Fire alarm in the swimming pool
What a manic day – or week in fact – at school we’ve had a week of things going wrong or being cancelled. First our trip on Tuesday had to be cancelled as the back door of the minibus wouldn’t lock so we couldn’t take children out in it. That was fairly bad for some of the kids who were pretty disappointed and spent that day and the next throwing tantrums about it.
Today seemed better – we normally go swimming on a Thursday but the pool was too cold for some of the kids – eventually we decided to take those that could go anyway, as they’d had enough cancellations for one week. So trekked down to the pool, got them all changed etc., got them all in – and then the fire alarm went off. Not someone burning toast, for once, it was a real alarm and the fire brigade came out. Turned out to be dust and fumes from the builders’ brick cutting but it had been going into one of the classrooms so a valid alarm. But by the time we knew all that we’d dragged the kids out of the pool, and got them all changed in a freezing corridor! Thankfully the drama of the moment overshadowed any tantrums that might otherwise have occurred on being asked to leave the swimming pool.
Anyway. Home with a headache and ferried kids around as usual, then helped them with Children in Need costumes for tomorrow – well, Josiah is being a Tudor as he has a school trip to go on (his outfit looks remarkably like his Victorian one but don’t say anything. Photos tomorrow if we’re lucky). Abbie had to dress up as something beginning with her initial, so after thinking of Avril Lavigne (hm, maybe not), then an Arctic fox or hare or something (no white trousers though), we discovered that Anna has a non-uniform day as well, so hurrah, Abbie can go dressed as Anna! My school is having a Pyjama Day – I must admit that this is one step too far for me, I would far rather give a humungous donation to CiN than go anywhere further than my bedroom in my pyjamas.
Cooking Beetroot Risotto for tea. This is still the search phrase from which the blog gets the most hits, which always amuses me. These days I just cook it plain (no goat’s cheese) and sprinkle grated cheddar over the top. Seems to go down equally well 
November 13th, 2008 at 19:33
eek, how long does it take to evacuate if your children are in a pool then? We had a drill this week and got out very quickly, but there’s not really that many of us when it comes down to it.
November 13th, 2008 at 19:39
Well, it was surprisingly quick, but a bit of a nightmare all the same. We had some help, thank goodness – as two of us were in swimming stuff as well – and of course it was hacking down with rain outside!
November 13th, 2008 at 21:17
Sarah, you should have bought new ones! I love PJ dressing up as it’s an excuse for lovely PJ’s ( I don’t wear them any other time!).
Must have been a nightmare!- Do you have many in wheelchairs etc?
November 13th, 2008 at 21:27
but that defeats the object, surely I should donate the money to CiN rather than spend it on pyjamas! tbh even with the loveliest pyjamas I’d still struggle to wear them out as it’s just *wrong* (ocd tendencies surfacing again!).
And no, thankfully none of the swimmers were in wheelchairs (swimming water was too cold for them) but they still had to evacuate and be outside freezing to death, poor things.
November 14th, 2008 at 9:33
Shopping excuse and it’s lovely wearing silk PJ’s for the whole day!
November 14th, 2008 at 12:46
I think I’d be quite happy wearing pyjamas for the whole day, with adequate support of course!