It's been the most exhausting couple of days.
Yesterday in particular was manic. I got home from work a few minutes later than usual and so had to walk straight out again over the bridge to collect the car from the garage.
Unfinished, and they weren't entirely happy about letting us have it back with no door trims and the central locking disconnected, but we decided that was better than having to walk to the secondary school with Flo and Nora when the weather is as unpredictable as it has been the last few days.
We also found the 6.30 arrival for presentations and a speech from the head rather too early, so dinner lasted all of about 15 minutes so that we could have the other three at least in the pj's by the time the babysitter arrived.
This was the first time anyone has had to put any of our kids to bed in ten years, and of course it worked out fine, although they were all a bit nervous and silly and apparently had to have at least three stories.

Liked the school. Big. Huge in fact - the biggest in the city with 1900 'students', and according to OFSTED gradings in the top 10% nationally for performance. That's all such bollocks. Choosing a school is so much more intuitive.
Listened to the chair of governors talk about policies and how all that's in place. Of course there are policies, there have to be. Tick the box.
I know from my own experience at our school though that actually implementing those policies on the frontline is a completely different matter.
But the school felt good. Lots of facilities, some amazing working environments and friendly staff and students.
But then it was an Open Day.
St Anne's on Monday night to see how an all girls school compares.

I had promised Mrs Vicar that i would get to cell if we finished at the school before 9, to go over the announcement of the cell's multiplication. So I had another ten minutes at home before rushing off to that, which as usual when it's the last thing you want to do, was uplifting, rewarding and enlightening.
All three of our new members turned up and only one seems a little eccentric so far ;-).

Today's been a little calmer at home but more than crazy in the office.

The car's back and fixed. New brakes, and the locks all working. Fully servcied, valeted and everything. £400.
They are really good to us and its not surprising we have stuck with the same Father and Son business since Trx foound them in a back street when she first moved here.
Old school. Service as it should be.
No cashback. No deals. Just honest prices, good advice and genuine customer care.
That's why we go back.
I think today repeat business is undervalued.

And the programme is done for 'Catch the Spark' tomorrow. I didn't get the running order until 3 o'clock, but somehow mangaed to find pictures and pout something togetehr in an hour, giving me time to print off 50 copies before leaving the office.

Wonde rif the kids have picked up on the crazy atmosphere as they have almost all been quite silly and difficult this evening.
Routines are great, and ours are strong. 99% of the time, the system runs itself.
But the problem with routine sometime sI think is that when it is broken, the children suffer and are not sure how to react.
And therein is the key to lots of behaviour issues as far as I'm concerned.
Kids need to know what is expected of them. Where the lines are and how things work. People mis-understand the word 'discipline'. It doesn't mean being strict, having punishments, pointy sticks and loud shouting or anything like that.
It means controlled order, a well-defined system. We all need discipline.
Goes back to what I said before about the work ethic and the 'discipline' of work and a daily routine with a sense of place and purpose.