So you are already aware that food technology is causing me some issues at home and it’s fair to say design technology is fast joining my list of least popular subjects.

Last week we were asked to make a marble run that ideally lasted a minute. I hunted in the garage for pipes we don’t have; we wrestled with a didgeridoo and some wrapping paper: we threw things down the stairs; I had a tantrum (that I’m not proud of) because I don’t have engineering skills; and in the end Paul and the girls taped some tubes to the back of a chest of drawers and we chucked a marble in and hoped for the best. It lasted approximately ten seconds which is about a hundred times quicker than the time it took to clear up.

T had to design and make a face mask. Thankfully she is quite good at sewing because neither Paul or I would have been any help (especially if my recently handmade peg bag is anything to go by).

Today P had to make something useful from something we would normally throw away. Her choice meant lowering myself into the brown bin and retrieving some not exactly fully clean tins. I then tried to wash out the pea soup and cut my hand. I need danger money.

She chose to make a holder for a hairbrush which seemed fairly straightforward. We used up half a roll of electrical tape, two roles of sparkly tape and some stickers. I cleverly remembered I’d kept a magnet for exactly this purpose and we superglued it the back. P stuck her fingers together.

We hung the tube tin hairbrush holder on the radiator with the magnet and it worked ok if you gingerly lowered the world’s lightest hairbrush into it. Photo taken – job done. Time for a coffee.

I came back after having hung the washing out (just before a hail shower) to find it on the floor with the back section torn off and a bit of magnet and superglue welded to the radiator. So much better than having recycled it…

The actual morale of this story is two fold. One – I should leave the kids to it as she wouldn’t have involved superglue, and Two- teachers are epic. Especially ones where the kids have to make things – saintly I’d say. I’m not cut out for this.

This afternoon one of the kids has to go out for a 45 minute walk while noticing flowers (not a DT lesson I might add). I’d be looking forward to it if it wasn’t blowing a gale and I hadn’t already used up my exercise for the day. Might have to wait until Wednesday.