Home again after 4 nights in a tent in Netley. We stayed Thursday in the rain, just us and one other guy in the field. Friday night was busier, Saturday night it was looking and sounding like Glastonbury, and we had AJ and co and Kelly and co with us too, then last night in the rain, down to ony 3 tents again, and the rope tyre swing to ourselves. All the children had some injury or other from the rope tyre swing, but that's what they are for, isn't it? Children virtually feral, rounded up now and again for showers or odd food that you only eat when you are camping. As we eat out of plastic pots from the scrapstore to minimise washing up, the meals are a little odd. Everyone got on relatively happily, and I found a great short cut to my new work, where I spent the day on Friday. I did several runs down there too, nice to run somewhere pretty much flat. I am so worried about impending triathlon, and a 10k run booked for October! I went to Body Balance today, as my training schedule suggests once a week not running but doing some stretching and core conditioning. Sure was that! We got to the swimming pool straight from the camp site, and found that there were two ladies in the pool. We assumed there was a secret new adult only session during the summer holidays, but no, just we were there at the right time. How cool was that? I spent the afternoon washing and inventing new places to hang wet clothes. Sadly ran out of ideas before I ran out of washing. Those of you who read the Southampton Vineyard blog will know that I am planning to write a book: 'I still have more washing than line'. An autobiography. Meanwhile, the girls watched Mary Poppins, which is the only sane thing to do on a wet afternoon in the summer holidays.

Smelly horrid cat has weed all over the place in our absence, I find myself apologising to our lovely cleaner about it.

A used the word 'negotiate' correctly in a sentence yesterday. I was stunned, as I don't think I have ever used the word in a sentence, let alone correctly.

I have just spent a couple of hours trying to find resources to make my new class room look smart and nice. It is big, which is in its favour compared to the cupboards that pass for classrooms at Berrywood, and it has a door and is getting a archway plasterboarded up, again, a massive bonus as Berrywood is as open plan as they come. The school is older, 1950s, and just that bit gloomier. Hence my quest for groovy display materials.

Jo Hayles popped down to our campsite on Sunday, and spent the afternoon doing crosswords in the rain with me, enjoying the English monsoon season. We also watched R sail for a bit, and on Saturday I had a go at sailing. The weather on Saturday was a force 5, and on Sunday, when R did two races, Force 6 gusting 7. Now, I did 10 minutes on the Saturday and had to come in, I was a liability as I need to be told what to do all the time to keep me calm, and R was doing all he could to keep the boat the right way up in the water. I screamed so much and couldn't see or breathe, as there were waves splashing me constantly. We had been listening to some instruction on land, and were supposed to be putting it into action on the water. I couldn't even see the instructors. when R said 'if we capsize...' I decided to head for sure, and nearly suggested jumping in and swimming for it rather than negotiate (see, did it) some tacking to get in to land.
I am made for a gin palace, or a maximum wind force of 3 if that's not an option. I glazed over in the theory bit when the guy mentioned downloading the technical manual and measuring things. R, meanwhile, thought the ideas sounded great and can't wait to get down there with his tape measure and a marker pen. Next summer the national championships are being held at Netley, so R has the trophy in his sights! Without me as crew, clearly, unless the sun is shining hard and the water is like a mirror. He had a great time, and managed not only to not capsize but to come a decent 4th out of 8 in one race, and first in another! He loved it, but was a bit wobbly afterwards. Interestingly, he has waterproofed the tent earlier on and inadvertantly waterproofed his hands, which made holding wet ropes a challenge.

Before the camping, I can barely remember life. It was the last week of term, and I came home laden down with generous gifts from the adorable children I am leaving behind. I didn't feel that emotional to be leaving, just exhausted and ready for a nap. Tennis was much better this week, it was my last class and went well, we played games to practise scoring, and I got some serves in, and returned some balls. Which seems to be the aim of the game.

Oh, last week we had H's birthday party, a barbecue at home. She had 6 friends over, and we did T shirt painting, played games and iced biscuits and made fruit kebabs. I so love doing parties, and they all had a a great time. End of term - the girls were pleased to find out who their new teachers are for September, and H pleased to get her 100% attendance certificate for the year. She in entitled to a John Lewis voucher and a trip out with the other children from across the school who achieved 100%. A made 98.3%, she missed one day in October. So, I can safely say that my children are helping the school hit its attendance figures! Now I am working 3 days they can't be ill!

I had a mad Friday a couple of weeks ago, where I rushed to Sainsburys after school to buy hundreds of baps for the school barbecue, then dropped them off at Kanes hill, picked up girls and helped slice all the baps. Then to tennis lesson, then back to school barbecue briefly ( Granny Mary won a bottle of wine in the raffle), then off to another barbecue at the home of my job share partner, who, incidentally, is the sister of my old Slimming World consultant. That was all between 4pm and 8pm. On the Saturday we went to Granny Mary's for lunch ( I drove up, and had a sleep on arrival) and R emptied the loft of a load of old crap prior to the insulation men coming round. Hurray! This Christmas I might be able to move away from the fire! Andreas was with Mary for complicated reasons beyond our understanding, but it meant he got to hang out with his cousins all day, whom he rarely sees as he is always in Cyprus in the holidays, and in Tooting the rest of the time. Him and H went on the ghost train at the Claygate flower show, a lucrative business plan, as it cost £2.50 and took about 30 seconds. But the look on H's face was priceless! We had lovely Ellie with us, and hung around with other cousin Angus too, so a lovely day, except for the rubbish weather. We had tea at the Foley, a nice Claygate pub with a big garden and play area, and a barbecue being staffed by the most incompetent people you could dream of. Eventually we were all fed, but by then it was raining hard and we had the look of tired, cold, wet and hungry people you normally see selling the Big Issue, not sitting in pub gardens. One other rubbish thing was the Punch and Judy show. The sound quality was dire, and she gets paid £100 for two little shows. I seriously am thinking about that as a a job when I retire. I could so easily be so much better than her, and not wear tartan trousers. Pete Kitts could do sound effects for me on his guitar.