just another morning here

I am still slightly overawed every time we attend ‘just a school concert’, and it’s in the Cathedral. It was a brilliant concert – I do have to pinch myself sometimes to remember that they are only primary school aged children – most pieces tonight were really very good and not too painful to listen to at all! The singing was especially remarkable – I love Joe’s music teacher and somehow she manages to get the best out of every group – they all sang beautifully.

Anyway. Steve accompanied Josiah’s solo tonight; I think he was far more nervous than Josiah. I’ve been trying to record this at home while they’ve been practising but Joe wouldn’t let me – he couldn’t stop to tell me off tonight!

This post links with one of the journals that we’re doing in our church life group; finding God in the things we do every day. I have written something there as well and I *was* going to include an iPod with these tracks on in my journal entry, but someone has used my shuffle and now it seems to be lost. Anyway that’s beside the point.

I consider myself so lucky that the regular (not quite daily, but almost!) ‘school run’ that I do is to collect boys from evensong – and if I can make it there in time, I attend the service – I actually love evensong. The ritual, the ceremony, the music, the space, the time for contemplative thought and prayer – it is easy to find God in the words of psalms, anthems, and the readings too.

Anyway. Last night was a mayoral service and Josiah was honoured to be chosen to sing a solo in the first performance of the Magnificat by Jonathan Lee. Definitely a proud parent moment.

Other clips from the service are here too …

Everyone needs a little half term craft project to work on, yes? (No, honestly, I could have done without it!)

Josiah’s French teacher set them the task of making a clock this half term – and she offered a possibly edible prize for the best one. Madame Stewart is well known for dishing out sweets in return for learning French vocab etc., so this was enough to spur Joe into action. I did help him a little bit, I confess. Well, it was more interesting than my own work!

I’m not sure that Mme Stewart will thank Josiah for it being quite such a BIG clock, but hey ho, she didn’t specify size! Et maintenant, c’est l’heure du petit dejeuner

We were at evensong tonight; I often go on a Thursday and Friday anyway but Steve joined me this evening because Josiah had told us that he had a little solo. Just one line but he sang it beautifully … listen for the running down ‘holy is his name’ at about 1min09s.

In other news – I didn’t get shortlisted for a job that I really wanted. Perfectly happy where I am though so no worries really, just marginally disappointing and very annoying to not even get an interview. Kids all fine; Anna went out busking with school/choir tonight and had a nice time, Abbie is planning birthday events despite the fact that she’s had a birthday treat already, Josiah’s just chugging along with choir and school. Steve’s thinking of new ways to make a million, as usual … and Suzie is enjoying having a new catflap to the big wide world outside. She still comes to give me a cuddle every morning though – and hasn’t brought me any special gifts yet thank goodness!

I played the piano for my school’s tree decorating assembly today which was fun as ever, and we went out for a team Christmas meal this evening; I love Christmas, I really do. People think I’m mean for not really doing decorating at home, or presents at home, but I don’t think my children are going to suffer that much, honestly