Progress

Am really happy to report there has been a major shift in lessons with Ira and he's getting stuck in more and we have fewer dashes around the garden and escapes to the nursery school playground. He is motivated by the promise of a sticker if he does his work well and it really seems to be the trick. I hope I'm not speaking too soon but it is a great relief. Still struggle to get him to speak and read. He much prefers hands on stuff and writing.

I went to the Jolly Phonics workshop last week and it seemed to be a more sensible way of teaching reading with sounds rather than sight reading. It is jolly expensive though to get all the books and the extra materials - definitely a bit of a money making gambit. I'm learning lots though and was good to go along to it.

Making some progress with Scott and Alberto too. Poor Scott doesn't seem to have many friends at school. We wrote a letter to someone he would like to be friends with as an exercise. I suggested maybe he gives it to the other child. I get lots of hugs from Scott and Ira has now taken to pulling me down at the end of his lessons and planting a great big kiss on my cheek - I nearly fell over backwards the first time he did it - not quite sure how to take it.

Went to a friend's birthday brunch at a fairly new restaurant in Chisi called Teta on Saturday. The cooked breakfast was good and I liked the blueberry and lemon cake we shared afterwards. They had very interesting decor, particularly in the bathrooms. Going to a violin evening at Casa Mia restaurant on Saturday.

The interesting Teta bathroom, with a singer sewing machine base.

Teta's old fashioned cashier.