With suspended disbelief I can say that Amanda has moved out. She still has a key for another week ( a concession from R) and her room is a complete junk yard of smelly clothes and the like, but I have not seen her for two days and when I wake up in the morning there is a different atmosphere in the house. She made us a lovely card with a butterfly coming out of a cocoon - hold it there, the cat has just wee -d on a carrier bag right in front of my nose. The impudent beast. She is next out the door. Its like Big Brother here, I am evicting anyone who sits still or pees on the carpet. Won't be long before that's my parents and in laws then!

We had the girls' parents evenings tonight, and both of us coud go, it was a bit of a rush with R having to go back to work for a meeting, and H having Brownies, so we stuffed stew down their necks in between events. Anyhow, isn't it lovely when someone else without a vested interest or bias tells you how much they like your child, how clever and independent and kind they are and how it is a pleasure to know them? Both the girls had done some amazing writing, and they are both mathematical whizz kids, and it is lovely to go to school to hear such great things about them! They both have intelligent and thoughtful teachers who are bringing out the best in them, so I was complimentary back too!

The stew was a great meal, R made it last night and it was in the slow cooker. Beef stew is a big hit with the girls and I remember it from my childhood as a favourite before school dinners put me off meat for life. R was brought up on raw steak ( real steak) whereas I thought stewing steak was steak, and have never eaten a real steak, and probably never will.

I had a lovely 2 days at the start of the week from a social and lunching point of view. I had tennis lesson ( have been kept in the first level group, despite having played against 3 women who are moving up and being equal to them. For example, I and one of them played doubles together and none of her serves, first or second were in, whereas all my first serves were in. I was, as you can tell, a bit disgruntled but am sticking at it and will show em!) Suzanne Baker met me for my regular slot to catch up. She bought me a glass of wine to celebrate our success with Amanda moving on, this is me, who before Christmas didn't drink for 6 months and there I was drinking at lunch time on a school day! Tuesday, I met my nun, Winnie, which is always a blessing, and I recommend everyone get one. After seeing her and praying, I met Andrea for lunch, at El Sabio in Winchester. I have raved about this eaterie before so won't go on. I am still full. Like Winnie, Andrea is a positive presence in my life and always good to spend time with. Like Winnie, she is also in the Roman Catholic tradition, so look at me the old Anglican with all my Catholic mates! Maybe I do have hope for next time around getting a call up to become the Pope. Never say never!

My class are writing stories using the plot of Jack and the Beanstalk and changing the elements of the story - eg throwing magic seeds, not beans, meeting a fairy, not a giant. That kind of thing. I have some great imaginative minds - one hero goes up the apple stairs to meet a giant evil squirrel who has captured a hedgehog that lays golden eggs. One hero climbs up a slab of bacon and slides back down by holding on to the fat of the bacon - which is too slippery for the giant. Lots of axes and death to villains all, I am looking forward to reading the stories when they are completed next week. On Friday we are going in costume as fairy tale characters, so don't be scared if you see a wicked step mother in ball gown cycling to Hamble. Its just me. If you see a giant evil squirrel clutching a hedgehog, do be scared.