metal fairy sculpture

Project 52 2019 week 20-21

This week’s project 52 is coming in bulk, with last and this week together. I was away on Blog Retreat for a weekend at the end of week 20, and there was only wifi in the other accommodation, so it was snatched, and certainly not enough to full on blog. So I’m on catch up mode this week for week 21.

Week 20

On Sunday we went to meet up with my best friend and her children at Trentham Gardens which is near enough half way. It was a beautiful day, and we explored some new areas to us as well as the children enjoying the playground and barefoot walk.

On Monday it was back to work, and N started his after-school tennis club. 3 weeks have been missed so far with 2 bank holidays and then the coach being injured. There’s only about 7 of the children doing it, but a mix of ages from year 1 to year 4. N said it was ok but it wasn’t good when they were paired with the youngest children because they had to come right up to the net and do gentle shots. I reminded him that it’s good practice for keeping control of the ball. Hopefully he’ll still enjoy it because that extra play, even if just group tennis can only help the rest of his game.

Tuesday was the usual swimming afternoon for him at school, and work for me.

Wednesday they have drama and were practising their key stage 2 performance. He was pleased that the chorus didn’t have to be there all the time.  They’re also doing music education rather than just learning recorders, so they’ve been learning about composers.

Thursday was more of the same – they’ve been doing athletics recently to practise for an athletics event they have next week. I finished work early due to a bit a of extra flexitime to use up so could pick him up earlier than normal from after school club.  Then it was packing and preparing for my weekend away.

Friday I dropped N at school, then got the car washed, nipped to the shops, before heading off to Wales for a Blog Retreat. I’d seen all the photos and write ups about it last year and decided I’d try and go if they ran it again.  I was surprised how easy the journey was – just head west for 3 hours and I was nearly in Aberystwyth. The location was beautiful in the welsh hills, even more in the sticks than my house. The first night I spend relaxing and getting to know people rather than doing the canoeing.

Saturday, I woke early. Thankfully the rain was holding off. I was down for a few sessions, product photography, bush-crafting cooking, and a low light photography walk. So lots of practice with the camera, which I’m very lazy about using nowadays. There was a lovely group of people on The Retreat, and it’s nice to get to know the bloggers I’ve met before better, and those I’ve never met to meet.

metal fairy sculpture

Week 21

Sunday started at 5 getting up for a sunrise photography walk, which ended up too misty to see any sun. It gave me a chance to have a bit more of a chat with Holly from Holly Made It while the others went back to bed.  I went on a waterfall photography walk which was beautiful, but crikey the walk back up the hill afterwards was horrible.  I also did a session on photographing children.  The organiser’s teenage daughter obliged with modelling for us and I got some lovely photos of her. Quick lunch then the drive home. 

I missed getting to N’s tennis match by some way as they must have raced through the matches finishing in under an hour. They won again which was great, although N kept saying how he had a bit of a ‘what happened to my game’ match against the number 1 which he was amused about given he thought he’d have usually been able to win.

Monday wasn’t as expected as N was ill – really exhausted, a cold and saying he felt sick. He wasn’t thankfully, and by late afternoon he was fine.  I worked from home.

Tuesday was the same as usual, just work and school. The OH was working late rolling wool for the sheep shearing, which N had a moan at – although he did pop his head in to say goodnight at N’s bedtime. We did play a bit of tennis on the patio before his bedtime though. It’s nice to be able to sit and do stuff outside in the nice warm evening sun.

On Wednesday was at an outreach athletics event at a local prep school. He actually noticed children he knew from other schools, and said he really enjoyed it.  I’m not sure he’s set out for field events though – he told me the first time he tried to throw the javelin, he managed to knock the back end of it on his bottom.

Thursday was another normal day, although N finished off the day helping out with rolling and stamping down the wool in the bags at shearing.

I was forgetting everything on Friday. N confused things by questioning non-uniform day then forgetting his PE kit. That meant I forgot to give him money for non uniform fund raising, and then forgot it was open morning. So I missed my chance to speak to the teacher and look at N’s work. N did win Learner of the Week so it wasn’t all bad.

We finished the day with N’s tennis lesson – he did some great serving and nearly beat the coach in a individual challenge, doing the best of all the children. I think the kids moving outside and now using the proper felt red balls instead of the indoor foam ones really does help. His tennis has improved just in the last 2 weeks.

Week 21 ended with just usual Saturday things. Quick nip into town to butcher and baker, a failed attempt to find some cheap school shoes (why is it N always needs new ones from the summer half term), swimming and then some tidying up of the lodgers’ garden as they’ve moved out.

long exposure waterfall into pool.
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16 Comments

  1. We have the same problem with the school shoes it seems to happen every year which means he gets six weeks out of them at best! Sounds like the retreat was brilliant. I would have loved to have gone but it coincided with other things we already had planned. Maybe another year. Glad to hear that N illness didn’t stay for long. Juggling childcare and work can be a nightmare x

    1. It’s annoying isn’t it. We’ve had the same thing each year. Usually we’ve not had a problem finding shoes, but this year, there’s just been nothing in his size.

  2. Sounds like a busy couple of weeks with sport! A shame you missed the tennis!
    Saw some pics of the blog retreat on insta…looked like it was good fun

  3. Glad N wasn’t ill in the end. Sounds like he’s had a fab two weeks of sport and outdoor time though. Hope you had a lovely weekend with fellow bloggers, something I wouldn’t mind having the opportunity to do again soon.

  4. what a shame you missed his tennis. Love your diplomacy on helping the younger ones.
    great waterfall picture. oh dear at the walk back up hill.
    Well done on learner of the week.

  5. The blog retreat sounds awesome. I would love to go one year. The weather has been a little rubbish here, but here’s hoping it improves. Glad N’s illness is on the mend. Big hugs x

  6. I haven’t heard of the Blog Retreat before. The programme sounds compact and multi-faceted. Glad you had a room to yourself. I don’t think I’d want to share a room with a stranger, or even a friend.
    Big well done to N for being a Learner of the week!
    The waterfall is beautiful, and the strange sculpture is original.

  7. I’ve been seeing pictures of the blog retreat all week and it does look lovely. I’d have liked to have gone, but this summer is just a bit too busy and expensive to allow for it.

    1. It was pricy (especially as I paid extra for a single room, but was worth it as everything’s included. You also don’t get all the beginner sessions so you can really learn lots if you’re into the creative side of blogging

  8. It sounds like the Blog Retreat was really good. I’ve seen quite a few pictures on Instagram from various people. Glad N’s illness was short-lived and well done to him for his tennis! He should keep trying with the field events and something might click. My son is an awesome long jumper and he just keeps getting better and better at it, but a lot of kids aren’t interested in field events.

    1. My brother was a brilliant long jumper too. He jumped the primary school long jump pit and his record still stands as far as he’s aware, 30 years later. He was a short arse too. I was better at high jump. But didn’t do any at secondary school

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