We're all packed and ready to head back to Blighty

For the next week I will be here...

... drinking lots of these...

... spending time with family and friends and generally relaxing

Don't miss me too much

Back when I did the 3 questions meme, Purple Dragon asked me what my profession would be if I wasn't a teacher. I told her that I'd love to be a writer (and that I was my own worst critic). Following that conversation, I saw that several of my friends had entered the Summer writing competition so I decided to give it a shot and have just posted my entry (of course now I hate it but I'm glad I made the effort).

I've always loved writing, it inspired me to choose the English AS-level back when I was in 6th form as the course focussed on creative writing and reading contempary fiction. Flicking through my 6th form yearbook and reading what that teacher said...

Sarah - one of the best AS students I've ever taught. Mr S.

... has inspired me to enjoy writing and stop analysing myself too much

It's a dangerous business... going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.

Where's all this going to take me, eh?

It's chucking it down with rain today so our social life has been put on hold - we had plans to meet up with some Mums at the same open-air pool as yesterday but that's been postponed

We're really enjoying the rest!

Just been pootling around the flat, getting a few bits done, popped to the local shops this afternoon for a while and now we're watching the tennis

We've also been messing around with the camera...

... and we've been getting rather excited about finally receiving the invitation to my SIL's wedding next month

It has this lovely flower design on it - shame the lack of light made it hard for the camera to pick up the colours

Makes me want to go shopping for lovely bright floral clothes to brighten up this grey day

Got up

Packed picnic and swimming stuff

Met another Mum and her kids at pool by school

Spent morning at pool

Had picnic lunch

Drove to nearby shopping centre

Dropped Rhys off at bowling alley for party

Dropped Jamie off at nearby padded cell kids' play-area

Went shopping - bought some cute dresses for nieces who I'll see next week

While paying for dresses found I had a missed call on mobile, didn't recognise number

Went to pick Jamie up, found him running around in a spare pair of pants and a tabard

Turned out it was the play-area staff trying to call me earlier to tell me that Jamie had peed himself

No spare clothes with me, had to go back to shop and buy him new outfit so he wasn't wandering around half-naked

Dressed him in rather smart new outfit - which will do nicely for SIL's wedding next month

Picked up Rhys from bowling alley, drove home

Put swimming stuff and wet stuff into washing machine and ran load

Made dinner

Ate dinner

Changed Jamie again as he'd tipped his milk all down his smart new outfit Will have to run machine again tomorrow

Bathed kids

Dried and dressed kids - managed to smack head on bathroom sink while doing so

Brushed kids' teeth, put them to bed

Looked at pile of washing-up, felt throbbing head, came through to living room to blog about aforementioned busy day and watch the Murray match instead and the ironing can get stuffed too

Time to put my feet up and wait for hubby to come home from his work event

I swear I'm busier this week than I am when I'm working!

House-work, kids' social lives, organising stuff for our holiday... it's a very busy time

Ah well, it'll be worth it on Saturday when we get onto the plane and the holday really begins *wooooooo*

I now have blood-shot, hayfever-irritated eyes to match my nuked sunburnt shoulders from yesterday

What is it that Johnny Bravo says? (Go 15 seconds in)

"Man, I'm pretty!"

Don't think I'll be going anywhere tomorrow...

Well, sort of, oh okay, he just suggested it but who am I to say "No" to a teacher

Piccies of Ben Barnes as Prince Caspian *yum*

And as himself without the shampoo ad hair

You may ask me three questions and I shall try to answer them. Things that you would like to know about me or my life, my past my future, what makes me tick, what makes me sick. From the mundane to the serious - fire away and I will endeavour to answer for you... but I make no promises!

Go on then, you know you want to

It's a Saturday in Summer so the beeping of car horns is a common thing to hear around here

You see, after a wedding it's tradition for the entire wedding party to get into their cars - all decorated with white ribbons and bows - to drive to the next venue with all of their hazard lights flashing and their horns sounding

I passed one of these groups on my way back from shopping this afternoon (I picked up 5CDs, 2 DVDs, a game for my DS-lite and a couple of sunburnt shoulders) and they lit up the village they were passing through. Everyone looked so happy, the bride and groom were hanging out of the windows of the car they were travelling in, waving wildly at everyone they could see. I couldn't help but wave back, think it's contagious!

I wonder if we'll carry this continental tradition over to Ireland for my SIL's wedding? I wonder what the people of Cork will make of it if we do?!

After 2 days of cleaning, sorting out and packing, I'm finally on my holidays

What did I do to celebrate?

Came home and fell asleep on the sofa from sheer exhaustion!

Now we're drinking a rather nice bottle of red wine while watching 'Stardust' on DVD

Bonne vacances!