Busy, busy, busy...

.. no, not me but Tim! He's trying very hard to finish his home education coursework, and has arranged his three final tests tomorrow. Next week he'll have to do some art and watch some science lab-tests on DVD, and he's doing two music exams, but at least there won't be any more written academic tests. In the Autumn he hopes to be starting an 'open learning' theology degree by correspondence, from the University of Gloucestershire, so he'll still be educated at home, but with the end of his high school correspondence course, it's the end of an era. Odd that the end of his school-age home education should correspond with the end of renting this house. And that it's happening only five months after Dan finished his home education and left for a couple of years on the Doulos.

However this isn't all that Tim's doing currently. The inter-church youth group has a camp in the mountains at the end of June, and tomorrow night is doing their annual 'variety night' in aid of some funds towards the camp. For some reason, Tim has ended up the main organiser of this. One of the adult leaders will be the MC, but he's been out of the country until this week. Another of the adult leaders is organising the refreshments. But Tim has been working out the schedule of acts, and seems to be taking part in at least six different items. Simply drawing up a programme on the computer doesn't sound too hard, but he's had to negotiate, and advise. Last night Tim and one of his friends spent about two hours working out what exactly they would be doing. Today one of the younger members of the group was here checking that his song would go with the sound-track (which Tim did something technical to, to enable it to work).

Then there's been a problem with the floodlights in the Community church grounds, where the variety night will be held. Previously these have been replaced by electricians at vast cost, and have then broken again soon afterwards. Probably because the electricians didn't realise that these (halogen) bulbs mustn't be touched by the hands. So Tim has found out where to buy them locally and how to change them. This afternoon he's sorting that out, after going with one of the youth group leaders to order tee-shirts for camp (Tim offered a week or two back to find out where tee-shirts could be printed inexpensively... ) then after doing the lightbulbs, which he hopes will work without problem, he has a singing lesson. Rather important, since his singing exam is next Tuesday. Oh, and the music school where he learns singing is having their summer concert/recital on Saturday evening, and Tim's singing a solo item in that. So that also means a couple of extra rehearsals.

Then this evening, he has the chance of practising for an hour or so on the piano at the music school. He learns privately with a friend at our house, but is taking a piano exam on Wednesday through the music school where he learns singing. It's a good idea to try out an exam piano before the actual exam, and this is the only time he could schedule it.

I feel exhausted just thinking about him out and about in the heat, but although he's rather stressed he seems to be coping. I think he'll be so relieved when the variety night is over that he'll find the music school concert relaxing, and barely worry at all about the exams next week!