Day one

Well we all got through our first day... way too soon to tell yet BUT This morning the twins were very happy to get ready for school and as they are older now I changed their routine a bit to include them packing their own school bags. As we walked to the playground I chatted to Hannah about needing to find the Year 2 line etc. We ran into one of her new teachers just outside the gate and Hannah went happily although a bit shyly to her for a wee hug, then we greeted the principal who Hannah was also very happy to see. He mentioned that he had printed off the Victorian DSAs Guide for Schools re DS learners = and given a copy to Hannah's teacher. Once inside the gate I stopped to chat to another parent and Hannah happily went off to try and find where to put her bag (gotta love the independence!) after a bit though she seemed a little lost although she was in the right vicinity so I went over and helped her...then she sort of looked around, couldn't see anyone to play with and so went off on her own and was playing with some cardboard and leaves she found. It was almost time to line up so I headed over to guide her - and ran into her best friend Z (who is in another class this year) on his way to do the same thing. In the end I cuddled her and asked how she was feeling. I mentioned the Christmas cake that she had been so excited to take to school and share with her friends, and she happily held on to Z as they went over to the lines. Because he is in a different class I also went and made sure that she let him go to his line (!she was clearly excited but also a bit unsure). Anyway I couldn't stay until the end of the assembly to watch them go into class like I normally do because I had to get to my own work a bit early...I felt torn leaving and not seeing for myself that she was ok but at the same time I knew that she wanted to be a 'big girl' and that the school would take great care of her... The lyrics of a random song that I love happened to be going through my head all day: "I got a mother at home with a tear in her eye as she kissed her only baby girl bye bye She doesn’t want me to go, she doesn’t want me to try… You know I just gotta try…" It was sung by an Aussie band Flying Emus in the 1980s that I absolutely loved and although the context was different I could absolutely relate to them today - it isn't that I don't want her to try but I am terrified of her being hurt... I felt the same at the Powerhouse Museum yesterday watching her climbing high up on the roped dome structure in the playground...she has grown up and matured over the holidays. She is more confident with her skills and is wanting to do more. For example: At the beach she actually came out into the water (usually she gets dumped by a wave no higher than her knees right near the edge and quickly moves onto building sandcastles instead - not this time. My girlfriend and I were holding a hand each and she was 'jumping' waves - getting mouthfuls of sea water and occasionally 'drenched' by a wave - and laughing and looking for 'big ones' to jump - I got totally dunked on more than one wave trying to make sure that she stayed safe and fearless :) Then in the pool she swam without an adult in the water with her - in backyard swimming poodles with only a noodle for safety. Also she wants to climb. The first time was at a local park when before I had even realised she had shimmied up a small tree with great excitement and confidence. Next was the large roped dome play construct at the powerhouse which had my heart in my mouth! Then last night in returning to a more settled night routine she read her father a reader and then we all read a story book together - not only did she do pretty well on her reader - but she insisted on having her turn at 'reading' the story book. It was Room On The Broom and her reading level is nowhere near enough to read it but she followed the text with her finger and looked carefully at the pictures on the page and 'guestimated' some of the key words correctly and made sounds (with some clear words) as if she was reading... then Kit read a page, I read a page and her father read a page - we are such a lucky family that even though I desperately wish that learning to read was easier for her apart from the fact that she so wants to do it - I couldn't really care less...I am so very proud of her achievements and her spirit. And today she actually brought all of her lunch box home. And so it is that spirit that means 'she's just gotta try' and I hope that I can hide my tears and do everything I can to support her growing independence... PS I did take the obligatory first day of school photo - it looks surprisingly like the one at the top of this blog! Will post it later.