It starts...

Well yesterday was just gorgeous. Things didn’t go to plan of course, they never do with kids in tow, but overall it was a lovely day. The highlight was definitely going to collect Sophie’s school enrolment papers for next year because she was just so chuffed with it all…

Driving to the school, Sophie excitedly asked if every large building was “her school”. When we did pull up out the front, she was chomping at the bit to get out of the car. Once I got Elliott out too, dancing on the spot, Sophie points to the gate and says “That’s the gate where we get into my school Mum. Come on, let’s go let’s go!” On the very short walk from the car to the school office, Sophie’s mind was going a million miles a minute…and so was her mouth. “Mum, can I meet my teachers? When I see my teachers, I am going to tell them how I went to swimming lessons this morning and show them my ouchy on my knee”. I then explained to Sophie that we were only collecting some papers from the office but she wasn’t having a bar of it. “Mum, what are my teachers names? Oh look Mum! School kids! Can I go and talk to them?” Then as we crossed the threshold to the office, I again informed Soph that we wouldn’t get to meet her teachers today and that we were just collecting some paperwork. “Ok, Mum” she responded and then went on to marvel at all the delights in the administration building…the trophy cabinet, the desk ornament, the comfy chairs that she sank into as she sat down and most amusingly, every adult she saw prompted her to ask “Is that my teacher”. It was just soooo cute!

Enrolment papers in hand, we headed back out the door and saw a group of school children having their lunch. “Oh look Mum, my school friends. I should go over and tell them I’m coming next year. Is it after Easter that I’m coming? Why did that lady say that I am coming after Easter? I will have to show them my sore knee. Can I talk to them Mum?” Before I could answer her, she spotted the supervising teacher and nearly jumped out of her skin. “Look, Mummy, look. There’s my teacher!!!! Can I talk to her now?” It was so precious J

We made it back to the car with me still trying to explain to Sophie that she won’t be going to the school until next year. I was driving along thinking to myself that I hope her enthusiasm is something that will remain for a good chunk of her academic life…hopefully all of it! She is genuinely excited about school and I think she will thrive there with the socialising and new learning opportunities. Then Sophie pipes up, out of nowhere, “I don’t want to wear my school uniform because it makes my skin itchy”. Oh Sophie! I tried explaining that a school uniform is like all her other clothes and that she will be fine. She continued to insist that she will not wear it because it will make her itch, to which I simply replied “Sophie, we’ll worry about this next year”. Good grief, we are just shy of 12 months away from starting school and the battles are already brewing! Sigh, oh well, as I said, I will worry about that next year by which time she will probably have forgotten her nonsense notion that the uniform will make her itch J