The serious end of schooling draws ever closer.

Nathalie has three mock exams today: History, French and RE. She spent a lot of the weekend revising, Friday afternoon she had her biology mock and is the most stressed I have ever seen her. I think it has finally dawned on her that the past three years have been building towards this and that all those times when her Mum told her not to watch too much television (I'm the good cop to Janis's bad cop) were for a reason.

These exams would also happen to coincide with some bad news she received on Thursday when she went for her interview for a sixth form place. Unknown to her, or indeed anybody else it would seem, the school had cocked-up on the allocation of specific subjects to specific boxes on the online application form, so unbeknown to her she had selected two subjects which were in fact in the same area and therefore has had to drop one and choose another. Now that wouldn't have been a big deal normally but she was the only one in her immediate peer group not to be offered a place on the day and has had to reapply on the weekend when she is most stressed out.

Bournemouth College who she also applied to, you have to apply to three, didn't cock-up in quite the same way although they have sprung a surprise by asking for some examples of her photographic work before her interview in January. This is because she wants to study A Level photography which is fair enough, the downside is that her photography so far has tended to be less than serious, so she is now trying to hastily construct a portfolio. She did say she'll have to come out with me, although she does draw the line at seeing women in their underwear.

Anyway, I know you don't read this rubbish Nathalie but good luck today with the exams.