I overslept this morning – although I must have needed it, I’ve been building up a sleep deficit and I feel loads better for it today. Ady and the kids both had this nasty virus that’s been doing the rounds but I felt generally crap for a few days without actually seeming to properly go down with it.
So it was a bit of a rush this morning to get everything done – feed chickens, get dinner on (beef stew, so loads of peeling and chopping), tidying up after myself in the kitchen and checking train times. Davies seems to only have 2 pairs of trousers which don’t have rips in the knees and both were in the wash. I got Scarlett some nice clothes out to wear in honour of visiting the theatre – a pretty skirt and a nice top, which she promptly wore with her ripped jeans underneath the skirt and her Elinor-jumper over the top – she looked charmingly Scarlett and very Home educated 😆 She did get changed into just the one outfit and I found some trousers for Davies.
We parked in the library carpark, shoved the Christmas cards that need posting in the postbox and were on the platform with about 3 minutes to spare. The ticket office is on the other side of the station and the self service machine doesn’t take cash so I debated dashing back across to buy a ticket but decided to risk it and get one on the train instead. No one actually came to check tickets so I got tickets from the ticket office at the other end, quaking slightly at all the signs telling you you MUST buy your ticket before you travel and they would charge you £20 fines and stuff. Fortunately they did just charge for the return tickets I wanted – bargain for all three of us return for £4.50 – it would cost more than that in petrol, let alone parking :).
We walked down to the theatre and although we were a full half an hour early this time they were letting people into their seats so we went in and sat down. We were three seats along from where we sat last week; front row, middle circle in the balcony :). This time I had not been so insistent that we wouldn’t know anyone there so Davies and I played Spot the Home Educators and found a few we know and a few more we don’t but looked suspicious :).
I wasn’t sure how the kids would take to it today. I’d seen a poster advertising it at work and thought it sounded like an interesting alternative to a panto or usual Christmas show so I got tickets for it – it being a ballet of Peter and the Wolf and Carnival of the Animals both of which are pieces of music they are very familiar with. We have seen various makings of P&TW and have had a lovely Johnny Morris narrated version of COTA too. It was my first time at a ballet too, it’s something that has never been that appealing to me to go and watch and it’s not something either of the children have ever shown at interest in either.
We all loved it! The music was beautiful, the orchestra were fab, the dancing was lovely and the costumes were gorgeous. We were sat amidst lots of other youngish children so there was plenty of adults whispering explanations of things to children. Davies loved the music and spent almost as much time watching the conductor as he did watching the dancing. Scarlett was enthralled by the whole thing and we all found it really magical :). I asked Scarlett if she thought she might want to try dancing like that or playing an instrument like that later today though and she said ‘No, I want to be a zoo keeper, remember?!’ which validates my decision to never dress her up in a sparkly tutu and pack her off to ballet lessons because I never thought it would be her thing! 😆 (It’s something my Mum has mentioned a few times over the years and I have always been very against).
I would take them to a similar production and possibly even take Tarly to a full proper ballet aslong as she knew the story in advance. Davies wanted to go to the museum when we came out but it was cold and getting dark so I said we’d go back another time and have promised him a day over in Brighton, just him and I in the new year.
Home again on the train – we missed the first one by seconds but another was going just ten minutes later and was already at the platform so were able to get straight on. We had a quick look in a couple of the shops in Lancing and then home to put the chickens away and give Davies and Scarlett their stew for dinner. They watched WALL-E (again) and then Ady came home and I headed off to the library for reading group.
We had an author visit from local writer Vanessa Gebbie which was a really nice few hours. I have to confess to only having read one of the two short stories of hers we were supposed to be discussing and although I enjoyed it I am not desperate to read more as short stories don’t really do it for me. But she was a fascinating and interesting person to chat to, mostly about various other things she is involved in and we all really enjoyed the short story she read to us at the end. We had mulled wine and mince pies and other festive nibbles and it was all very nice and Christmassy. We were very depleted in numbers due to so much illness about but it was very pleasant nonetheless.
Home for cuddles with children, bath, beef stew and taped Survivors and Nigella’s Christmas, which is what has finally managed to make me feel like Christmas really is coming. Which means I should probably start getting organised with those presents for people really…