Can you see me in the dark?

More training on Monday morning – I’m in Elite for four months and want to make the most of every opportunity while I can, even if I don’t have time to put it all into practice right now!
Gym was good – and while the others got their exercise J helped me to get a bit more clued up on how to create and maintain an online presence for my Usborne business. I’m still not quite sure what I’m doing or how much it can help, but it’s exciting to be doing something and I’m hoping to get together with Jax at Live Otherwise and do more soon 😀
I took some books along with me which I’d sold via facebook to another HE mum I met years ago and hadn’t seen in person since, and she came along to gym with her boys to collect them. It was lovely to see her again and to catch up a bit – a definite bonus of having done a Not Back To School sale!
We had to hurry back because I was teaching a French lesson in the afternoon – the first for a few months so we did lots of revision and getting back into the swing of things.

Tuesday was the big day for J, K, H and me! I started everyone off with lapbook work in the morning, then popped off to visit a nursery and talk about Ready Steady Read, following that up with a charity shops trawl to find black clothes… Then we were off, leaving Bob to get the girls to fencing and Brownies as best he could. Scaresville Dress Rehearsal turned out to involve actually experiencing some of the scares ourselves, which was somewhat outwith J’s comfort zone (and mine too, if I’m honest) but was useful in letting us see how they work. We finished by having the opportunity to list three scares we’d most like to operate – although both J and I felt we’d rather have said which ones we’d like to avoid. He found three to list, but I ended up saying I didn’t mind which so long as no strobes or exceptionally loud noises were involved – the last thing I need at the end of a long night with a fair old drive home is a migraine.

After such a late finish, and with another late night to come, Wednesday was very quiet 😆 The boys and I made it back to Kentwell in time for food before briefing and found that we were to be followers on the gallows walk, which suited all of us quite nicely. We collected costumes (big black cloak and mask with attached hood) and emergency kit (whistle and torch) then made our way to the walk while it was still light enough to set up and work out who would be where. We had a fab night – I’d been very unsure about the whole thing, really, but it was much better than I’d feared it might be. Wearing a mask really helps, as does being in a place you already know well, and being there early enough to feel at home before it gets dark. Everyone coming round had chosen to be there and from all sides the fits of giggles and gales of laughter outweighed the screams by a long way. Not that there weren’t screams – there were plenty and it was a fantastic feeling to creep up round the side of a group of people and take someone by surprise by appearing as if from nowhere! My favourite trick was to make my way to the front of a group, gaining a scream on the way. The leaders of the group would turn to see what was going on, giving me just enough time to nip in front of them so that when they turned back, nonplussed, it was to come face-to-face with a hooded figure they had no idea was there. Surprisingly fun for a timid soul like me 😀

Sluggish Thursday, not surprisingly 😆 Everybody was on top form again for band though, fortunately 🙂 J stayed for senior band, but I didn’t manage my usual quick supermarket trip (and vulch ;)) whilst waiting for him because another band member had an accident as she was arriving and I ended up waiting with her for her car to be recovered – it was in the middle of the road and she 20 weeks pregnant so understandably feeling rather vulnerable.

On Friday we were up bright and early so that children could fit in music practices before we left for a visit to Sizewell B. This was because I was singularly unimpressed that not one of them had managed to get any done the day before… We had a two hour drive, including a rather dodgy bit at the end where the roads were unmarked and unclear. K’s superb map-reading and my bump of direction together saved the day, fortunately, and we arrived in plenty of time. There was only time for a quick scout through the interactive displays (and I must admit I spent that time catching up with friends so left the children to it) before the introductory talk began. J is now considering an apprenticeship with EDF – it’s nice to have options 😉 Then we donned protective gear (lots of it!), emptied our pockets into a locker and followed our guide through some serious security control to enter the site itself. It was a very interesting tour and our guide was informative and helpful, but it would have been nice to have seen a bit more of the processes involved, even if that was only possible via video links or a video and live expert. About twenty years ago I was lucky enough to go on a tour of the COGEMA facility near Cherbourg and it felt as though we saw much more and were able to be far more involved with what was going on. Perhaps that set my expectations too high.
I had hoped that we might be able to get to the beach and spend a little more time with friends whilst there, and the glorious weather made that a very tempting prospect indeed, but H was very keen to get back for his swimming session so we reluctantly left straight after the tour ended, only to get caught up in very bad traffic as a result of road closures, accidents and fires! In the end we arrived home at about the time he should have been at the pool, so he rushed in and grabbed his stuff and I gave him a lift down there instead of him walking as usual.