Wowzers - I am 2.5 months behind! Sorry folks, I think life got in the way somewhere!
So, in an attempt to catch up, I'll just give you the highlights of the last couple of months and then hopefully do a better job of keeping this up-to-date.
Tom managed a full half term at school with no interruption. There was plenty of Covid around at school, including some in his friendship groups, but he managed to not pick it up, which was good. He also got his Pfizer injection, so he has some protection now which is good.
He seems pretty happy at school, got a good half term effort grade report - with only 4s and 5s on it which is (I think) very good. The first couple of days back were spent getting to know the layout of the school as he didn't get to go round it last year. It only took a couple of days for him to go from being worried about getting lost and then thinking it wasn't all that big after all. He has enjoyed being able to mingle with anyone he wants and seems to have moved into a friendship group made mainly of Year 9s and headed by Rebecca. Oh and he is suffering from a very squeaky voice at the moment. It sounds like he has a permanent cold, but actually it is just his voice breaking.
He continues to grow, he eats us out of home and is already needing some new school trousers - as his ankles are showing already! Lots of clubs have started up at school, he goes to a science club, wants to go to an IT club but has yet to find it?! and badminton and hockey. He seems to have less homework than last year which is a little strange (or maybe he is rushing through it much quicker than last year?!) He is in different classes to last year (people wise) and now has some lessons with Caitlin and Evie which was a nice surprise for him. Favourite lessons are Computing, Theatre Studies, Physics and DT. We don't really get much info about what happens at school and most of what we get is about 3 weeks old before Tom tells us about it.
In other news - Mum and Dad finally made it up - it had been almost 2 years since we had last seen them. As usual, as soon as they arrived it felt like 10 minutes and we settled in easily with each other. Unfortunately they came for the worse weather week of the year - it rained and rained and rained.
However, they didn't complain and we managed to get out everyday. It also turned into a bit of a eating fest - we managed to cram 2 years of naughty food into a week - we were all much heavier at the end! Anyway it was good to see them, and as I had turned down all cake bookings I was able to concentrate on spending proper quality time with them with no pressure which was great.
Other Notable Events:
+ Night in the van in cow alley where we bumped into some Ingleton friends doing the same
+ Walk around Gresgarth Hall gardens
+ Sunday in Liverpool - meeting up with Jude and Craig for top nosh at Mowgli and shopping - biggest Lush in the world, where Tom got to use his bank card for the first time ever (very apt - it is his favourite shop)
+ Matt got a new motorbike - a Triumph Thruxton - vintage looking modern bike
+ Tom got into South Lakes District training
+ I got to make my dream wedding cake - with a Dales theme and for a lovely couple.
+ I have started selling my choccies through a shop in Sedbergh.
