were into september not long now frantic label sewing, shoe buying and general getting organised and breath!!

[bodenaddict]

hi ladies here is our new thread

Because the intake is staggered, dd1 is still in a group of 10 for part of the day. Today the teacher said, 'She's more herself in a smaller group,' . Trying not to panic about a future in which dd1 spends her entire school career not being herself.

I made the mistake of buying her a set of face paints today. I hope no-one rings the doorbell this afternoon. I look a bit surprising.

And I am feeling so sad today that tomorrow is her last short day. She'll be full time from Monday. I know it's been a nice long settling period, but there is a heavy weight at the bottom of my chest. (aside from my insufficiently supported breasts)

Aranea - I would think that statement about smaller groups would apply to a lot of our children, I'm sure they'll get used to full classes. Having said that the boy is only one of 16 (small village school). There was a picture of them all in the school newsletter that came home today and spent some time trying to put faces to names - between us we got most of them.

Me "what's his name?"

Boy "I don't know, but he bashes me a lot"

My boy is not a fan of what they describe as "rough play"!

How lovely having only 16 in the class! (even if one of them bashes you a lot...)

hi

dd1 got on great with her first full day

"Sounds like hell in a heatwave mate. Nightmare."

• Is anyone else starting to read newspaperdelivery's posts in a strong Auzzie outback accent??? !!!!

Ripper!

{grin]

Ahh, and another week done. Phew.

We're planning.....not much, really. Think the boy needs some time just pootling about in the garden. I have a marking-mountain to tackle, couldn't face it this evening.

Yay weekend.

Boo I have a cold.

No more tears at going in time. Can you believe it after the melt down Monday? She tells me she has had many sad times and had to lay down on the sandpit lid and think about me. Lot sof hissy fits at home too. A few tears at school to do with not being able to do something or other [like save a bit of craft she made to show me - why? Why not? Eh?].

On the whole though - a revolution!

And after all the worry, she has had 2 lots of stickers for eating all her school dinner!!!!! I can only assume the portions are carefully measured with a calpol spoon.

Glad full day went well Tink!

Am seeing many more positives with the school. Like they let the children out 1/2 at a time at this stage. With coats on and bags ready. Its very measured and calm. I think my initial panic is simmering going.

Very very very big goodlucks for Monday Aranea.

WHat awful English. Big goodlucks?

Tis good to hear things are looking more positive.

The boy came home with a sparkly pirate hat on Friday, and a book of letters which he is learning the sounds of (if that sentence makes sense). He has even been seen making marks on paper with a pencil (a huge breakthrough for won't draw/won't write boy).

He's full of snot though, as is little brother. The sniffing is driving me mad.

Mucho snotting here too. Yak.

Letter sounds soung good golgi, as does mark making.

Uniform the the washing line. It all feels very domestic and surreal.

Who is it with chronic constipation in the family? T'was an A name

'Twas me newspaper - but I tried taking dd to a chiro and dd absolutely refused to be treated - even for large amounts of chocolate. This is typical of dd. It's this kind of intense stubbornness that makes her constipated in the first place

OOO no!! Thats a shame . Had a slight chuckle at the intense stubborness causing constipation - please don't be cross

Was the chiro nice though? Ours is a star but I can see how the idea and reality would be totally unacceptable to this age group.

Knew it was you or Arenea. So lazy not to look through thread - dd2 on right boob in my defence and lap top mousepads are a git using wrong hand....

Chiro was very nice and tried so hard - teddies, chocolate etc. But nothing doing. on a similar note - I've yet to take dd to a dentist. I can totally predict what will happen if he tries to examine her . I just keep brushing her teeth and crossing my fingers!

Totally lost the plot with eveing meals after school. Dd has a big snack then has hardly anything at dinner. The eating together thing which I was so pleased about finally achieving will have to be weekends only.

another mildly frustrating thing - d has started bringing home leters and books. She is always happy to have books read but totally objects to being asked anything to do with phonics and said books She will do phonic type things in other situations and likes to write stuff - but she appears to be very suspicious of attempts to get her to look for phonics in actual reading books Ok, deep breath, so my child will never learn to read, I can live with it, really I can.........

newspaper, I am pleased to receive your big goodlucks, whether they are good English or not. And I'm so glad to hear your dd is settling into the whole thing now and - more importantly - that you are too! I am so happy with dd's school, and I keep thinking about how lucky this is, as I know if I was having doubts about them I would be tied in knots most of the time. So it's great that you are starting to have confidence in them. What a relief.

tink - very glad to hear the first long day went well. I am so hoping that my dd can manage a whole week of them now!

golgi, it sounds like it's all going really well and your ds must be enjoying himself. It's great.

... and yes, Acinonyx, don't worry. She can live in the forest and trap animals or something, it'll be fine.

Acinonyx - I think she sounds wise. A person attempting to yank your neck and make it crack is clearly odd, chocolate or not.

Pretending to be a mouse to learn that I sounds like 'i' is also very odd, in our dd's opinion. She very rightly said something along the lines of it was easier to remember the 'i' sound than I means a mouse and the mouse says i-i-i-i. You dd is obviously savy. SHe will therefore be excellent at catching animals in the forest, and my dd can weave baskets from bark for shelter.

Yes, she's seen the cats bringing in unfortunate small creatures so she's getting the idea. Of course, there's probably more money in being a stripper - she regularly does a kind of dance of the seven veils with her dressing up gear...........

Acinonyx - most of them will learn to read eventually. I'm of the opinion that they will do such things in their own sweet time - and also have a son who reacts badly to being asked to do anything of this sort to order! Hence the pencil thing, I gave up trying to get him to draw/colour/write his name a long time ago, and funnily enough he is now starting to show an interest.

He seems keen on all the funny actions for the sounds they've been learning, I'm a bit bewildered though. What with that and the funny curly writing.....

Some of the actions are odd. For 't', they have to move their head as though they are watching a tennis match. Dd has no idea what tennis is - I keep meaning to look up a utube video for her.

Ahh, so that's why he was moving his head from side to side while going t-t-t-t
And is a-a-a something to do with ants crawling up your arm?

Weird.

Eh? What is all this stuff? Do they have to do it if they already know the letter sounds and are starting to sound out words?

It's Jolly Phonics
www.lgfl.net/lgfl/leas/croydon/schools/david-livingstone/web/classpages/yearr/Jolly%20Phonics%20Acti ons%20and%20Songs/

Son already does know letter sounds and can work out simple words (when he's in the mood). He's still t-t-t-t-ing and wobbling his head from side to side.

He seems to be enjoying it though, and is getting stamps in his book for "learning" each sound quite quickly (!)

I am going to have to work very hard not to convey my feelings about this to dd.