Much Ado, Poem Fish, Weekend Away, Riverside Walk

Another rather functional 2-week catch-up list-of-things-we-did type post, sorry! At least a few pictures though.

15th June to 23rd

On Monday 17th we went to see Joss Whedon's version of "Much Ado About Nothing" at the rather delicious Duke's at the Komedia in Brighton, where J had booked us a 3-seater sofa no less!!!!! Fab! Really enjoyed it, not just the luxurious seating.
Tuesday 18th took Freya in to Little Green Pig writing group, walked back, walked in again to pick her up and walked back again, can't remember much else about that day except that it was humid for all the walking!
Wednesday 19th and Thursday 20th 
Livewires on sea life, some excellent activities and a good session. I had struggled with what to do and come up with vague ideas of poems, but F had a better more specific idea, which she explained to me and then we prepared it together on the Wednesday for Thursday's Livewires - poem fish - cut-out fish, with stick-on scales that older kids and adults were able to write sea-related words on to make a poem fish, or younger ones just colour in and stick-on as collage.

Back home for a bit, then we got the bus over to Hove, travelling with 3 girls (N, D and J) and another mum (M). In Hove, the girls were going to a BIG sleepover at M's, at which some people didn't even sleep an hour I think. They had a swim at the nearby pool, pizza, a chocolate fountain, films, games, endless chat...


Saw them all the next morning before Friday Club and they looked soooo tired, awwww. Can't imagine how they managed to walk around town for their Local History Walk with Informed Guide! While they were doing their edumacational walk, I took Freya's sleepover and swimming stuff home and then came out again with different packed bags to pick Freya up from Friday Club and get straight on a train to spend the weekend at my half-brother Ian's, with him and his wife Mary. Was really lovely to see them, and to visit Grandma M (my dad's wife), had been far too long. Some excellent and riotous games of Cranium and Pictionary were played, F helped her Aunt Mary make pizza dough and we went for a short boat trip on the Leam too, which was lovely.

We came back Sunday early evening.

24th to 30th
Monday: All clear at dentist - F is slowly becoming less phobic about the dentist after horrible experience with a filling over a year ago. She cleans her teeth well, usually twice a day.
Tuesday was a quiet one at home, Wednesday was Forest School, Thursday was Guides in evening (some more Survival badge stuff)
Friday 28th June
Friday Club - book club on sci-fi (Malorie Blackman, the new Children's Laureate - "Hacker", "Thief", "Dangerous Reality") and also reviewing our 8 months worth of sessions a bit, as it was last book club session before summer break. Very lively end-of-termy feel and lots of discussion. I gave them a wordsearch to do with a prize of a £5 book token, amid much serious and competitive excitement from some. J won with 9 words found out of possible 13 (I think - it is hard making up wordsearches!).
Saturday 
Quiet day, watched Frankenweenie in the evening.
Today nice walk by the river with J's mum, enjoyed a proper leg stretch and the sunshine, swifts diving, saw baby ducklings and moorhens, was all very luvverly. And then Pizza too!