Smat's new toy

This week I've bought a digital piano with which to amuse myself - it's been 20 years since I had paino lessons, but surprisingly I'm not as bad as I was expecting. Co-incidentally it's been 20 years or so since I last sang anything more challenging than Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and carols at Christmas, so it's been really nice to have joined a choral singing group.
Which is something that several people have found strange and commented on - that 1. I would join a choir and 2. that it was one where I didn't already know anyone. I can't see anything odd about either of those things (but then I know that I get to go out shopping for a glamorous long black skirt. and some shoes. and a white shirt.) so I'm a bit perplexed by other people's attitudes. Mind you, I did surprise DD1 (who hasn't heard me sing anything more challenging than...etc etc etc) who asked in amazement "Was that you doing all that singing? Even all the high bits as well?"
Smat's still got it (whatever "it" is).

I am officially a Bad Mother and DD2 is no longer Perfect Child

oh dear. Last night I was told off for not informing DD2's teacher via her reading book that she had read all the books in the reading level she had been assigned to, and was bored. In my defence, it would have been very difficult to have done that since they haven't heard DD2 read this term yet, and therefore have no idea how she may have improved (or not) over the holidays.
That was bad enough, but on the way to school this morning we realised that she hadn't done her homework, due in today - "5 Facts about the Romans". Finding out the facts was not a problem as we visited St Albans during the holidays (and let's face it, there's not a lot else to do in that part of the world when it's raining (see Family Smat Go Off In A Caravan) ) but we had failed dismally on the "write them down on a piece of paper with your name at the top and hand it in on Wednesday" clause. So poor DD2 has to tell her teacher that she hasn't done the homework, the morning after the Parent's Curriculum Evening where our responsibilities re homework and reading were explained to us.
Slapped wrists all round I think.