Everyone had a lie in this morning, including Ady who went to the dentist first thing. The rest of us had breakfast and debated what to do with the day. I realised we only have today and tomorrow free before Friday when we are off to a Shrek gala event and will need fancy dress. Ady and I had already decided to go as Shrek and Fiona. Scarlett had planned to go as Aslan (the brief is your favourite Shrek character or character from a fairy tale) but after some discussion agreed to go as Puss in Boots. Davies had decided to be Gingerbread Man so the hunt was on for material and accessories.

We headed to Shoreham where there are several charity shops for first port of call and then a Dunelm Mill store which has a fabric department. The charity shop came up trumps for a walking stick for Davies to paint to look like Gingee’s candy cane walking stick for £1.99 and we got end of roll and off cut and half price sale fabric in Dunelm Mill for the rest of their costumes and Ady’s.

Back home again for lunch, I read Ice Age 2 the movie storybook to Scarlett as part of her Chatterbooks ‘homework’ and then we went into Lancing for a quick look round the charity shops before going to the library. It was very hot and we were quite early so we set up and then had a drink in the staffroom. Russell arrived and we had a catch up chat before the children started arriving. It was the last session today and we did book and film reviews with everyone talking about the book and dvd pairings they’d taken home 2 weeks ago, which they prefered and what was the same and different with both. 8 of the children prefered the dvds, we’ve had a less reading-keen group this time for sure.

I then read ‘Ted’ which I’d typed out so there could be no peeking at the illustrations. Everyone listened and then I tasked them with drawing pictures of the characters and using some storyboard book to film worksheets to plan scenes for a film adaptation.

We did a spiel about the Summer Reading Challenge, compared notes on what we thought Ted looked like before I brought out the actual book so we could see the illustrations and then got the kids to fill out feedback sheets on the sessions. We got some great feedback and several parents gave us some very positive feedback too. I’m glad we did it again, but slightly relieved it’s over. I’ve learned more again from doing it a second time and although I’m not sure Davies and Scarlett got so much from the actual sessions this time the ‘compare and contrast’ element alone has been interesting for them, not to mention being party to all the post-mortem conversations with me and the other staff.

Back home again I made Davies’ Gingerbread man costume. It needs some adornment hand sewn on it now which I’ll do tomorrow and we’ll need to paint his face to go along with it but I think it will look pretty good. He is pleased with it :).

I made their tea and Ady arrived home. I then did Scarlett’s costume which proved far easier and then Ady went to water the allotment while I got the kids trying the costumes on at each stage. Tarly needs a belt and a yellow feather for her hat and will need face painting too – oh and her tail sewn on! Tomorrow I’ll finish their costumes off, check our face paint supplies, run up a tunic and waistcoat for Ady and work out just what I am going to wear!

The kids and I tidied up – having been distracted by a TV show with Caroline Quentin, and I read several chapters of Alone on a wide, wide sea. Ady arrived home, the kids went to bed and we had dinner. Not at all sure quite how it got so late but dressmaking beckons in the morning so I really should go to bed.