Ooh, this looks good though...

Just been checking out some stuff on various MAs in Creative Writing and/or English.  I'm still submitting an application for the MA at Lancaster University.  I have some work that I can show them, as they require a folder of writing (with potential for publication! Err, maybe not!).  I'm fairly confident that what I show them will be up to scratch - I think I know what they're looking for.  And having worked in the English Department at that particularly marvellous university, processing MA applications, I can remember what I thought of the standard of some of the writing, because I read a lot of it ;)  I remember thinking that I could probably write as well as most of the applicants (why, oh why, did I not extend that idea a little bit and start writing then?)  I'll put that application together as soon as I can - I now have my Creative Writing tutor to ask for a reference.  And I have my tutor from Aberystwyth to write me an academic one.  So that's fine.  Good job I did this little CW course, else I'd have no-one to write a reference on my writing!

But I've just been looking at the Open University website, and they do an MA in English.  It's not creative writing, obviously, but it would still be incredibly useful to me.  And it's more affordable.  It would be a tremendous amount of work, but what enjoyable work it would be :)  There are an awful lot of books to read in the first year, but I'm up to that.  I can apply myself a lot better these days.  The fees are not available yet, and I can't find out what last year's were.  But you can pay in installments with the OU, which you can't do with an ordinary uni.  It's not just about the money.  If it were I wouldn't even bother applying to Lancaster, because it's so expensive.  But I'm thinking of the OU as a back up really, incase Lancaster don't think I'm good enough.  It's entirely possible (I know, I know - which crazy institution wouldn't want to offer ME a place??!  Sheesh!), because Lancaster's standards are so very high.  Both start in October anyway, so I'll know whether or not I have a place at Lancaster in plenty of time to register for the OU.  You don't have to wait to be offered a place at the OU, you just register :)

The little Creative Writing course finishes tomorrow evening, last one.  It's been fun.  I might do it again after Christmas.  It has a different tutor in January.  But lots of people do the course several times.  It probably should be a continuous longer course, and be called a Certificate or something.  But the Adult College split it up into these silly little courses for some daft financial reason.  The people on the course are lovely, and I'd like to see them some more.  I'm hopefully going to see some of them for an hour this evening - a few are trying to get a writers' group going, and are meeting fortnightly in a pub on a Monday evening.  I can't stay for the whole session, because I have to pick Thomas up from aikido.  But I will drop him off, nip over to the pub for fifty minutes or so, and then collect him when I'm done.  I might not be able to participate quite as fully as I would like, but it's better than nothing.  Being around other writers is even more inspiring and wonderful than I expected.  It's just lovely to listen to other people talking about their work, even if it's not something I would read.  Writers all have such a lot in common with the ways they work, and the problems they have to work through.  It's nice to be less alone in the whole thing for a change.  I think they've set up this little group because there isn't anything else like it in Lancaster.  Maybe there is, I don't know.  But that's the impression I got from the group.  I'll have to print something off to share tonight.  I might not share it this week, or perhaps I'll just give it to someone to take away.  But I've not been to this group before, so I might just have a coffee and listen to how it works.  I'd quite like to read something that someone else has written.

Well, I'll be off now.  Didn't get my morning off this morning, as Matthew was poorly.  Of course, he could have gone to nursery and been just fine.  But he seemed very off at brekkie, having been up since 5am with a touch of croup.  But I'll still have time after Thomas's aikido to plough through some of my faerie notes.  Better to do an hour or work than none at all, right?!


aikido |ˌīkēˈdō; īˈkēdō|nouna Japanese form of self-defense and martial art that uses locks, holds, throws, and the opponent's own movements.ORIGIN 1950s: from Japanese aikidō, literally ‘way of adaptingthe spirit,’ from ai ‘together, unify’ + ki ‘spirit’ + dō ‘way.’

My grandad (on the left, quite obviously!) in his aikido gear :)  My grandad Stephen is the Chief Instructor at Lancaster Aikikwai.  Thomas loves aikido, and I think he will stay with the club for a very long time.

Day 12.

Ooh, getting further and further behind with my hubs.  But at least I have plans for topics for each day now, so writing them should be fine once I get on with it.  Couldn't manage it tonight, too tired.  Starting tomorrow with proper effort.

Me and Thomas had a lovely morning.  James did in the end.  Football on Saturday mornings at the moment, of course.  (Kev didn't come to watch this morning as he has a bad back, and standing about in the cold probably wouldn't have been the best thing for it.)  Well, James was exhausted from having a bit of a late night last night - movie night, Back to the Future III - so he wasn't feeling very well.  He missed his football this morning, because on the way down to the college where they play he got himself into a right state, and had just decided that it would be the end of the world if he played today.  Fine.  I wasn't going to force him because he would have disrupted everything for the other kids, and then he would've run off and tried to escape and get back home :)  So.  He doesn't have these tantrummy things very often, so it's obvious he's very tired when he does.  But it meant that the three of us got to have a nice natter in the college cafe while Thomas powered up with sugary and fatty snacks (crisps and a Chomp), ready for his footy.  Thomas had a super session today - he saved lots of shots when he was in goal, and he also made his first successful tackle!  Astounding!  Amazing!  Ace!  :)  He was very pleased with himself today.  I was very pleased with him too.  I'm not really bothered whether or not he's good at football, but when he does well he enjoys it more and that's always a good thing :)

Wee Jamsie, practising penalties :)

Thomas having a go at taking penalties too.

Matthew seizing the opportunity to make a run for it.

I've no photos of Thomas at aikido, but he's enjoying that very much.  He's always practising his rolls and I find that just fascinating, watching him throwing himself into a shoulder roll and finishing standing up.  Cor!  Wish I could do that!

That was all we did today really.  It's been a lovely lazing about sort of holiday, and I asked the boys if they've enjoyed it and they really have.  We had such a busy summer that they didn't really have chance to rest before they were right into school and busyness.  So I thought it would be a good idea to watch millions of DVDs and just play in the house this week.  Good move.  Why not.  Lovely.

Back to work next week.  Stuff to do.  Time to get on with it all.  Motivation *deep breath in, deep breath out*

Day 6.

I fell behind with the blogs and hubs, because I didn't get any time to write yesterday.  It's okay to have more than one hub to write in a day, because it makes sense - two different hubs, two different topics.  But it's kind of strange writing two blog entries in one day, because a blog is like a diary - you wouldn't write one diary entry, sign off, and then start the next one straight away!  But because we had some photos from today, I've got away with it :)

Ooh, it's been a very busy and fulfilling weekend.  We've done so much.  We didn't do one of the things we planned, but there's not much you can do about a hangover once the damage has been done.  Urgh.  Yesterday James and Thomas had footie, which we always really enjoy.  Matthew's a right pain because he's discovered that running off towards the road can be a lot of fun, little sod!  So we do spend quite a lot of time catching him and bringing him back to the pitch.  Next week I'm strapping him into the pram :)  James and Thomas have a ball at football training though - it's very fascinating to watch them joining in and having a go.  Thomas is pretty wary of the ball during the little matches that they play, and he runs for it, but then doesn't know what to do with it when he gets near it, so he backs off and lets someone else take it.  Bless him.  He was very grown up yesterday, and told my mum that he knows that James is better at football than him - bless him.  He wasn't at all embarrassed by it though - he just enjoys the running and around, and he's aware that his talents lie elsewhere: his drawing and his stories and projects, and also his aikido.  Very mature :)  James is braver with the ball - the four-year-olds are funny, as they just run after the ball in a pack.  James was really improving yesterday though, he was getting to grips with the idea of finding space and making himself available for passes and throws.  The pack is starting to spread out ever so slightly now.  Little cuties!

In the afternoon, we worked on our space project.  It was very successful indeed.  We have half filled our sheet of A1, and have planned the rest for next weekend.  The work is almost all Thomas's, as James and Matthew were ridiculously tired from staying up until 10pm the night before.  They just wanted to watch the telly.  I got them to each draw a planet (James did Jupiter, and Uranus actually, and Matthew did Pluto) and then I let them go because they were disrupting the whole class!  (I'd be a useless primary school teacher, really I would - no patience when children are exhibiting behaviour that puts my crafting materials at risk!)  Thomas was tireless, and I'd no sooner mentioned an idea than he was scribbling away and getting it done.  Little star.  He enjoyed himself enormously, and can't wait for next week to finish off learning about space.  He's full of ideas for the next project, and I think he's rather keen to learn about the Wild West!  Hmm - tricky, because I'll really want to teach him the truth about these things as far as I can, but I'm not very clued up on these things.  I'll have to do my own research first I think.  See, we're all learning, not just the boys - it's marvellous.  Next week Thomas will be doing some writing for the space project, and maybe will do some work on the computer - maybe typing out some labels and titles, and writing up some space facts.  And we'll print some amazing pictures too.  And I've an idea for recreating an artistic interpretation of a nebula!  Oh yes.  I bet you're impressed.  I am.

Here's what it looks like so far:

Today we meant to go to the Kids' Club at the cinema, because Kev didn't get to see Toy Story 3 with us, lol.  But we slept in very late, because we had rather large hangovers - oops.  Serves us right for staying out so late and understandably annoying our babysitter (very sorry Stinky Pete - I won't ask you to babysit for a long time :oS )   Thomas was a very grown up little person today, and got breakfast for himself and his little brothers - they had cereal with milk on.  He even cleaned up Matthew's milk spillage!  I was enjoying my lazy morning, dosing a bit, listening to the boys being lovely to each other, and heard Thomas very nicely and patiently asking the littlies to turn the TV off and come to the table for their breakfast.  What a little superhero :)  He's been absolutely wonderful this weekend, and Kev and I have just been catching each other's eye and beaming with tremendous pride.

We had a lovely lunch at the Mill at Conder Green.   And then we went for a walk along the canal - we were lucky enough to be there when a boat was going through the locks, and the boys all helped to open and close the gates - they were understandably thrilled to bits!  We treated them to some strawberries and bananas with dipping chocolate back at the Mill after that - they'd worked very hard!  We hadn't worked very hard, but we needed the sugar for our hangovers so we had some cake as well.

Lovely, lovely weekend.  And there's a whole seven days of loveliness to come - I love the school holidays :)