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Another Timehop picture today as I was too busy reading to take photographs ;) 

Jude made a very fine tiger. 

More memories have made me smile today as it's 2 years since we moved back to England from Switzerland. And we're going back next week :) 

And lots of reading in the sunshine whilst listening to the Ashes on the radio.

Oh, and John's attempt to make me a  G&T  certainly had me smiling (he's very generous with the G!)

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A trip to Lidl to buy running gear :)

A trip to IKEA with the boys is always highly amusing :)

A sunny evening so I went for a run - and felt good which is marvellous as I ran yesterday too!  :) 

And this picture came up on TimeHop. Our first selfie I think! 

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After the demise of my UP band last week I've felt a little odd without my wrist band. All is well now the new one has arrived. This measures my heartbeat too...!

Tidying and sketch noting have also made me smile today!

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Thanks to the lovely Emily my pain in the arse is subsiding and I know that it's nothing serious. Hurrah!

Back to eunninv tomorrow I think! :)

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More owls today, captured on the way to collect some shopping! Like the owl within the owl. 

And I started a new MOOC with FutureLearn called Reading Macondo. All about Gabriel García Márquez. 

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A very tired Jude took part in a National Youth Orchestra Inspire day at Birmingham University. Very very proud of him as he also had a nasty cough. And Bernstein is very tricky. 

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Park Run :)

And my baby boy came home from camp - he's obviously had a marvellous time. 

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Lisa's miles today (7.6 of them) were covered whilst cataloguing owls. I intended to capture 8 but only managed 6 as two weren't where they were marked as being and is already run far enough by that point! So I'll be back another day to 'zap' the two at the Donkey Sanctuary!

Additionally on said run I came across the ponies that roam the park. One of them stared at me as I took its photo. Perhaps it expected me to ask permission first? 

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My wedding anniversary.

Identical cards given and received for the 2nd year running. 

Owl spotting. 

My eldest wore a shirt and tie (and not to school) 

Sorted out my finances; I have more than I thought! 

Great coffee. 

Delicious dinner. 

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I like running in the rain and was very satisfied with the way I ran up some hills today. No quitting half way up and I only paused once (but that was to adjust my contact lens that was swimming around my eye thanks to the rain!)

More 'owl spotting' today and 'zapped' with my BigHoot app. And I came across 'The Last Owlet' being painted too. Looks like it'll be another stunner.

Isaac wearing a shirt also made me smile :)

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Love my new sunnies. 

I. Am. Amazing. 

First day of the holidays and it's time to begin the tidying. But I'll enjoy the sun too ;)

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End of term! Whoop!

This video made me smile - making it and watching it back. Well done Joe for dealing with our lack of a plan and making something of our dancing around :)

Loved the pub quiz too! 

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9 mile run today. My hydration backpack was very welcome as it was very humid. 

Liked this thought from last year! 

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The owl hunting has begun! And this one made me smile as I walked back from the shops and later watched the last episode of HP: Neville Longbottom and Mrs Weasley as "unlikely" heroes always makes me smile. 

Other smiles today - Jude's off to camp for a week of fun and hopefully sun! Finding things in the Next sale that I actually need!

Mowing 2/3 lawn - the other 1/3 is out of bounds since I broke my ankle last year! 

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Happy 'one more day' celebrations tonight with work colleagues from WCPS. What a great bunch!
Lots of smiles and lots of Prosecco!

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Another day of 'end of term' activities. Year 2 loved dancing to Chuchuwa and Year 5 enjoyed Lotto - none of them whinged about who had or hadn't won which was a refreshing change after previous squabbly classes - and we concluded the lesson with the loudest most enthusiastic Choco choco late song and dance ever. And then it was school disco time with the whole of year 5. They were the last into the disco which by this time was very hot - and whiffy!- but ignored this to either run around frantically, attempt backflips (put a stop to that one!) or shuffle across the floor on their bottoms. Some of them even danced! And then there was the twerking! Oh boy!

More smiles (and a few tears) as Year6 had their Leavers' Assembly. Lovely pictures of them 7 years ago when they were in Reception and special memories shared. And more dancing - and this lot did actually dance.

And this made me smile too! 

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In the words of Jesse on The Fast Show:

"Today I'ave been mostly crying."

I knew that it would come but wasn't expecting it to hit until Monday - but then events escalated! 

Today marks the end of two years working with a Headteacher who was my friend before he was my boss. It's been an exciting and at times very hairy scary ride but he's been there all the way. Now he's leaving and with him goes his sunny smile, mad ideas and spontaneous actions like picking me up and twirling me around so fast we started spinning (downhill) towards a glass door. Life goes on and the memories remain but it won't be the same and I'm already missing him. 

Having managed to calm down enough to drive I made it to the Y6 production at WCPS which was _amazing_ - and promptly started crying again at the end when they sang their leaving song. "Making Sra. Stevens cry when Y6 leave" is a recognised sport at WCPS with extra point scored for actual sobs.  Over the years they have 100% record and this was upheld. And there's still tomorrow to go when they have their leavers evening! 

Y6 and I have had our moments but I will miss them. 

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Today I received these in the post. Thanks @ActionJackson.

I tried them on but immediately gave them away though to someone amazing to keep in his drawer for when he needs reminding! 

Tonight has had lots of laughs including tales of clay diets, Fizz Fridays and manic tidiness. And then there was the singing and twerking staff tribute. I'm going to miss Jamie but thinking of him makes me smile! 

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A very busy day including multiple games of Lotto, shopping deliveries, mercy dashes to retrieve bow ties involving evading alarms and dashing across town to reach Jude's concert at Adrian Boult Hall. Brilliant playing by BSCB - and the other ensembles were pretty good too ;)

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Look who we found! Shame you can't walk all the way around him as his back is as beautiful as his front!

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No records at Park Run but a lovely day and boats on the lake.

Then sushi for dinner. We can recommend Kyoto, and will be ordering more doughnuts next time as they were delicious! 

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A great day at the Birmingham Schools Games that started with seeing a special ex-pupil who greeted me with a huge smile once he realised who I was, and culminating in a victory in the rounders tournament and a bus full of tired hot kids singing 'we love you Mrs Stevens' when I arrived back at the bus with several bottles of water.

And now I have very weird tan lines on my calves to add to my 'white shorts' running tan lines. 

And Isaac is home :) 

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Look at that smile! 

Back to today, proud of Jude at presentation evening winning the French prize and another for the widest array of Gold cards! 

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That's my boy! Changed so much in the last two years! Still cute though ;)

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Wall flower.

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A happy boy on his trampoline a year ago. 

 

The other boy is currently in or near Preston on week 1 of his NCS "the Challenge" programme. Apparently the bus nearly got jammed on a bridge at one point so quite glad he's made it!!

And I've had an uneventful day which is quite welcome given recent days! 

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A happy Calamity Jane! 

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This pair crack me up! Love Cath and Zac and their hilarious banter. 

Cabaret night with 4th July theme. Love singing and love out twice yearly cabaret so much. This time we decamped to a farm and performed in the marquee. Great place to sing about Oklahoma and waving wheat! 

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John emailed our MP Andrew Mitchell about cycling. Impressed with the very swift response but highly amused by the address at the top of the letter. That's not how John wrote it...

Good run this morning; started slow but was motoring by the end in spite if the temperature. Core was good too.

And my Sweaty Betty shorts were much admired! 

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An unexpected night out with work colleagues: great company, lovely food, lousy service but beautiful views.

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I have a parcel from Sweaty Betty, a very appropriate named company for today! 

Also smiling at only having to be in a classroom for two 20 minutes sessions before 11 this morning. And the rest of the day was spent in one of three air conditioned offices. I ventured into a classroom this afternoon and couldn't believe how hot it was. 

And cabaret rehearsal. Only three days until 'curtain up' - it's crept up on us all!