Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Busy week and the last ever parents evening ever................

This week flew by – work plus - dancing, two Spanish sessions with Hector, Jimmy Meet the Teach Night, a night in with a bottle wine with Deidre and a night out with Gilly and tapas. Busy, busy, busy which is good.

Fiona’s family is coping with a lot at the moment with Ian having an operation to remove a giant abscess on Monday and Becki having a baby next June. My Mum is very excited at the prospect of becoming a Great Grand-Mother again and my little sister will be a Granny!

This week I went to my last ever school parent’s evening - I have always deeply hated parent's evening - Chris used to go – and this one lived up to the others – and I found it a deeply unsettling occasion.

Jimmy is a student of extremes and he too was visibly upset by the process - what is about teachers! I felt extremes - a range of emotions from deep pride to frustration with Jimmy and extreme empathy and anger with the teachers we met. The end is in sight in that he is applying to university in Liverpool but obviously has to pass his exams this year. He is working, but passively – I think Jimmy is actually very shy. He can be the life and soul of the party with his friends but completely unable to ask a question of a teacher or a stranger – just like his Mother!!

I have consulted both Deirdre and Gilly and have decided to have a party on New Year’s Eve. For years Chris and I always had big parties and then there was a period of dinner party type New Years, some more memorable than others! Then for the last few years as the boys did their own thing, Chris and I went away for New Year. His last one we spent with Alan and Moira in Mallorca and was truly special.

My first New Year on my own I just had the boys round and we played cards. Last year I went to the Kimberley Club with Paul, Sue and Kipper and that was lovely. But this year I am going to invite anyone who wants to come to my house to celebrate the New Year.

Plenty of things to do first though. Boys coming round tonight so think I will make their favourite tea, tomato soup with croutons and I definitely need to get that back room cleared!