Ahhh, how time flies....

While James was at school today, Esmé and I went to meet up with my cousin Laura and her wee boy Jack.

Esmé loves babies, especially 'Baby Jack' and wanted to draw a picture for him, which she did and you can see her masterpiece for yourselves.

However, it did create one of those weird flash back moments. I was suddenly jolted back to being not much older than Esmé and playing with Laura, her sister Kirsty must have only been a baby...and it all seemed very idyllic and like only yesterday.

I know it all sounds very cliched, but sometimes I really can't believe that time has flown by so quickly, I can't believe that we(and we know who we are!!!) are all 30 this year.

So obviously back on placement.

Yup, definitely back on placement, it's 21.22 and I am still doing work (this brief interlude excepted).

But if we work out where to get some on-line file space, we will post some educational uses of the Geograph site. As well as that our Dundee transect needs to be put on-line, but again we need some free time.

Since we have no free time a random picture of Esmé's Discovery "stuck in the ice" experiment. After a visit to the ship earlier this month.

Daundering in Dundee

I think that James and I can both agree that our Dundee fieldwork (in preparation for updating some Settlement unit stuff), was a lot more to do with daundering around in the rain than roast beef sandwiches....lol

"Fieldwork should be like a good roast beef sandwich"

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Thanks to Bob for the most useful analogy of the year.

The bread on either side of the fieldwork sandwich should support the rich filling.

The first slice is the pre-trip preparation, to give children the skills, knowledge and focus them correctly for the trip.

The filling is the trip itself. Quality, well chosen, robust and plenty for the children to get their teeth into.

The last slice is the post-trip work and activities. These should draw on and build from the preparation and activities on the trip.

You see Curriculum for Excellence really is cross curricular - History and Cooking linked seamlessly.

Barbeques, beaches and bitches.

No, we didn't cook Ivory. But with a bit of chili sauce...

Graeme and Marianne came round for a spot of tea and to torment us with 'Cranium'. Ivory came too, to torment Oscar and in turn Esmé had much fun tormenting Ivory!!! Although it was Marianne that dressed Ivory up as a Princess...

For those on you, lucky enough to have never experienced 'Cranium', we would strongly suggest that you keep it that way!!! How one board game can bring out so much aggression and frustration, is a mystery to us.


Sunday brought fair weather, hooray and at 4 after a cycle to Moniefieth and back, it seemed like a good idea to have the first family b-b-q of the year(we previously had a b-b-q one very cold starlight winters night). By the time the charcoal was hot enough for the sausages, we were all huddled round the b-b-q and still a bit chilly.

The prawns were really good, so it was all worth while. Esmé helpfully handed out ice lollies for pudding, despite being frozen. Glad to see she is fully entering into the spirit of barbecuing in Scotland!


And to round it all off a nice buckie out for a wander.

How can you fit it all in?

So it's all over. Lovely presents, spent time with my family and friends and now life goes on as normal. But thirty years on the planet and I haven't even scratched the surface of all the places I want to go and things I want to do. How those people who win the lottery and want to keep doing a boring repetitive job so they keep busy, can squander time in that way, I just can't comprehend. I know every moment is precious and that before I know it Esmé will be thirty and I will be teary eyed wondering where all of the time has gone.

On a less ruminative note, I just bought Gwen some really nice recycled sari yarn so there should be some beautiful crocheted work coming soon (No pressure Gwen xx)

And the MWIS forecast for the later half of the week is poor :( so it could be another set of low visibility pictures of grey snowy heather and grey cloudy sky at about ten metres.

Guess who is 30 tomorrow?????

Oh yes, the BIG 3 0 comes to us all, but tomorrow James celebrates his 30th. In true bad taste, but because I am sweet really, I decided to ask Phyllis to email a cute picture of James for the blog and look what she sent...everyone say awwww!!! I think he is about the same age in the pic, as Esmé is now.

James is away out to celebrate with his friend, who has also just turned 30. Therefore I have been trying to create a cake for his birthday, also doing several other things at the same time.

Those of you know me will already be imagining the scene...
1. Marta gave me recipe this morning when I visited her, to wish her very Happy 30th Birthday!
2. I forgot recipe, therefore I was not able to remember everything I meant to buy.
3. I discover that I have no S/R flour, this is after Aimée and Ewa have brought recipe.
4. Marta's lovely hubby brings flour down to me.
5. I Fail to pay attention and pour all of the nuts in (app. 3x) actual amount needed and have to pick out as many as I can.
6 Friend pops in to pick up some stuff and laughs at my
cake, claiming that it looks like cookie mixture ~ at this point I realise I have forgotten about the milk..... at least I
realised before it went in the oven! Let's not mention the baking powder...

At the moment it is cooking and the worst thing is that I promised to make a cake, refused to buy one from the shops and am supposed to be taking to the in~laws for James's birthday tea tomorrow!!!! I don't know how I manage to create such disaster every time I bake. I have friends who laugh at my complete incompetence when it comes to baking, I think we can see where they are coming from. Fingers crossed that it tastes and looks ok!!!!! :-)

Happy 30th Birthday James, hope you have a Geograph-fantastic day!!!

Esmé wants to wish Alex a very Happy 3rd Birthday for tomorrow too!!!

Two nights in a row at the beach!!!

Lets hope for more like last night
It felt like summer yesterday as we ambled across the rock pools after tea. However, today black clouds roamed the sky and we were literally suited and booted against rain and cold. Strange looks were received as we tramped across the high street in the rain, past teenagers who had made their own preparations for the rain (Shorts! We just aren't hardy/horny enough).




Yesterdays photos were better, hence the limpets and what we presume to be eroded rings where limpets have been


Geographing plans
Mmm... the weather again. A day off on Thursday and guess what...the forecast is bad. The weather really has been bad this winter, with strong winds and poor visibility keeping us off the tops on most of the limited number of days out that we get. Fingers crossed that it changes.

Blossom
The first of the plum blossom has made an appearance today, bringing with it the promise of plump, juicy plums picked directly from the tree...ahhh for summer.




James's moan for the day... (Gwen wrote that and it really isn't a moan today, more a thought in a n homage to the Today Programme)
It really is the end of the holidays I spent the whole day indoors again. Watching the rain today, which didn't feel so bad actually. Although as the afternoon rounded off with debate over the direction of Curriculum for Excellence, I felt my brain re-engage with a jolt after two weeks of being in relaxed mode. How far should we structure learning to ensure that a proper coverage of the curriculum can be made? A question that has been churning around in my head for a while, but unfortunately 4.30 came around before we really got going on the subject.

Let's start the blog with a farewell to holidays...

At last our blog is here!
After months (maybe even years) of talking about it, our fingers have at last been pulled out of their proverbial resting places.

The first week of our holiday was filled with lovely weather to greet Richard, a visiting Kenyan geography teacher. My boss and I took him to Corrie Fee where he enjoyed the best of Scotlands weather. James then dragged me up the back wall towards Mayar, where the weather proved that it really had been offering its best in the corrie below. A quick retreat was made to the Clova Hotel.

To celebrate James's 30th Birthday, we spent the middle weekend hillwalking (you may spot a developing trend here), with an overnighter in a bothy. A small flaw in the plan became apparent when we discovered that there was no fire! But it all turned out to be a more comfortable weekend than could have been imagined (not normal when James is planning) due to the hospitality of Stan at Callater Lodge. Thanks again Stan, a true gentleman.

We did fit in some fun for 'The Child' (Esmé), she loved RRS Discovery and Deep Sea world. The bike trailer bought last week is a big hit as well. You can get to the good park without walking or going in the car. You just get in and then arrive after a scenic journey and then have a nap on the way back! Just wait till she is big enough to peddle a big bike!!!!

Then back to hill hell for the end of the holidays. A quick jont up the Ministers Path from the Glen Clova side, failed to reveal much of a path or indeed a view of anything further than two metres away! Add to this James whinging about his leaky boot and you have a recipe for another lovely day in the hills.

Well that's a start and now it's here no one can stop us boring even more people with our photos and mumping.