pinball

My uncle once gave me a bagatuelle (or is it bagatelle?) game. I've called it pinball on the title because I'm not sure how to spell the other one and am in too much of a spin to look it up. You know how you pull a handle back and a little silver ball pings around the board? That's what I feel like this week. Lots of busy stuff with stories, correspondence, social things, church things. Thursday morning was toddler group, followed by theatre - yes, it was a contrast. The RSCs new production of The Tempest, full of African influence, dynamic, multi-layered, and with that style and something else that you expect from the RSC.

On Friday, a group of us went to the most amazing resource centre for people working with small children. Oh, it was wonderful. We were therE to buy equipment for toddlers and the after school group. We went from puppets and animal toys (aah!), to dressing up and role play, outdoor play, craft and messy stuff, to the wooden construction things and plain and simple wooden toys for story-telling aids (ooooh!) Not a battery in sight. Nothing more high tech than clockwork. AND THE CAFE! THE CAKE! We talked three times round the budget and came home with heaps of wonderful things for children to play with (skittles, wooden building things, and more) and story-telling stuff for the team to play with. We got back with a brief turn around time before after-school club, and enjoyed watching a small boy having the time of his life building towers.

Finally came the quiz in which my husband's team beat mine into the ground. What, may I ask, happened to chivalry?

And the other important thing this week - Shearer's coming home. SHEARO!