8th Dec day 54 craft at school and Cubs party

As I drive back from school each morning this is the view of Te Mata Peak that I see from St Albans St. Over the holidays Simon and I will walk up it and I will show you the views from the top. I forgot to write yesterday that I had such an encouragement when I opened my emails. 

Do you remember I said I met a delightful young woman on the coach on Friday, well I heard from her. I was sad when we couldn't sit together for the second leg of the journey which meant we just said a hasty farewell at Hamilton. I felt really disappointed I would never know if she managed to do the fashion course, nor how her future progressed. I had experienced a real sense of connection with her.

Anyway she must have clocked my blog details when we couldn't view it on the coach for some reason. She had showed me gorgeous pictures of her 4 children and I wanted her to see the boys. She must have gone onto it later and got my email details - how clever. Anyway she had felt like me and wanted us to keep in touch, isn't that amazing and a gift from God, hopefully for us both, but definitely for me. 

With being away I had got behind with washing etc so was busy for most of the morning just doing day to day things. About 11.30 I went out into the garden to start prepping for the Christmas craft session I was running with Simon's class this afternoon. It was an easy task just making Christmas cards because I only had 15 mins per group for them to write and make them. Also I don't know any of the kids so I wanted to have time to chat to them whilst we were creating. It took me well over an hour to cut out the strips needed. 

On my way to school I went into Hastings to buy the extras to make turkeys out of pine cones with them later in the week. Simon and Nicholas had collected the cones on Sunday afternoon up Te Mata Peak, getting soaked in the process - that's commitment! 

There were 3 girls watching out for me by the gate, I got such a warm welcome and they showed me to "Mr Evans" classroom. I cannot believe how quickly the session went with all the kids joining in and as a result I didn't take any photos - rubbish will do that next time. One boy got very upset when he wrote in the wrong place, but the kind teacher's aid came and calmed him down and I was able to encourage him to finish it. I have to say my examples are not a patch on what they all produced.

It was a rush to pick up Nicholas from school and I was a bit late but fortunately because the playground has good equipment he was playing happily with some friends.

There was a party for the end of year at Cubs which I went along to, complete with pizzas and rocky road mallows as our contribution. Simon was able to stay at home writing his end of year reports, which was good. We all ate as a picnic in the grounds behind the hut whilst the kids had fun climbing on the container - H&S experts in the UK look away now or you will have nightmares. The tree and rope ladder left something to be desired but heyho the kids loved it and it's the sort of thing I was allowed to do growing up.

Apart from both Simon and I each needing to go to Philippa's to collect things for Nicholas's Optimist Yachting tomorrow at Pandora's Pond it was a quiet feet up evening watching another Newsroom episode - very compelling viewing.