Back to School

The early morning tactics: first grabbing at Mummy's leg...

Then giving me tears and that particular tone of whining that I love, all the way to school.

Somebody was NOT very happy on her first day of Montessori school.  Even though this was 2nd year for her, even though she knew most of the other children, even though I had kept up the routine of her being away from home for a couple of days each week all through the summer, she still had a difficult time getting there.  Now once she was in class, and Mummy was out of sight, all was fine, but she did give me a hard time for a couple of mornings.  Guess it's just much more fun to hang at home.

Well if anyone expects to be the perfect parent, they're doomed to set themselves up for failure!  

So I go back home and try to get caught up on the blog.....(photo by Evie, who has recently discovered one of the cameras and is loving it.)

Now Sean's entry into school was also a bit challenging this year, because he was starting at the high school, which now also includes intermediate grades.  This, being the inaugural year for intermediate inclusion, of course was rife with unanswered questions for parents, students, and teachers alike.  I had contacted the principal and Sean's teacher for a pre-school visit, and that was a great idea.

Sean and I went over at the end of August, for a sit-down meeting with the new principal, met his teacher, got to see the classroom (with Gas Regulators right outside the window, bonus!), even got a chance to poke our heads into the boiler room, as the exterior door was open.  (That was probably the highlight for Sean, as there were three massive ones and a heck of a lot of piping and ductwork to go with them.)

There was also an orientation BBQ, which he attended without me.  I didn't think parents were invited, and I didn't want Sean to stand out as being "different" right from Day 1, by having his mother there when the others didn't.  A neighbor boy who is in his class walked with him, and I was told by a tenant who saw them leave together that Sean looked very proud and happy to be going somewhere with "a friend".  All of the kids were nervous about their impending school experience.  

But other than guiding Sean across our busy street, he has been walking on his own to school, managing the street crossings just fine, like I knew he could.  Some days the neighbor's boy walks with him, other days he is on his own.  It's a nice measure of independence for him.

Is he making friends?  Not sure yet.  On his first day he though he heard a girl in his class say her "abracadabra was broken", and of course he had to ask her about that....and continued to ask her about that every day for the first week at least. (I think she said her "guitar" was broken, but he hears things differently sometimes).

Yes he is likely giving me heck here for something, but it was divine payback, as earlier this day he'd said the F word in front of an old lady.  (Not me).

And the Teenager.  He is in Grade 11 now, trying to get his head around having to give up social time in order to study.  It's a struggle, believe me, for us and for him.  All summer he was OK about doing his own laundry, but from the bedroom check this morning, I see that I will probably have to take it on again....heaps of clothes everywhere.  Honestly I don't know how he manages to go through several changes of clothes in a day; I never catch him at it (or he'd hear about it) but the next morning, there is the evidence.

I was remiss in not posting about his 16th birthday, but will add that next time.

But just one more note about Evie, and her new Dancing school.  She asked me if she could have lessons and so I researched it and signed her up.  She was one happy little girl the day we went to buy the ballet slippers and bodysuit!  We tried on several styles and she went for the classic black.

"Look Mummy".  This was before classes even started, so I don't know where she picked that up, but it was sure cute.  Evanna Ballerina.