Builders

Today we signed the contract for our house extension! - we started this process over 18 months ago, but due to various factors it is only now coming to fruition. We will get 2 more bedrooms out of this and a new living area next to the kitchen. Initially the work was due to start in early June but we had to redraft the plans as the first tenders were way too much - now work will start in mid July and may last 18 weeks (we have hopes it will be less seeing that that was the time on the first workplans when we had more building work to get done.) It remains to be seen. I will probably use this blog as a running commentary on the work - both for info to anyone out there and also as a mechanism for ventilating any frustration!!

The School Play

Ben and Bethy were both in the school play (Jack and the Beanstalk) this evening - well Ben was in the chorus and Bethy was a chicken! They also are in the school choir and the orchestra which were performing as well. The kids (by that I mean all not just our two) did really well - there was a lot of work put into it - not least by Mum who supervised and to a significant extent participated in the manufacture of 85 hats for the costumes! Here is Beth in her starring role!

Erins gym competition

Erin who goes to gymnastics every week (along with her sisters) took part in a competition today - her sisters didn't want to but Erin was really keen. And rightly so too - she came 2nd in the vault and floor exercises (there only were the two disciplines!) and 1st overall. Not bad eh! Here she is with her medals and cup. Click here to see the slideshow in full size

N vs S rugby games

Didn't see it but picked up the scores of the rugby matches this weekend. France, England,Wales and Ireland all beaten. And all the N hemisphere teams were beaten last week too. Still the only saving grace is they were all ? 2nd string teams. Roll on the rugby World Cup in the autumn!

Another hope for the choir!

Well - the BBC moved the goalposts - and it was almost certainly the right thing. In view of the fact that the voting was so unclear, between the site crashing, being down and the accusations of tactical voting, it has been decided that the whole 842 choirs are now to be judged by an independent panel. So they will be busy, and I don't envy them - some of the choirs are easier on the ears than others!

Joseph choir search

The older two kids are in the school choir and the choir submitted an entry to the BBC Joseph choir search competition (although Beth and Ben weren't in the actual choir that was videoed). So the last week has been a hive of frantic activity as we checked where the choir was in the rankings. They started the week at 490 - by the closing date they were up to 198 (although the rankings didn't change over the last 24 hours because they were locked.) The results are out on the 31st - the top 20 go forward to a final - so there isn't a lot of hope that "our school" will get through.
However the whole process has been an interesting insight into the lengths some parents will go to - there has been suspicions of nefarious practice in block voting and deliberately voting down your rivals. It also has left egg on the face of the BBC who completely underestimated the interest and demand - the site was suspended for a while after it got 250,000 votes in 24 hours!!

Portadown tournament

Cooke was playing at the Portadown tournament today and Ben was on the P5 squad. They had 4 games - Lurgan (won 4-3) Lisburn (drew 2-2) Portadown (lost 0-2) and Banbridge (won 3-0). Unfortunately Lisburn won 2 and drew 2 so they won. Still the boys came a clear second so that's played 4 tournaments won 2 (Bangor and Lisburn), second today and third (equal) at their home tournament at Cooke 2 weeks ago. The mini rugby season now stops, although Ben is looking forward to training at Summer Scrummage before returning in September.

Click here for a slide show of pics from the tournament