The worst Monday of all Mondays is the one straight after Christmas when everyone is back to work and school.
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Back to school.
Find me a phrase that drives up emotions in you like this one does, go on, have a try.
Then add in that you are young, with those said emotions.
A backpack, new shoes, and a dread so deep that it still wakes you up twenty years or so later in a cold sweat and a racing heart.
Now we are talking the stuff of nightmares. But then we realise, it was all a dream and we laugh at how it used to be. The relief is wonderful.
I don’t have to go to school any more!
And then we drop our own children off as the leaves gather colour.
I see you brave ones who hate school. Draw pictures in every exercise book. Day dream in maths lessons of better days. Draw on your arms in biro, draw on your rulers, on your rubbers, (stick holes in it too). Draw of robots and lasers, draw that evil student that hates you with a big asteroid plummeting towards them. Draw that teacher that shouted at you in the classroom being chased by a hungry minotaur. Draw of superheroes and villains and gather stories that make you snort aloud in the middle of French because it contained farting noises (and something awful in the dinner queue with a cheese and onion sandwich).
Draw it all and hold fast.
Last day of primary school.
Just like that, it’s over.
No more mornings at the gates.
I wasn’t allowed to take a photo and that’s quite fine as your mam would prefer to draw you anyway.
I’ll remember more that way.
But I would like to know who stole the years from me.
The last year in particular was a huge heist.
Focus pocus.
Millie’s studying A- levels and Welsh Baccalaureate. Being at home means she has to study remotely with the school.
I can tell she’s doing Welsh, the pencil has been chewed and she’s ignoring the dogs while giving the laptop a stare that would make a grown man cry.
I’m going to hide in the kitchen.
Administration.
“I have something for you mum” are words that every parent knows are laced with a few meanings.
The first is innocent and lovely, probably a little handful of daisies or a hug.
The second, however, is something unwanted, sinister and must be approached with extreme caution and cynicism.
“Oh yes?” comes my reply (raised eyebrow). I am the master after years of being tricked, poker face is on and braced for impact,
And there they are in my hand, a scrunched up pile of months and months of school letters, casually handed over without a single drop of sweat shed.
Months of letters.
Suppose it could have been a slug or a dead spider.
Maffs.
Can’t be shown, won’t be shown. Has to learn it himself. Can’t think who on earth he gets that from.
Wrapping your own exercise books for school.
It’s that time of year when Millie brings home her exercise books to be covered for the year.
I’ll leave you with Millie on this one…
Ginger goes to school.
I took Ginger into school today to as Reception class are studying pets and animals and they wanted to meet a chicken. Ginger was very well behaved. She was quite happy to be fed corn and have her feathers stroked.
January.
Homework.
I’d just like to point out that all offending, noisy articles have been banned from the room until Millie’s homework is finished.
Bye bye…
…and off he went, just like that, wearing a big uniform and a smile.
All three in school all day.
High school.
Scary day but Millie survived with a big smile. I think she’ll be just fine.
Just Gruff’s first full day in school tomorrow and Evie starts back too.
Getting ready…
…for big school. We’ll have words about the top thing on Wednesday. I think he’s ready though.
Getting ready.
Ironing on name tapes. Ironing small uniforms, ironing larger high school uniforms.
Next week all of my children will be in school all day.
All day.
Smile for the sketchbook.
I’ve been drawing caricatures for the children at our school fête today. The children who posed for me all sat beautifully and were an absolute pleasure to draw. I adore drawing children and this was so much fun!
Funnily enough, Evie, Gruff and Millie were wondering when it was their turn!
Screaming child.
How lovely, I have two children and a small wailing siren to walk home from school.
Adventure time…
…for Millie with her school friends. Armed with the knowledge to tie her shoelaces, play Minecraft and live off jaffa cakes, she’s not sure she needs anything else, she’s got all the skills right there.
The day before tomorrow.
Getting the lunches ready for our return to school tomorrow. Uniforms are hanging ominously ironed and neat upstairs.
I’m already wearing mine…jeans, t-shirt, trainers and a wearied smile.
Back to the grindstone.
Slow to wake, slow to eat breakfast and even slower to get to school. What fun.
A new start.
There was no easy decision in this situation but my girls’ happiness and wellbeing was and always will be my priority.
The girls said goodbye to their old school yesterday.
They started their new school today and came back with stories and smiles.
The Smuggler.
Asking Evie if she has any toy stowaways on board before we leave for school is pointless. The answer will always be a hesitant and squeaky no.
Reminding her that she cant take dinosaurs to school, (no matter how small and how cute) is also pointless.
Either I have to invent a small plastic toy detector or it’s frisking time.
And it’s going to be tickly…
Pack Horse.
The slow trudge home from school just got slower now that Gruff is out of the pram and walking too. The only drawback, is that there’s no where to put the coats, bags, hats, lunch boxes, kitchen sinks,..etc that the girls bring home from school each day!
We also have our little stalker Arnie that lies in wait at the top of the road, waiting for the return of his little clan.
A Good Day.
You know if it’s been a good day at school, when they come home wearing a smile and looking like this.
Letters.
The first day of school went very well.
It was helped by Evie’s suggestion that if I was worried about her, I could always send a letter through to the school office and they would make sure she got it.
I think she’ll be fine.
Hard Work.
It’s back to school tomorrow for Millie and Evie.Like Millie, Evie will also be in school all day from now on.
She’s a little bit upset and nervous.
I am too.
Monday Morning Mantra.
My lot are resistant to normal persuasion and need a heightened form of communication on a Monday morning.
Here is a translation of my screeching before school.
It’s slowed down so you can understand it.
Speeded up, it sounds like high pitched wailing and shrieking.
Miss Independence.
I waited at the top of the road with my brolly. We thought we’d let her walk up the road from school to our house on her own.
It happened to be a horrendous wet and windy day.
I’m over whelmed with guilt.
Millie wants to do it all again tomorrow.
What my daughter thinks about elephants.
Millie had a busy day in school today. She came home with the weight of the world on her seven year old shoulders. When I asked her what was up, she explained that she had to write for five minutes about…elephants.
Tough one.
Dragon Breath.
It was very cold this morning on the way to school.
The girls love making shapes as they breathe out in the cold air.
Are we warm enough?
Never mind you can’t move, can’t have you getting cold now, it’s cold in the morning!
The long walk there and back again.
Oh look, what a surprise its raining again. I suppose being small makes it worse as you’re closer to the puddles. I think the best place is inside the pram under the rain covers. Its ok for Millie, she get’s dropped off at school, its Evie and I that have to climb back up the hill and get both sides wet! Oh well, the thought of tea and toast keeps us going…..
First Day back at school..
Of course when the weather turns glorious in September it can only mean one thing, school term begins. I can still remember sweating buckets in my pristine winter uniform and my glasses sliding off my nose in 20 degrees of heat in a school hall.
The uniform came out the wardrobe and we trudged down the hill to school. First day as a junior. Evie howled as her big sister skipped happily in. We made it better with a balloon and an afternoon in the paddling pool.
Doodlemum 