Bikeability

I have spent the week cycling around Worcester, getting paid for it. It's been lovely. I have been training to become a Bikeability Instructor. That means I get to go out into schools and teach kids how to ride their bikes safely. I borrowed a bike, as I haven't really ridden on the road since I got my front teeth knocked out by a plonker who pulled out of a side street in front of me. That was before I was married even. I also borrowed Nick's old cycle helmet, which fitted OK once I'd adjusted the straps. The perished foam shed into my hair though. I'm guessing I need to buy both a bike and a helmet before too long.

Nick was away all week, doing a conference on data-bases down in Sussex. Cure for insomnia, or what? Aside from missing him, it was incredibly hard work - getting the kids to school, negotiating the dreadful roadworks around their school, cycling 10 miles in the daytime, coming home and immediately going out to do some tutoring or admin for Dave before getting the kids in bed and making lunch-boxes for them. After four days of that, I had a sore throat and flu-like symptoms.

To make up for it, we went out last night for my birthday. Some of our friends joined us and we had a nice meal and good conversation. It was most enjoyable. I should do it more often.

Blurry picture of us.

When we got home, Mum was asleep on the sofa. She didn't budge when I covered her with a duvet and turned the lights off, so we went to bed and left her. She was gone this morning, so I guess she woke up in the dark and snuck out quietly. I didn't hear her leave.

Exhaustion Incarnate

The week galloped by, with a trip to Wednesbury to try and teach science to teenagers. The first three lessons went OK, but then they had lunch. Clearly Wednesbury teens should not be fed anything because after lunch the classes just rioted. I was shattered by the end of it.Then I have been tutoring in the evenings and transporting kids to their after school clubs. I've been to the gym a couple of times and played a bowls match against Ledbury, which we, rather surprisingly, won. I was pleased with my bowling. I actually played a fair few cracking shots, the like of which I had not a hope of playing last year.

Nada came back again. She's a CSer who stayed with us last year. We dragged her round Mel's maths trail, though I don't think she really enjoyed it. Poor Mel. We worked so hard on it and everybody is put off by the fact that it has 'maths' in the title. Sigh.Everyone is being totally grumpy around the house now because we are all so tired. :o( I have a million things to do before tomorrow and no energy to do them with. Ho hum.

Bouncing into Graceland

And I said "Whoa! So this is what she means!"

My feet haven't touched the ground recently, what with the exam season keeping me busy, long walks in the hills, climbing, swimming, doctor's appointments, couchsurfers, bowling, kids' clubs, my new and lovely washing machine, writing, running, occasionally sleeping... I am just bouncing from one thing to another, unsure of how to fit it all in.

Nick is struggling too. He has a bit of black dog at the moment making him feel down. I don't know what to do about it. Maybe it is the pressure he's under at work. Maybe it's just baseless anxiety. Either way, it's not good.

It probably doesn't help that the pissy cat is still up to his old tricks. He cuddled up on my knee to watch CSI last week and managed to dribble all over my jeans. Nice. He scored a direct hit this morning though, when he widdled all over Donny's music bag, adding a very sour note to violin practise.

Talking of music, Saskia and Mel have got a piano tutor. She seems very nice and they appear to be making rapid progress. They love practising and fight to go first (I only have one piano, naturally!).

Gales

The latest tales of derring-do can be found here, on my travel blog.

All The Things We've Done

So much to do... so little time. We had three French Couchsurfers, and now we have four American ones. I think I've scared them into submission by being grumpy after the trip maypole dancing with the Druids. I get grumpy when I'm tired.I have missed blogging about so much. Here are Kinnie and Maxime on Clee Hill, when Nick took them to Ludlow Castle for the day.Here are my kids, plus Faye and Megan when we went walking in the forest yesterday. We did a couple of hours round the red route with my friends Lynn and Jon.
This is breakfast for ten people - the usual suspects, plus Tanya, Annie, Jacob and Adele. Then we took them into Bewdley to do the Maths Trail that Mel made through the school.
They enjoyed teasing the fish and climbing the trees and apple cores.
Then we went pole-dancing. No! Not that sort. May-pole dancing.