Approaching the Hectic

Saturday 7th
Can't remember much about it, it was J's only day off in the middle of a 5-day week and a 6-day week. He and Freya made a gorgeous garlic focaccia. I had a bath at some point, with a book. We watched Strictly in the evening, I made really good burgers, mixing kidney beans, nuts and seeds, gram flour, onions, garlic and herbs. Had them with salad and the focaccia. Really delicious.

Sunday 8th
Took Freya to the Sunday Super Splash, where they have the big inflatable obstacle course floating on the pool, to meet up with friends from several families. She wasn't sure whether she would be OK on the inflatable as she had only done it once right at the end last time, but this time she really got the hang of it and had a good time.
Asked about climbing and they can't do it for the foreseeable future because they can't get an instructor, very frustrating!
 
Monday 9th
Freya's friend L came over and they had a good few hours hanging out. I had some work to do, I think. Can't remember much about the day.

Tuesday 10th
Walked Freya over to N's where she and M were going to spend most of the day. I stayed for a cup of tea and chat with K, then came home, intending to do some writing, but some urgent repair work was needed on a job I'd done a few weeks ago, due to a software problem, so I was doing that and chatting with a friend and the time all went. 
Walked back over to pick her up and was greeted by N saying "Bonjour" and welcoming me to another Red Rose Restaurant, some of which was quite good (a drink that was a mix of almost everything in the door of the fridge! Tasted quite like a Bloody Mary. And a dried apple and biscuit mix that would have been nicer without the addition of avocado and flour) and some not so good... Apparently M's mum had also been an earlier customer and apparently survived too.
Walked N over to her dance class and then Freya and I went back into town, for a bit of a shopping mission, which went well, then we got the bus home.
I felt knackered, having come down with a cold at the weekend (I think?).
Our shorthaired cat went missing and weather wasn't good.
 
Wednesday 11th
Forest School was being rebooted and Freya had a lift with CC, which all went fine. They made a big picture out of various found items. Freya and K are the only older girls left there, but both seem OK with that. Hope they will have a good term, it's early days and we don't know yet if it is going to continue, until we know numbers, as some were trying it out for the first time.
In the early evening I took Freya to Fencing, which is another new feature of this term. She did really well, her concentration was good and I think she liked it - her friend M (this is a 3rd M in relation to the 2 Ms mentioned above!) is doing it and it's a nice small group, mostly home-ed at moment. 
Next Wednesday we have another thing in the mix for the day and I am stressing about the logistics but hoping we can make it work!

Thursday 12th
K from Friday Club and Forest School came over for the first time. I had a nice chat with her mum and dad, who came in for a cuppa. Freya and K seemed to have a fun few hours, finishing up by converting Freya's garden pit into a den by building a shelter structure over it with some branches that J had sawn off the overgrowth in our garden and adding a fleece blanket thing.  

Friday 13th
I had been up working till stupid 6am, ugh, which definitely made my cold worse. Translating interviews for a drug trial, in which test subjects reported in detail on the doings of their digestive system. Extended my vocabulary a bit...
Had to use taxis as was still working in the morning, so not time to walk, took Freya to Friday Club, where they were doing the first of two workshops on making a magazine. Back home while Freya was there, I finished off the job, then rushed back out, had to get separate lifts back from Friday Club for time reasons again, ugh was all on the stressful side.
Got all Freya's stuff ready for D's sleepover. C kindly gave us both a lift, which meant we got to have a bit of a check-in chat too, which doesn't happen often enough these days. Think there were going to be 9 girls at sleepover and they were going to be heading out in a hired minibus to have a swim in a fun pool and go out to have some Italian food. They might be going to sleep in bell tent in garden, but it rained here last night so maybe they've ended up sleeping inside. All looked like it was going to be a lovely sleepover anyway!
J and I had curry and watched Cloud Atlas, which we both really enjoyed. Might have to reread the book, not sure if I finished it! Must have been such a feat to make the film.
Shorthair turned up (Fidget) at last. I gave her a big cuddle so she will probably disappear again for a week now. Was a relief to see her as I had started to wonder if some of the worst case scenarios that J and Freya had put forward were right, but no, she's just been off to some other house eating the food she prefers. She is lovely though, was missing her and her bizarre voice.

This cold I have is horrid, and am scared of getting as ill as I did a few months ago, so am trying to keep warm and rest and drink lots of fluids.
We are now moving into the hectic Autumn Term, most things have started and there are still a few pending. 
This week I felt I didn't get enough proper time with Freya, what with all the things she was doing and the work I was doing and feeling knackered with cold.