My colleague, who can sometimes be slightly odd, just came into the room I was in, spoke to me about something, then switched the light out on her way out. Blinds were down so I was left in darkness. Utterly oblivious.

Looks like the student at Phil's school is likely to make a full recovery (physically, at least). A huge relief.

10yo has invented a new song and has taught his brother. Both of them are singing it at the tops of their voices. Unfortunately, the title is 'Bristol Stool Chart'. Me: '10yo. Come on. Please. How many ten years old even know what the Bristol Stool Chart is?' 10yo, nonchalantly: 'At least one.'

This year’s Christmas card designs are finalised and starting to print this weekend! (Going to start taking pre-orders soon, if you’d like me to let you know when I get that sorted, please drop a note below!)

Had an amazing evening at Durham Book Festival tonight, watching my fave poet, the brilliant @holliemcnish.bsky.social and my new fave poet, the superb @michaelpedersen.bsky.social. I love watching talented people do wonderful things ❤️

Well, a nice ending to a very difficult week. BOTH my boys won Star of the Week at school ❤️ First full week at his new school for eldest, and he won for 'excellent work in all subjects'. Littlest for good Maths work. A nice start to a hopefully peaceful weekend.

TW: suicide Really grim day for Phil today. One of his Year 11 students jumped from an internal balcony in a suicide attempt. Currently critical in hospital. Poor, poor kid, and poor kids who witnessed it, and poor staff who had to administer first aid and call the ambulance. An absolute nightmare.

this is so fucking sad

According to MIT News, Margaret Hamilton died at the age of 90. "A profoundly influential computer scientist best known for leading the software engineering team at MIT’s Instrumentation Lab during NASA’s Apollo program". This famous photo 🔽 inspired the For All Mankind character Margo Madison.

bryan newbold@bnewbold.net · 5d ago

ah damn, RIP Margaret Hamilton. she took safety-critical software engineering seriously, and got people to the moon and back. news.mit.edu/2026/margare...

On the way back from school today, a car was very slowly turning. We stood to the side, and the car stopped to let us over. And thank God she did - a 4yo who littlest went to nursery with came flying across the road on an electric scooter, no helmet, and smashed into the side of the stationary car.

Gemma and I made pumpkin mosaics at our little class tonight 🎃🎃🎃

Listen carefully. Can you hear? Can you? Yes, folks, that is the sound of a quiet house! That's the sound of both kids in school and me working peacefully from home for the first time since June! I'm going to be a librarianing MACHINE today. As soon as I've drank this tea and tackled this inbox 💅🏼

Well either some knobheads round us were letting off a lot of fireworks at 3.30 this morning, or a small section of County Durham was transported to the heart of the wild west overnight. No idea which it could be.

Not going to lie, I'm halfway to putting an offer in on this, especially after the evening I've had tonight. A one bed, one bath cosy little cottage with a built in jump scare would be PERFECT.

Dr Holly Nielsen@hollynielsen.bsky.social · last wk.

Please enjoy this very normal cottage :) www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/9...

Been flu jabbed today. Normally I escape lightly but I've bled a fair bit this time. Still. No flu 💪🏼

My patience. Please. It is frayed. So frayed.

4yo loves Zootropolis, so I showed him the group dance from Strictly this morning. He was not a fan 🤣 4yo: 'I don't like it! I don't know why!' 10yo: 'It's Judy Hopps (the bunny) doing hip thrusts and wiggling her bum, 4yo. It's terrifying. Of course you don't like it.'

Phil is out tonight. 10yo and I are watching Strictly, about an hour behind everyone else, and his comments have me crying with laughter. If Bluesky still exists when he is of posting age, his shitposts will be both hilarious and formidable.

Got tickets to take 10yo to see Billy Elliot at Sunderland. Very excited. Will I cry? Yes. I will SOB. Billy's dad and brother work at the pit my dad worked at, and when the banner comes out I'm always inconsolable.

10yo did an hour and a half at his new school today. He loved it. He said he put his hand up loads in Maths and got picked quite a few times. He doesn't know anyone's names yet, but thinks that's because he didn't stay for playtime. He's counting down the hours until he can go back in the morning.

Abolish Capital Punishment. This is inhumane.

Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike taken to hospital after attempted execution, lawyer says

Her lawyer says Pike is being "provided life-saving measures" after two syringes of pentobarbital.

bbc.co.uk

'What a GLORIOUS way to start my morning - with my mother forcing SPEED down my throat!' announces my 10yo dramatically and grumpily, as I give him his ADHD medication before his first day at a new school. Medication which he actively sought, and which makes a noticeable difference to him.

10yo: Do you think you could pass for 37? Me: I don't know. Maybe? Hopefully? 10yo: How about 30? Me: No. 10yo: What if you say to people 'I'm actually 30, I just look really old'? Charmed.

Someone has been posting graffiti about celebrities around an area of Newcastle and they're ridiculously daft but these two in particular have me absolutely howling.

4yo apparently wants to ask for a Simon for Christmas, as if it's 1985.

SML Jeffy Plays Simon Game

Alt: SML Jeffy Plays Simon Game

static.klipy.com

10yo starts his new school on Monday. He's going in for individual lessons on Thursday and Friday. I should be so happy that it's finally sorted, but I just want to cry. Three solid months I've been trying to sort this. And what if things are no better for him there than his previous place?

Home! A mere six hours in A&E tonight! Bloods show no sign of inflammation, which is excellent news. With family history and the symptoms showing up suddenly and severely, they initially thought RA but they're now saying growing pains, and further observation in a month or two. What a day!

They're testing 10yo for rheumatoid arthritis. He's had bloods done, he's incredibly cheerful, he thinks this is all one big adventure. Poor kid.

10yo's classmate is in A&E at the same time as us. They've been playing 21 but 10yo knows the mathematical formula to win (because of course he does) so has been entertaining the whole waiting room with his undefeated winning streak. When he finally explained his trick everyone cheered 🤣

Aaaaaannnnnddddd now we're back in Paediatric A&E because apparently I can't have anything good happen without something awful coming straight away to balance it out again!