It was not quite so dark on my homeward journey tonight as I had left school early to go to the hospital for another physiotherapy session, (some lovely deep massages on my spine have really loosened up my neck and shoulder). I stopped up past the Lewis' farm to take some pictures of the evening clouds and the sheets of rain over the bay. 
These dark clouds have been releasing nasty hailstorms and I'm so glad the central heating is keeping most of the house warm. I have had to resort to my cosy dressing gown and fingerless gloves to keep the chill at bay in the cold sitting room but now I'm as warm as toast.Back at school the day has been mostly about the play, another rehearsal - this time on the stage blocks and my class sitting on chairs by the side. I had hoped to have my children sitting more comfortably on pe mats but the feeling was that change wasn't necessary. Then another run through of the dances in the classroom to check if the rats' ears would stay on through the dance and to see if the stars' shimmering wrist bands were not too tight or too fragile. Actually they looked very effective. Tomorrow will be the first dress rehearsal and as we'll be taking photographs they'll need their face paints on as well. It's nothing too dramatic, just nose & whiskers for the rats and possibly teeth if I have the time. The afternoon was more relaxed as the children started painting some clay coil pots that they are making into tea-light holders as Christmas presents for their mums. We don't have a kiln so we use air drying clay for such projects. As I didn't have the chance to set up my classroom for tomorrow I'll be heading in extra early tomorrow so that I can get organised, get costumes set out etc. Maybe I'll even beat Chris who is always the first one in at around 7.30, I'm usually the next - about 10 mins later though I tend to stay longer in the evenings. I won't know what to do with myself in January, only joking!
