another busy week

This week has been another busy one, with the realization dawning on me that I now actaully have to make firm decisions about my dissertation, and think about scary things like my research methods. I always knew I'd have to do a dissertation, but I always anticipated that when the time came to do it, I would feel much wiser and more capable of such a big project. And now it's got to that time, I most definitely feel that this is under my feet and in control!

On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of childminding for a wonderful couple from church - Ros's sister was being awarded an OBE so they were going to London for the day and had lunch at the Ritz. So I looked after Phoebe, who's two. We had great fun, including a session at gymtots, which was very cool. I had to pick her two sons up from school, which was a slightly chaotic time - trying to keep a hold of a toddler and her beaker, and two book bags and two paintings. Mum's are amazing. That's all I can say. So many small things like keeping an eye on multiple children at once are seriously underestimated in their difficulty and value.

Yesterday, I cooked fajhitas for 30 people, with the help of two lovely lasses, which was good fun, and today has been productively spent soaking up the sun and revising - simultaneosly. Sarah (one of my flatmates) and I sat on the roof with the boys who live over the road. We thought the roof was hot enough to cook an egg on, so we tried, but it wasn't quite as successful as we'd hoped!

This weekend (tonight and all day tomorrow) Lizzie and I are going to be training our team in prepearation for Uganda, and planning with them the activities we are going to do. While we do have an idea of those things, we want the whole group to be involved in the planning. Lizzie's parents are coming tomorrow to talk to us about health issues and safety, and to tell us about worries parents have about their children going away to do something like this, so we can perhaps understand things slightly from their perspective. Exciting stuff.