These Busy Hectic Days

In the last few weeks we have been simply running to catch up.  There have been Gala Day rehearsals, summer Palace Guide training, Academy transition days for my boys who finish primary school *next week*,   school shows, Scout camp and add to the mix all the usual things we have to do anyway and it has been a June not for the slow at heart.

I think it would be better coping without the CFS right enough but I battle onwards and upwards, or at least sideways.

So the Gala Day was today - in Linlithgow a bigger fuss is made over the traditional Marches on the preceding Tuesday - Youngest was chosen name-out-the-hat-style to be a guard to the Dowager Queen.  A Dowager at age 13 I tell you.  This resulted in many weeks of rehearsing many children to walk beside a coach or in a straight line.  Not quite sure why it took so long but there you go.  And the best part was my son in traditional Highland dress.  Well, I say traditional - as traditional as the Victorian style gets.  I do like a Glen Garry hat though.

My boy giving it his all!

We stepped into the arena of decorating the house but as I have no clue of these things our decorations were made by ourselves from cardboard and paint rather than the professional and glossy arches that cropped up all over the place.  I did feel I let my boy down but he was happy that we made it ourselves, he wants to keep it all but is satisfied with his name banner and the only thing we made I feel truly happy with - the Black Bitch coat of arms:

Of course it rained, but showers so not too bad.  It did mean the Crowning ceremony was stuck in the church and after collecting Eldest from the Scouts, where he had walked proudly carrying the flag we found the place to be so packed there was no way of getting in to see anything.  Which was a shame and kind of made a farce over handing families wet weather tickets - they allowed anyone in.  Hmmn.

It was the end to a pretty successful week for my Hobbits.  The transition days are a great improvement from what I had - one short afternoon in June then turn up in August completely lost and terrified at the "big school"!  Both loved it, following their timetable for a couple of days - finding out where everything is, getting a taster for the classes and the fact they have buddies from older classes to help them get around.  Certainly eased a lot of the worries they had.

Actually I am quite jealous as, if there was one thing I would do again, I would go to high school knowing what I know now and I wouldn't listen to people who felt I shouldn't be the least bit ambitious - namely my mother.  She had been in hospital at the start of the month, its a difficult relationship and not getting any easier to be honest - I probably sound quite harsh talking of her so I think it is another post in the making.

Now we have the summer holidays fast closing in and I need to see what is happening with borrowing a pair of Palace Guide uniforms from the primary school.  I have written to the teacher in charge of them but heard nothing back, it was ever thus.  Once I get them expect photos to illustrate what I'm going on about but they'll be giving short tours to visitors in one of our favourite places.