Well it has been so long since I blogged that I barely know where to start. So I think I will work through each of the hoolies and see where I get to.

So, first off Ellie. The youngest Miss McSweeney has enjoyed a fine start to her time at Waddesdon School. A few weeks back she was in the school production of ‘We Will Rock You’. Ellie was in a group of dancers and singers. Despite the long rehearsals, which she found tedious at times, she enjoyed the experience and got to make new friends from the other year groups. The production itself was excellent. Ellie was disappointed that rehearsals meant she missed a couple of games of hockey…. but no real worries as she had two games for the school this week, which they won, Ellie scoring two goals, they beat a school from Bicester and a school from Tring. That is the end of hockey for the time being. After Xmas it’s all netball and Ellie is keen ti get in the team. She has also been elected as her ‘form rep’. Each of the form reps (4 boys, 4 girls) stand for election to the school council, one boy and one girl . The school council meets with the head and chair of governors, looking to help improve the school. Ellie gave a speech in front of year 7 on Monday and was then voted onto the onto the school council. She was rather pleased with herself.

Just to cap this, Ellie has been awarded Year 7 student of the month. This is awarded by the teachers to recognise a puplil who has been working hard… so again, she was rather pleased with herself.

Add to that a successful dance competition in Aylesbury a few weeks back. She was 2nd in solo’s, 1st in pairs with Courtney and 2nd in Rock and Roll with Courtney, and finally 3rd in Street dance. Not bad for a days work. Suffice to say, Ellie is on something of a roll.

Last night she was at a dancing display, then went to her friends on a sleepover. She has Guides only this week, dance has finished till the New Year. She can enjoy a well earned break over Christmas.

Robbie was home a few weekends ago. He had just completed a few uni assignments and was enjoying some rest before he had to knuckle down to a few more…. On the Sunday afternoon his computer started to have problems. Now, we had been looking to replace it for him anyway as the one he had was struggling to do the work he needed – the graphics wasn’t up to the task. After running some diagnostics I found the hard disk was having problems. I managed to get all his data off (thank goodness) but all of a sudden he was computer less, and need one for his work. So, on the Monday I managed to find a decently specified one for him, picked it up from Milton Keynes, then took him back to Northampton where we set it up.

It’s fair to say he is very pleased with it… in his own words (nicked off facebook)… ‘Lets say that the old one was run by three hamsters on wheels. This new PC is like 300 hamsters… on steroids… and on a coffee high… with a lot of sugar… mixed with blue smarties’ . For Robbie there is a double benefit, not only is his work getting done much quicker, his games run a lot quicker.  Anyhow, an early Christmas present for Robbie. He completed an essay this week, and is up to date with his uni work. He finishes on Friday 16th for the Christmas break.

Nikki is back home after her Bobsleigh exploits in Germany and Austria. I picked her up from Reading services a week last Friday. She was tired after a long trip, particularly as she had driven the van with a load of bobsleigh equipment in it through Holland, Belgium, and France, then from Folkestone to Reading. She has enjoyed being home for a few days and enjoying some of the comforts of home.

It was a fairly traumatic trip to Europe with the accident in the first week. However, Nikki competed twice, finishing 12th on her last run in Winterberg last week. She has qualified to drive in competition now, although she will need some more practice and experience.  Tuesday she was down in Bath having a debrief with the Bobsleigh management team, before they go out for the second part of the season in early January. Here she is pushing in competition a few weeks back.

She also managed to go and see her friend Serita who is doing rehab in hospital after her bobsleigh accident. Ellie has loved having her big sis back at home.

Tricia has been working flat out producing Christmas cakes, mince pies, etc and has been at a number of Xmas fayres selling jams and chutneys. We thought she had broken the back of the orders she had and would have a less chaotic week, but she has had another order for four more cakes.

Highlight for Tricia recently was being awarded the Aylesbury athletic clubs ‘best veteran female athlete’ award for 2011. Tricia did all sorts of events during the season in order to get points for the team, including the steeplechase. Well done to her. Here she is getting her award from Nathan Douglas, the UK’s No.2 triple jumper.

Tricia was of course pleased, it was the first time she had won an award in athletics.

We are now firmly into December. Tricia seems on top of the Christmas planning. I am looking forward to having all the hoolies at home, and having a break from work. I have the three work days off between Xmas and the New Year so should get a good break. Two weeks work first though….