Attempting some detail

Sunday 21st May

C very kindly picked Freya up at 9:30 to go to a party at 10am - it was a joint party of 2 young siblings and Freya is friends with one of their older siblings. She had a lovely time, there was a magician and a Punch and Judy I think. 

In the afternoon I had 'one of me baths' and at 6ish I took Freya to see some of her friends, especially her best friend, in a dance show. Saw lots of people we knew as we waited to go in, one of those local events, felt nice.

The show was good, I liked the street dance and Bollywood best. And the very unpredictable lego animations between the dance pieces, done by lovely local B, who we see at occasional things.

We came out and I had just enough time to get a taxi to Brighton to see some friends of mine in their show in the Festival Fringe, so I rang for a taxi, only to be told there wasn't one available for 40 mins. 

So I didn't get to see this but am hoping they will tour it a bit and I can get to another performance. One of those things but I was quite upset, texted J and he offered Chinese takeaway as consolation, which helped. At least it meant we got to see Freya's friends coming out and tell them they did well.

Monday 22nd May

We set off for Monday group, had fun at the bus stop making up things to give points for like beards, vans, pink cars, sunglasses.

On the bus I upset Freya somehow by asking whether she would like to try Bollywood dancing. Eventually we got to the answer that she would but only with a group mostly of friends. But first there was a lot of upset, which was hard to understand as I wasn't pushing her to try it, was just offering a possibility. She has said recently that she doesn't like choices at the moment and finds them hard - although I think no choice would usually be harder. She also hates it when I try to move her on or distract her from being upset. I try not to, but on a bus you just want it to be over really!

Anyway that wasn't too bad and we were soon at Monday group where she had a great time with some friends. I brought in sherbet Dip Dabs for general consumption. Had a good catch-up chat with L, who isn't often there now as she is studying. Particularly enjoyed talking about maths with her and the possibility of enjoying beautiful complicated maths even if the simpler stuff never went in. Really interesting. Also lovely to chat to K and L as usual. Freya went to the charity shop with friends, which is becoming a regular thing, really hope they are behaving appropriately when they go down there.

Back in Lewes we met J at Caffe Nero (Just realized I forgot to blog that the Monday before - 14th - we had met him after group in Brighton and all gone to see The Hunger Games and then had dinner at GBK. I enjoyed the film, am still finishing the 3rd book, but have really liked them. It wasn't entirely Freya's type of thing but she watched it and only felt that she wished they could have resolved things more completely in one film, even if it was 3 hours long).

Then we went to J and Freya's physio appt, they have exercise to do, which we don't achieve very consistently. Freya's exercises are to build strength and stability in right arm/shoulder mainly. Things like: on all fours, raise diagonally opposite arm and leg and hold for 10 seconds, trying to keep stability; write in the air with right hand or hold torch and write on wall; put right hand against someone else's right hand and move them together, writing or drawing shapes in air; on a seat lift self self up with hands and hold.

We went to ASK for dinner and I had rosemary and sea-salt bread, linguine with pesto and green beans and potatoes and honeycomb cheesecake! Was really nice, we were all playing Draw Something between courses too.

Tuesday 22nd May

Freya was picked up by best friend L's grandpa to go to writing group, think she had a good session there, though haven't been shown anything from it, they were doing poetry is all I know. Then L came back with her for a couple of hours' play. They had a lovely time, think it went a bit quickly for them. They did a bit of writing and quite a bit of enjoying the garden and sitting in bushes, not sure what else. They are signed up to go on an excellent half-term workshop organized by the Writing Group People too, a train journey for inspiration.

Freya also did some writing at other times on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I think.

For bedtime at the moment I'm often reading her chapters of "Five Go to Smugglers' Top", which is particularly exciting in terms of secret passages, mysterious characters and having to hide Timmy a lot.

Wednesday 23rd May

Freya had Forest School and I had lots of work to do. Can't remember much about it, wonder what we did. Some of her friends were going to the beach but we couldn't because of my work - bit hard on her, but I guess that's life sometimes. She spent quite a bit of time in the garden I think.

I got an e-mail about the possibility of writing group continuing in some form, which I was really pleased about as I think Freya and her friends get a lot out of it. Hope that will happen somehow...

Thursday 24th May

I had some work to finish and was done by 2:30, so we went and spent an hour at the local outdoor pool. I couldn't go in as have mislaid or mistakenly thrown away swimming costume! When the hosepipe ban was announced it became apparent that we wouldn't be able to have our pool up this year, so I promised then that we'd try and get to the pool fairly frequently. Freya had a good swim, perfect weather for it. Left a bit later than we should, headed home but I was flagging rather having sat in the sun too much.

We met J at the bus stop to go into Brighton to see some Shakespeare in the park. Unfortunately we ended up having to rush a bit too much but at least we got in just as it was starting.

I did enjoy it! It is wonderful, magical, to me, to watch a Shakespeare play outside as a warm evening turns to a cool night. I didn't think the production was particularly brilliant but it was plenty good enough for the context. Funnily enough, the first outdoor Shakespeare I ever saw, was Twelfth Night, when I was 16 or so I think, at a castle near the river in my home town.

We had a picnic of bread, salad, wraps, houmous, crisps (warned Freya to eat as quietly as possible!). The rushing and heat hadn't done J much good as he has current foot/shoe problems as well as joints sometimes being bad, so he had to sit away a bit on a bench, which was a shame. I had given Freya a children's book of the basic plot, which she had read on the bus, we both referred to it a bit now and then, to see where we were. She did really well with such a long play, as before she has really only seen shorter Shakespeare productions I think. This was two and a half hours, nearly three all in all. She remained mostly engaged, not fidgety and enjoyed some of the comedy bits especially. Lovely evening for me, though was sorry J couldn't fully enjoy it.

We got a taxi home as we were all knackered from having done a bit too much walking too fast in too much heat. 

Today 25th May

My day started with Freya coming in for a cuddle at 9ish, and an interesting conversation about Added Value and the effect of rarity. I had another little bit of work to finish but that didn't take long, then I got some washing up done, a bit of washing processed and had a quick bath, then Freya had an equally quick bath and soon after we set off for the pool again. This time we had to go into town first to get me a swimming costume. Found a reasonable one in sports shop that we hoped would fit me, man was very helpful. From there we got some suntan spray, some water and a frozen orange and raspberry drink from Costa and then headed the rest of the way round to the pool (the long way via town is a bit of a slog but at least avoids the up and down).

Freya was able to get straight in as had very sensibly put clothes over costume before setting out - in fact she was in a very sensible mode generally today as she had 2 helpful ideas (one was thinking of a good shop for me to get swimming costume in, can't remember the other) and also got herself out of the bath and dressed without any assistance or accompanying required from me. 

I went and changed and was just glad my costume fit. I am slowly trying to get a bit fitter/lose weight but it is very much a work in progress. Still, at the Pells I don't really care, it has that community feel, for everyone. LOL felt like literally for everyone today as when it got to school end time the queues to get in started building and building. Must have been 100 people in the pool by 4:30 and another 300 on the grass and around. It's just exactly where Lewes wants to be on a hot sticky day. 

I had a lovely chilly dip, gradually got used to it but then felt cold and got out, just before it got really lively. Think we will aim for earlier most times that we go...

Freya stayed in, got out for hot chocolate, then back in for a short 2nd swim, but it was too lively really then, with 'bombing' etc. thought the guards do blow whistles, but too much was going on I think.

Dawdled home, me because of a blister forming, am going to have to get new sandals! Having gone from my very comfy Skechers trainers to my Birkenstocks this week, my feet feel shredded.

Back at home, curry and Voyager. Ah Friday you are lovely.

Other things that I couldn't put a date to:

Freya asking about origin of the QWERTY keyboard layout, me not really knowing so perhaps ought to research; 

Freya keeping some pet snails in the garden the last couple of days secretly, and telling me all about them today in great detail (Celia, Sweetie, Sunshine, Samantha (the panther), Shelley, Sandy, can't remember more names) but unfortunately they died while we were out due to having been put in an airtight lunchbox. Their first zoo enclosure had allowed some air in, which obviously suited them better;

Freya asking about apostrophes and letter frequencies.

It's been a very harmonious week here, Freya and I have mostly not upset or annoyed each other since Monday.

And that is the week in greater detail than recent blogging, phew!