BRING ON THE BOXES

The moment cannot be be put off any longer - we have been talking about packing for several weeks now, but finally we have got to actually do something about it.  I have to say that despite 12+ moves in the last 16 years of marriage, this one is proving to be the most challenging of all.  We are having to separate things into one of four categories - stuff we don't expect to need for a year or so and will remain packed up for that time, stuff that we don't plan to take to Africa but that we will need access to in Shrivenham for the month before we go, stuff for me to take to Kampala and stuff for Ronnie to take to Juba.  For the first time since he went, I am beginning to feel grateful that Chad is not around.  The packing is tricky enough as it is without the added burden of a large ginger cat investigating every box you open.  Incidentally, according to Madeleine and Richard, Chad's new carers (no one can really 'own' Chad), he is now not as large as he was before.  I think he is pining for us, Ronnie thinks he is just slimming down to a reasonable size now he isn't being over-fed by me.  She may have a point.

We had a lovely time at the Smallwood Speech Day yesterday, although it was a little poignant as many of our goodbyes were probably adieu and not au revoir. This final week at school will be more of the same of course, only made worse by the build up of emotion that the Year 6 leavers always manage to generate at this time of year, culminating in a tear-filled final Eucharist service in chapel on Friday. The difference this year is that I will no doubt share some of that emotion.

For avid beard-followers everywhere here is the latest update ...  

For some reason it has reached a stage at which everyone feels able to comment on it without considering my feelings.  As a consequence, I am beginning to think of it as a Marmite beard - sadly not because it is the colour of Marmite (if only) but because people seem to love it or hate it.  In the end, my riposte is usually 'it's my face and I'll grow what I like on it'.

BEARD AND THINGS

Things are progressing and we have had a fairly productive weekend.  My teeth have been given the go ahead to move to Africa, and so have my eyes, hopefully the rest of me will catch up eventually.  It is a little disappointing that most of the interest in my blog so far seems to have focussed on the beard.  So to keep you all happy, here it is at the present stage:

School has been hurtling along at its usual summer term breakneck speed, with very little getting in the way of the express train that is the 'main production' - which this year is Annie.  I have to say that there are some stunning vocal contributions this time and I think it is going to Wow the audiences.  Meanwhile we have managed to do a little teaching in Year 4 and one of the great success stories in my opinion is the creation of the radio adverts that the class have made using Audacity.  They have been trying to sell a cardboard box, which links in with their English lessons on persuasive writing.  I have never tried uploading a sound file before, but I wanted to try it as this is one of my favourites (amongst many great efforts) ...

This is Ben and Phillip's attempt to sell their cardboard box - I think it's pretty cool!  I have simply uploaded it as a video so I hope that it works, we will see I guess!

GETTING STARTED

Strangely enough getting started is actually a particularly inappropriate title as the one thing that I am finding difficult at the moment is precisely that.  I have an ever-growing list of things to do involving packing up the house for a move to our UK base in Shrivenham while we are away, getting things done for the move to Kampala, getting things done for Ronnie's move to Juba whilst she is away on courses, preparing for next year's teaching timetable - plus of course still teaching at Smallwood for another three weeks.  On top of all that I am missing my number one companion (excluding Ronnie of course) - my best mate Chad. 

 I am simply not used to typing at the keyboard without a large ginger bottom being regularly deposited on the keyboard - even the basic act of cooking supper is different without the usual background mewing (which roughly translated means 'give me tuna').  I will eventually get used to it I suppose, but for now it is definitely making getting ready to move on quite difficult.