hot

It's been hot here for the start of summer hols- hot and sticky. With some thunderstorms thrown in for good measure. But that didn't stop us from going to watch Shakespeare on the Sound last night. It's a fantastic production that is done every year with a different play in a little park on an inlet off Long Island Sound near us (I think they move around up the coast). The park overlooks REALLY rich houses and boats and is just such a gorgeous setting. The play:

Every year they run it for two weeks locally, and every year I WANT to go, but just never get around to it. I've also always wondered how the kids would go with it. But since Oscar has studied Othello this year, I thought we'd better. We took our picnic blankets, staked out our spot (which was in the BLAZING sun) and then went and sat under a tree to eat our picnic dinner.
They ran a kids' programme around 6:30 and then the show started around 7:30 (by which time we were all sticky and sweaty and hot and bug bitten).

Fortunately as the sun started to set it cooled down a little bit, but once the play started it was fine. Top actors and a really interesting production. I actually forgot to take photos of the stage which was shaved rubber tires on top of hay and really bouncy- made for excellent fight scenes. No real sets, just the main stage and then two walk ways stacked on top of each other. As I said- really interesting. We weren't allowed to take photos during the performance. And it was all made doubly interesting because the power went off in the middle and the fire department came and they had to stop the play and restart it (it was nearly dark by then and they were all miked). It didn't finish until nearly 11 and the kids were a little tired this morning (especially Kit who went to a televised live heavy metal concert with Matt the night before and didn't get home until after midnight). But it was a great night. And the kids all enjoyed it and are talking about next time- even though Ella says she couldn't understand what they were saying.

And today I have to somehow convince the kids to clean their rooms even though it's only 10:20 and already 29 C and I have sweat trickling down my legs as I write this (too much info? Sorry). It's only 5 days until I go and I kind of want to have things in a state of almost tidiness for Matt- and because I know it will only get worse while I'm away. Fortunately we made icypoles yesterday- think we'll go through a few of those!