Last day of holiday

It's the end of half term. I have just had an entire week off work to rest, relax and prepare for the next six weeks of term, leading up to Easter. I seem to have managed two out of the three...
Never mind. After the last few weeks of worry and stress and hard work, I deserved a proper rest. I have no idea what on earth I'm going to teach the kids tomorrow, but never mind. Actually it isn't as bad as it sounds, they all need to do a test this week so tomorrow's lessons can all be last-minute revision, and all I'll have to do tonight really is mark two sets of books. Bummer. I hate marking. I must set more homeworks this term taht are either learning (i.e. no marking at all, do a quick vocab test next lesson) or can be marked by the kids at the start of the next lesson. I'm spending far too many hours trying to slog through 11 sets of books every week! I just can't manage it. This morning we had some lovely fresh air and exercise up at the club doing some practical shotgun, whch is great fun, and I also knitted a bit more of the lace on the silk cocoon cardigan sleeve - I'm nearly onto the stockinette section now.
The cocoon lace pattern is coming out really nicely, although I have to say in deep purple it's reminding me more of blackberries at the moment. This second pic is the closest I can get to the colour of it, although it's really still not quite this blue, it's a really deep imperial purple.
I just rushed outside to take these in the afternoon sun, as it peeped out from behind the clouds for a couple of minutes. Also enjoying their Sunday stroll around the garden:

Ethelred, Elsie and Attila, snacking on some corn, their third favourite thing in the whole world (just out of interest, #1: mealworms, #2: fresh corn-on-the-cob).

And not to be left out, this little madam came out and rolled around in the cutest, take-my-picture kind of way. I think she's afraid the chickens will get more blog space than she does... fat chance. She's normally to be found on or near wool 23 hours a day!