Back to school

I have half an hour of interrupted peace before heading into work.
Day 2 of the back to school campaign. Huge success yesterday with smiles all round and an acknowledgement that the thought of school was actually far worse than the reality. Today, predictably 'I don't want to go to school' was the first sentence uttered...but L has found her confidence and shot in without a backward glance. B on the other hand, having had attention lavished by her own personal nuns yesterday is still not so sure. She announced she would like to try pre - primary, which is the right age for her, but also means English speaking in the children is virually nil. But they do a lot more fun stuff and don't sit in rows chanting/copying from the board for quite so many hours. A few tears shed this morning but hoping will be all smiles on my return. My new revised game plan is school for the first 3 days of the week (half days for B) and then Mummy school for Thursday & Fridays. As always, I do love making plans/lists, but they are so frequently revised!
M set off at dawn this morning for a 10 hour bus journey to the capital Dodoma. He has gone to meet the upcoming surgeon for whom Muheza has high hopes, but is currently the equivalent of an SHO in the UK. So just us girls for the next 3 days...we will miss him, not just for his porridge making, water filtering, water pumping and all round sorter outer of things that go wrong skills!
I am in full flow planning the remaining schedule. We have a trip to Arusha to visit our Christmas friends (and the hospital & mosquito net factory), a mountain climb, a visit from my uncle R ( with requisite safari/Zanzibar outing), another 2 rounds of medical students, a surgical colleague of Mark's and another anaesthetic team visit from Hereford to factor in, without forgetting a bit more Peponi and some highland explorations here in Amani and up in Lushoto (where we will be treated to fires and hot water bottles!). Suddenly not enough time left!!!