first day

...We survived it. No tears. Look at those smiling faces.

I was in a bit of a state last night, in case you didn't notice. I went to get chamomile tea to calm my nerves, but they only had Guinness ;-)

Hence I was in a bit of a haze all day, which I'm sure helped it all run smoothly, because it was me with the nerves, really. Well, Fergus didn't sleep very well, but woke up bright and early and they came in to wake me up at 7.30, all in their uniforms, with a cup of tea.

Anyway, it was a good half hour walk, dropping Joy off on the way, the pace being a bit too fast for Freddie. So, we allow 40 minutes tomorrow? I think I'm going to find out about the school bus...

Good bits: there were two other new children at the reception, and we knew them both. One being the same age as Fergus, and I know his mum and dad, but, for some reason didn't know he was also starting the same school. The other one was another boy who's mum I've known for years, but has been home educating in France, and has come back and is living on our street! (And I hardly know anyone on our street, it can be a bit unfriendly...)

We did see quite a lot of other people who I've known or met before at playgroups, etc. And I was given some more uniform bits.

The teacher thought Fergus was a girl, but I'm not sure that he actually noticed her mistake, which I quickly and subtly corrected. I mean, honestly, They were expecting a boy, he has a boy's name and was a boy in boy's clothes. The only thing was his long hair! I asked him if he minded the older boys teasing him in the playground, whether it upset him or he just thought they were stupid. He just thought they were stupid. And I asked him if he's rather go to the other school, where there are lots of boys with long hair and he said, no, he doesn't care if he's the only boy in the school with long hair, which he isn't anyway. There's one in Freddie's class, anyway...

The nursery assistant went on a bit, telling me about stuff like book bags and what they are for, etc, and I had to stop her and point out that I had done this before, but Freddie hadn't. This was his first day ever at school and she was talking to me! Standing up, so he couldn't even hear. I found some stickle bricks and left him with them. I saw his teacher after and made sure she knew also thas this was the first time he had been left anywhere, and she seemed surprised and said he was doing very well in that case. He seemed to have had a good day and get on with the other children, although they both said the teachers were "annoying" (!)

I haven't talked much to Joy as she went up to the stables as soon as we got back, but she seemed to enjoy it. We had bumped into some other horsey girls on the way, that were in her class, and who had thought that Joy was much to old to be going to junior school. Her teacher was there when Meg was, eleven years ago, but hasn't reallised the connection yet. He was my favourite one there (and one of the few that didn't leave in the wake of the damning Ofsted report).

Anyway I can't go on writing, as I'm way too tired and need to sleep. Have been feeling strange about the whole thing, but trying to focus on the positive. It hasn't hit me yet. But if they are happy, maybe it's me I'm worried about. It's shaken me up quite a bit. But at least I'll have the time to think about what I want to to next, to try and get done all the things I've been wanting to do, and have the space for myself that I've been craving. As for this blog, I don't know. Suppose I'll carry on in some way, but the blogrings? I should leave them but I can't remember how to go about that right now...