Term of achievement

We are just about to escape to the country, and from our computer, for a week. The first half of the school's summer term is about to finish - and it does so in a flurry of red, white and blue - with the Diamond Jubilee celebrations resulting in the children bringing home patriotically decorated paper crowns, fans and, somewhat randomly, pompoms.

We end the half term of school as we began - with Daddy away. He was working in India at Easter, and tonight he flies back from Bahrain; we will collect him from the airport tomorrow. The children get so excited about meeting him - the picture below shows them minutes before his arrival last time - see what I mean?

The airport-collections-of-daddy neatly punctuate a six-week period of busy playing, learning and achieving for all of us. I've been working on some very exciting projects; writing and performing a brand new story about a teapot, a coffee pot and a chocolate pot for the Geffrye Museum, and designing all manner of horse puppets for a new session at The British Museum. And Daddy has been writing a new show to take up to the Edinburgh Fringe in August, so there's been much drumming and guitar-wielding round our house too.

Bud and Daisy have also achieved a lot this half term. They were both Stars of the Week at school - Bud for his brilliant numeracy work, and Daisy for being a great friend and role model. Daddy made them a CD to say well done. It's full of fantastic rock, pop, jazz, house and rap songs, with a Numbers and Friendship theme - how cool is that? We've also been experimenting with a new way to measure the children's individual personal achievements. Bud puts a car in a jar every time he's successful at his particular goal, and Daisy puts a marble in hers. When their jars are full (which is about every week) they get a treat - a new book, or maybe time on the computer. As soon as the jars are full, they are emptied - a very noisy and satisfying activity - ready to be filled again. As a motivational 'carrot' - it's working a treat, and I think they look great too. Now, how to get these jars to Wales...