone else in seeing these films. It was a good thing it was on DVD so we could pause while I tried to get my head around who was who, and who was pretending to be who. It was worse than a James Bond film for that. At least in JB they put an arrow on the screen with a 'baddie' label, for the US of A market, but helpful to us slower Brits too. The French have none of that pandering to us slowcoaches and it was kind of them to do subtitles, I would have really struggled without them.

Beloved Bitterne today, for yoga in my toga (see entry 27 Feb ha ha ha!) while Rob at gym. We then had a jaunt to Sainsbury's for some supplies, before cycling home together. That hill is no problem now, and I remember having to walk up it so am pleased with my upward progress. All well in the precinct. Also went to Woolston today, for A to have a haircut, and bumped into Lorna, neighbour from across the road, so we had chips for lunch together. The last time I ate lunch with her was in a chip shop in London in the rain, so maybe we should write a book called 'Great Wet Fish and Chip Lunches'. Cycled to and from Woolston with A on the back, only took 20 mins to get home, in the rain. Am thinking of entering a triathlon. But I never like to do things by half, so maybe a hexathlon would be better for me? Or a decathlon, if I could work on my Daley Thompson persona... where is he now? Does he still have a moustache?

With mixed feelings I completed the term's contract I had teaching 2 days a week in year 3. The children are wonderful, the school is great, the team is one of the best I have been in, they were lovely to me and gave me flowers and then a present and I felt very appreciated by them all. But, all things considered, my time with A at home will never come back, and there are always Year 3 children in this world, so now to turn my hand back to a bit more 'Amy days', before those days are gone. We had a lovely day on Thursday, which involved cycling to Hedge End twice. I should enter the Tour de France, 'avec une enfant', a special class for me and other crazy mothers.

Rob had an exciting night on Thursday. While I was at housegroup, he heard people in our back garden, opened the door to tell them to 'move along please' and one of them asked to come through the house, which he did. Then a policeman entered through the front door, one through the back and they arrested this 'yoof' for public order offences, in our kitchen, near the sink. The offences were not commited there, just the arrest. H was awake and heard people shouting etc, and told me this morning that: 'the police did not ring the doorbell, and they should, because everyone else does and we have a sign (which she put up) which says 'bell', so people know what to do'. The police officers did not speak to, or acknowledge Rob, in the whole of this event.

It's like being in The Bill. I DO NOT MAKE THIS UP.

H told me this morning also of her revised career plans (she used to want to drive people home from hospital after they had got better), and the career ahead of her is ' running the parties and the swimming at Bitterne Leisure Centre'. Aim high, that's what I say.

All that interaction with H was pretty good going as we only got up at 8.18am, and got to school by 9am. She also told me that they were thinking about 'sources of light' in her class, and she suggested Jesus as one. Amen to that! Not sure if the context was Science or RE, but think her teacher who is a Christian, would have taken encouragement from this offering. A has been busy today sticking bits of 'faberick' on to bits of paper and calling them 'Tescos'. It is very therapeutic and worth a try, I made several and added pieces of ribbon as she suggested. At Little Roos we had our raffle, and I won a White musk shower gel set. Could have been worse. Honest, you didn't see the prizes!

On Wednesday (busy week eh?) I escorted my church work colleagues (not in the sense of being an escort from the yellow pages, just in terms of being with the three of them) to Fairthorne Manor, which is the venue for our annual church weekend away. It was a beautiful spring day, and I helpfully contributed to the meeting with the man who sorts out details for us, by a. suggesting he wear a vest and b. telling him that Lou was not spelt Loo. I think that my presence there made a dramatic difference to the outcome of the deal we were brokering, and we shall all have seconds of pudding as a result. Thankfully for the YMCA and the church universal, I shall be working in the office next week, and they only let me answer the phone if there is no one else in the building, so should not cause any more trouble.

We have not used our car since Monday, and negotiations reaching the tender stage for car sharing scheme. I can honestly say that I have enjoyed this trial and am looking forward to a more creative, less car reliant, way of living. I have slowed down, have to plan ahead and not try to get loads of errands done, and things still happen, things get done, no one has suffered and I am enjoying being outside more. I find it hard to see how my little effort to be 'greener' makes much difference, and I guess it doesn't make much difference, it makes a little fractional difference, and it is in the benefits to my and my family's life as well as in the carbon emissions that I can see the results. I have not had any comments lately, but am really keen to hear how others are being less car reliant and any good ideas for us to follow, so please post me one.