Am feeling a teeny bit shattered and it's only Wednesday!

Well my boys today continued with the petrol queue quips, while lining up to read. This time the one boy was a mini bus taxi or commuter trying to jump the queue (too funny). They have all finally caught on that the quicker you do your reading, the more time you have to play before the bell goes (and it makes my life easier instead of having to keep calling them in).

Had a very good environmental science lesson with them on plastic pollution. Found the Alliance to End Plastic Waste and Friends of the Earth websites very useful and they found the statistics hard hitting. I played them the video below and a clip from Blue Planet II and they now have to prepare a presentation for next week telling me ten things that they can do personally to reduce their plastic waste and to find out about one new alternative material which has been developed to replace plastic. They all got quite passionate and enthused.

Had a much better maths lesson and my student that gets anxious grasped the concept today and had a smile on his face. Just need to try get him to not get his knickers in a knot the first time.

Our friend Veronique has been amazing and ferried my mum to the doctor today while I was at work and also made us a meal which will actually do us for three. She is the closest thing we have to family here, and we actually do see her as family. She was at university with my mum and they have been friends ever since. The specialist was called out on an emergency, so didn't see my mum today but my mum was given info to start getting pre-authorisation from BUPA and we have the names and addresses of five possible surgeons in Cape Town. BUPA will cover everything, including the air fare. There is a special on at the moment for British Airways - you can pay $500 in swipe/bond (that's amazing!) BUT you have to pay by tomorrow and you have to change planes in Joburg. We don't know yet how long it is all going to take and RwandAir flies directly to Cape Town, which would mean my mum doesn't have to walk in OR Tambo, so probably going with them.

OK, I better finish marking. Skyping some friends who will be in Zim again from Germany this evening. Am drinking coffee in the afternoon to stay awake (haven't had to do this in quite some time). Half term can't come soon enough.