One more week...

Just one more week of school and then I have my babies home for summer.  And although I am glad they are home I am also sad.

Time changes things.  And there is nothing we can really do about it, and I am sure this time next year I will be sat writing a similar post (and lets fair, none are quite like last years*) but its always a time to reflect.

Oliver.  This is the first year that Oliver has actually liked school.  He hasn't really been one for school and he has had his fair share of not the nicest teachers, so to have a teacher he likes, actually LOVES, has been so nice. And for the first time ever his teacher actually really likes him.  He said 'I shouldnt say it but he is my favourite the class.  He is kind, gentle and has a wicked sense of humour'.    At last a teacher who finally gets him. Someone who can see the adorable boy that he is. And Oliver has loved his time in 4LB.  And he actually gets tears in his eyes when he talks about moving on and leaving year 4 behind.  He says 'To know I will never have Mr L as a teacher again makes me actually very sad' and his eyes begin to fill up.  And that is hard to see.  I hope Mr L realises just how big an impact he has had on my sweet boy.

Sam.  He has really flourished in year 1.  And although Wasn't keen on Mrs Steer when Oliver had her in Year 1, I have say I have loved her with Sam.  She knows how to bring out the best in him.  And he wants try hard all the time to make her happy.  But I know he will LOVE Year 2 and his new teacher. So many people say Mr F is the best teacher at that school. And I am happy that Sam has a year with him.

Emily.  My super shy little girl truly struggled when she started nursery. She is the youngest in her class, if her birthday had been 2 weeks later she would only just be starting nursery - not leaving it.  She HATED staying for lunch because of 'the man'.  She HATED 'the lady'.  But today she loves 'the lady' often having lots of lovely cuddles.  The will actually talk to her.  And 'the man'.  She actually races down the the gate if she spots him because she knows he will say 'Bye Emily' as she walks out. The teacher said 'She has just started to get comfortable and start to speak and its time to leave'.  Each morning is the same thing.  We wait for the doors to open.  When they do we go and get her frozen name tag and walk in.  The teachers say 'Hiya Em' and come and hold her hand (she will NEVER walk off unless they come and take her hand).  They say 'Shall we wave and then go to the Playdoh?' and then I walk past the window and wave at her smiling face.  And I know that will not happen for her again.  She will need to learn to kiss me goodbye in the playground and have me walk away.  And I am not sure how she will cope with that.  Sam struggled.  I think she will too.  And I think she will miss having Mrs Jones come and hold her hand and make doh with her :(

So I will say Goodbye to Mr L.  And to Mrs Steer.  And to the morning wave and watching her play on the bikes through the nursery gates and hope and pray that Year 5, Year 2 and Reception is kind and gentle to my babies.

'Dad wasn't a prune...

Nan never ages.  Tracey doesn't look like Tracey.  Mummy was a Princess.

Just some the comments when we watched this clip :)

I hope you dance...

You know when you listen to a song and it says exactly what you are wanting to say? But you have to really listen to the words and what they are saying and meaning.

I hope you dance.

I play this, turned up loud, and sing it to my babies. Big and small. And I mean every.  single.  word.  I hope they dance...

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
GOD forbid love ever leave you empty handed,
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth takin',
Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth makin',
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean

I hope you dance 

This is the song - I used it back on Christophers first birthday video.  

Windswept hair...

sandy little hands and feet, a little bit of a runny nose.  But she is perfect.  And she is mine.

Spotty Sam

So poor Sammy has Chicken pox.  Not quite the half term he had been looking forward to.  He had his mind full of lots of fun things he wanted to do, like go to the arcades, go to the park, and have a play at the play cafe.  Instead he is stuck inside all spotty and itchy.

I gave him a bath with some oats in it today.  Apparently a handful of oats to the bath is supposed to soothe the itch.  But he ended up covered in what looked like Ready Brek.  Ha ha ha!  He said 'This doesn't feel very nice' but I haven't seen him scratching since so it seems to have helped a little.

Emily likes to be included in everything.  And I mean EVERYTHING.  She asked 'Please can I have spots like Sam and a bath like that?'  How many people would a) want to be spotty and b) want to sit in a bath of oats?

I will leave you with Lucy enjoying her beans at Bearfeet :)

These feet..

School

When I was walking up to collect Emily from nursery the other day I started reflecting on time and how quickly new things become 'normal'.  It seems literally forever ago that I picked Christopher up from that school.  I look at photos of him in the uniform and it seems like a distant memory.  His trip to France, him running off smiling when he caught sight of his friends, spotting him doing errands for the office, all things that seem a lifetime ago.

I think of him today.  I was so concerned about him leaving behind his friends and starting such a new a big journey, but you know what?  He has settled far better than I could have hoped.  Not once does he not want to go to school.  He even will walk to town with his friend and get collected later.

A new school.  New friends.  New uniform.  But still the same smiling boy.  And that makes me happy.

It doesn't seem like yesterday that I was collecting Sam from Nursery.  His little word boards they made because he didn't speak.  Emily in her pram.  The same pram that Lucy now is in while we pick Emily up.

Before I know it Emily will be in full time school and Lucy will be putting on her uniform and setting off to nursery.  Time really is flying by.

And the year Lucy starts nursery will be Olivers last year in the school.  Sam will be in year 3 and Emily will be in the year Sam is now in.  And I know before long I will be sat here saying that its Olivers last day and saying that it seems like yesterday that Emily was in nursery.

I will leave you with a blurry but cute photo I snapped as Oliver rushed to get Emilys lunchbox that she had forgotten.  Good boy Oliver :)