It is suddenly such a shock to think of SPD going home. She has
become one of the family. we love her company, her laughing, her passion
for awful chick flicks and will miss all that. the craziness between
her and BB - mostly laughter and shrieking, but occassionally this boils
over! SB will miss her company and friendship. It has been a really
lovely exchange :) . We did have some trepidation, due to a number of
wider not-on-the-blog life things, but we neednt have been worried.
Thankyou SPD for being a lovely daughter.
So, the last week :( .
This is going to be a long blog! I took a weeks leave as well to spend
altogether. we started out with with a day of home ed. SPD wanted to
finish her history project book, which she very nearly did. I printed
off loads of photos for her to stick in, though I am not sure she will,
as she would need to do this at home. SB really needs to get stuck into
exam work for her iGCSE as well. We did the classic 'home educators at
the kitchen table'
It
was SPD's last judo and ballet lessons. I think that she enjoyed judo
most, but certainly she has lunged into our life and given these things a
good shot. I didn't get any photos of them at ballet lessons or judo,
as there were no open sessions whilst SPD was here, but I did make them
pose for a judoka shot at home :)
Oh
tuesday was a lovely day as we went on a jaunt to London :) . SPD
wanted to go to the science museum, so that was our first place to go.
We meandered all round the first floor and then the flight floor [so we
could see grandad's air traffic controls] . Favourite bits were
different for everyone. I think I like the age of steam best! We had
planned to eat at a lebanese restaurant for lunch, but for some crazy
reason SPD decided to become a fruitarian for the last week. [this
really wasnt well thought out!] so a bit of a kerfuffle later, and we
ate in the expensive science museum restaurant with her buying 2 fruit
pots from the cafe.
we
then made our way to the next doors natural history museum, ostensibly
to have a photo taken by dippy, as SPD has one of her dad there too.
However, we got sucked in by the earth sciences, and SB shew SPD all the
sections that would be useful for geog igcse, and then wished she had
visited before hers! BB really loved it, but then her ankles and legs
started to be really painful. i think its because she is growing, but if
she walks or runs much at the moment she gets really painful ankles and
legs :( , so in the end we whizzed to the main hall and sat and waited
for the others whilst i gave her a painkiller.
we
had thought we would do a night twirl on the London Eye, but
unfortunately it started to rain heavily. So, instead we went to a
really lovely Italian restaurant, and persuaded SPD that she needed some
protein in her diet, and eggs were in - so it became OK to have an
omelette - phew. we were all pretty tired by then!
it
was a very busy week, being SPD's last! on wednesday we had a weds4ed.
always lovely. we were investigating the alkali metals. we started off
with v small bits of sodium, but it is quite variable when it reacts. we
did it fairly safely. proved the gas was hydrogen. great fun! V happy
that Merry could join us with her youngest 2 as well, as nice to have
such a houseful. SB did an art group, B did maths, K did shakespeare. E
did bells, which we really enjoyed too.
we
kept E overrnight as well, so the girls made a film night of it and
watched v silly chick flicks :) [SPD loves silly chick flicks]. This was
because we had arranged a goodbye SPD/bonfire night party :) . SPD
certainly has been well loved by our family and within our circle of
friends. So all those that could started arriving in the afternoon to
evening. the kids all laughed, joked, played games whilst waiting for it
to get dark enough for fireworks. Although there was a light drizzle,
the fireworks were still fab and much enjoyed, and the guy burnt well
too :) . then we all had a warming pot luck dinner. Much happiness all
round.
the
following day SB and SpD went on a final shopping trip to get bits and
pieces for her friends. She finished off sewing the bags to put her
gifts in, and I made loads of tablet [scottish fudge] for her to give as
gifts as well. I also made most of her Kentwell bodice so that will fit
nicely. I am going to add the wool layer, DH will do the eyelet, and
then SPD will make and attach the skirt so that she can come to Kentwell
next year. The wool and bodice is her Xmas pressie from us :)
and
then that was it. we had got to the end of the English half exchange,
and SPD was waved goodbye. Goodbye my Spanish Daughter. We loved having
you here.
