Fete and Mayor

We decided to take in the cultural delights of Ballymoney as a family. We were in luck. The local C of I had their Garden Fete this morning. It was free, so we went. We bought Jam (gooseberry), delved into the bran tub (stickers and pencil), we got books and Cd's, and looked at the pet show and listened to the band. A nice relaxing way to enjoy a morning.

This afternoon was the Mayors Show. Lat year we just watched it pass by, but we decided to go and see the vehicles at the sports centre. Lots of tractors again, with some steam engines (which Julie rightly pointed out were just turning round, so what were they for). Charlotte and Katherine got balloons in the shape of flowers and we all danced to DJ Barry and friends (except Katherine).

Then it was into the town to see the parade. Charlotte waved enthusiastically at the cars, and was rewarded by cartoon characters. Then a cup of tea while waiting for the rest of the floats to pass by in dribs and drabs.

The day really tired out both Charlotte and Katherine.

We watched the final of this seasons Dr Who. It was OK, but I would need to see the whole thing again. Better season than last year, with more plots that mattered, and story lines that weaved through the whole series. Lets hope Torchwood does better as well.

Butterflies, birthdays and kites.

Saturday

This past week has been like a full flash. OK, not the best description.

Last week was the Sunday School trip, and we went to the butterfly gardens in Seaford, Co Down. We were worried about how the girls would cope with teh long bus trip (2hrs) but they were grand. Katherine slept most of the way (we were able to put her car seat into the bus) and Charlotte loved the buss. She made friends with a girl her age, and they sat beside eachother for a time on the way home, and sang. The butterfly gardens would have been better on a sunny day, but it was still nice. Julie refused to go into the butterfly house, but Charlotte braved it, and was very brave. She loved to see the butterflies, and liked the one that refused to leave my hand. We spent a lovely hour in the coffee shop, complete with open fire and kids play area.

Sunday was fathers day and time for the usual traditions of lie-ins, but Julie eventually got up.

Lovely Birthday on Monday. Nice presents (thank you all). We had a work trip on the same day, so we ended up at the otter Lodge in Cookstown. Nice meal. Not to sound too much like John, but I had the beef in pepper sauce on a bed of rice. The meat was tender and jucy, sauce was hot and the portions were big. It was ofcourse , Katherines Birthday as well. She enjoyed the present opening and the special tea ( I had Caribbean Sausages and creamy pasta, Katherine had some form of mush). Then i went to work that night.











Charlotte and I have flown the wee kite I got (will progress to the barnmstormer). Charlotte loved chasing after it, and when it eventually flew, she near wet herself.

Emotions

Had an interview for the diploma in Counselling. It was a nice interview, but it made me fear. Will I be able to do the work, and give the time for study at home? The money is also a fear. Workis paying a substancial amount, but there are lots of hidden costs, including extra tuition fees every year, and clincal supervision costs. Fear runs in my veins now.

We have had the smoking sign removed twice today. That makes me angry. The culprit will not let it stay, and knows we will close, so he is playing Ruth and myself against the other young people.

After we closed early this evening, we had a parent tell us off. He said a lot of stuff that was wrong, and in some cases a bit offensive to us; but his point was basicly 'the need of the many out ways the needs of the few', or, we are punishing all the kids for the crime of the one, who is now known to us. Taht is a bit humiliating to get told by someone else that we are wrong, but in that, he had a point. Now we just have to decide what to do about it that will work.

Sunny

Just a few phots about our weekend in Sunny Ballymoney. Katherine has a bit of a viral thing that keeps her (and me) up most of the nigfht, and the heat isn't doing it much good either. But she did enjoy bits of the weekend.

Grrr....

We had a meeting on thursday night for the drop-in crowd. We have had the signs, which we have to display about the new smoking regulations, torn down regularly over the past few weeks. Two weeks ago, we decided if it continues to close for a session, in a hope that the other boys would 'have a word' with the ones who were taking the sign down. Last week we were closed half our sessions.
So a meeting was called, and we opened not knowing if any would come, and what mood they were in. Really, it was close to a waste of time. We had around twelve in for the meeting, but the boys decided it was the perfect way of showing a) how little they wanted to be seen to care, and b) how little they know about humour (saying the same one liner that three people have used in the past two minutes is not as funny as you may think). It did highlight that we were serious about the sign.
Some of these boys have squewiff views on life. Reading 'Nuts' magazine tells them taht if a girl does not want to have sex with them, something is wrong with her, the tell each other that taking sweets from the shop without paying is not stealing, and anyone else who is different is fair game. Makes me glad of teh morals that were shown to me when i grew up.