We are the festive receptionists' mothers - we bring shepherds, aliens and travelling cribs to a nativity play near you

[mistletoemulledwinemoodlum]

This is our new festive thread ladies.

I've been using it so long I think I would actually answer to it in the street

I sometimes answer to Smilodon too..

Ladies - we nearly lost our thread

but I found it and resurrected it.

Everyone ok?

Thanks. I'd lost the thread myself.
Not too bad here. Parents' eve - all good. DD's doing good work and seems to be mixing well.

I'm now worrying about next year. The atmosphere in that year 1 class is so vastly different. I'm not that keen on what I've seen and heard of the teacher if I'm honest. And the way the school is set up (it's small) DD will have her for 2 years. Which is a fair chunk of school life.
It's best I don't think too much about it and see how it goes as we go along I think.

Noah, your move sounds exciting. When is it likely to happen?

Aranea, how's your DD doing now?

Hello (had also lost thread ).

Move will happen hopefully by September. House about to go on the market but DH will start new job beginning of May. His employer will pay for him to travel and stay there three days a week until end of September (or the allowance runs out). We are going to be renting anyway and are thinking of starting the renting with DH on his own if that makes sense.

I have been doing the spreadsheet and found some schools that have spaces for DS (currently year 1) and that anticipate there being space for DD (who will start reception in September). Places get allocated there beginning of April but schools do have a general idea. I am going on a whistlestop tour of schools next Tuesday and Wednesday and will see how that goes.

All things school-like going well

Ah, here it is.

I've been a bit busy at school myself. Boys seem to be enjoying it - they're in together at the moment (combined nursery and reception).

Paisley - I think year 1 may well be a bit of a shock as they've done a lot of child-led stuff this year - and may not want to sit down and get on with more formal learning.

Will wait and see.

Boy is about to lose the (very lovely) teacher he's had since the start of reception as the lady she was maternity covering for returns. Again, will wait and see how that goes.

Ah, here it is.

I've been a bit busy at school myself. Boys seem to be enjoying it - they're in together at the moment (combined nursery and reception).

Paisley - I think year 1 may well be a bit of a shock as they've done a lot of child-led stuff this year - and may not want to sit down and get on with more formal learning.

Will wait and see.

Boy is about to lose the (very lovely) teacher he's had since the start of reception as the lady she was maternity covering for returns. Again, will wait and see how that goes.

Sorry, there seems to be an echo in here.

I've found that DS in Year 1 is still very much play orientated - they have free play at the beginning of the day for about 30 min or so and have home corner, water, sand etc. They still seem to do a lot of work and a lot more is written down, but it hasn't been the sudden change I was a little worried about.

Oh, hello, nice to see everyone again!

All well here - parents' evening left me glowing with pride as the teacher tells me that when DD reads to her, other children crowd round to listen. Sorry for proud moment but I just am. It's lovely to hear good things. On the whole I just hear that she doesn't listen properly and goes deaf at tidy-up time . I find it hard to be too shocked about that, as I was exactly the same at school myself.

Noah - sounds as though it's all falling into place! Good luck with school visits.

paisley - I have heard that the real culture shock is the transition to year 2, so we might be OK for a while yet!

Aranea, that's so cute about the others all crowding round to listen.

Hopefully the next year won't be so bad then (I really am not sure about that teacher though).

I'm trying too eek out this uniform until we go into summer dress in a few weeks. Her skirts/pinafores seem so short now, compared to when we started.

Paisleyleaf I have the same problem with DD and pinafores and skirts. She's only been wearing them since January but must have grown aboout an inch or two in the last fortnight I think .

Also doesn't help that she suddenly needed socks (she now has socks ) instead of tights so the expanse of leg is looking bigger. She would wear summer dresses now if she could but I think school says you have to wait until after Easter.

hi girls I have just picked ds up for the holidays. He was chuffed to bits to be going home and no school for weeks now.

Glad everyone is well. Aranea that is lovely - you should be proud and chuffed. All I got from parents evening was that ds is much more numerate than he is literate, and is a very imaginative dancer... Strangely enough, that's what they said about dd in her parent consultation, so it looks like I am going to have to turn into one of those pushy mothers that put their children into ballroom dancing. Only joking, but the concept of them both being good dancers makes me LOL.

Wow, end of term already?! We've got another couple of weeks yet I think.

I love that both your children are 'imaginative dancers'. How lovely. I wish I was.

That is a lovely picture Aranea

Still 2 weeks to go here.

I'm cleaning and tidying prior to a playdate with 2 girls from dd's class. This is the first time I've done this with 3 and I hope it goes OK. One is her best friend (although I don't think dd is this girl's best friend hmmm) and they have not been getting on this week.

I am trying to chill on the freindship thing but it's hard. There appear to be regular cycles of playing intensely with a child - then the child says 'no more'. I think dd is just too attentive when she has a playmate and the child gets sick of it. I used to get that feeling myself when she was 2-3 TBH!

Need to buy more socks. And probably another dress.

Couple more weeks here.

Have got the bloody toy home again. This happened last time too, it's arrived on a weekend when we're really busy with dull stuff - if it had come last weekend we could have taken it planting trees and then to Fountains Abbey.

Have just taken a picture with it next to Boy on the sofa as he watched a film and ate pizza.

I think I might need to get some more polo shirts over Easter, they are looking decidedly grey (my fault for being less than perfect about the whole light and dark colours nonsense) - so when it's hot enough to remove jumper he'll look a bit scruffy.

And do small boys wear shorts in the summer term? I have no idea. Probably not the best plan with mine as he falls over in the playground at least once a week, and the trousers give a small amount of knee-protection.

We have parents' evening to look forward to next week.

Hope the playdate went well Acinonyx. I had a slightly bothering conversation with dd1 yesterday. She tells me that she is now 'one of X's best friends' (X being the girl she had all that trouble with a while back), along with another girl she gets along very well with. And then she went on to tell me that the three of them had refused to let another girl play with them, and said they would play with her 'tomorrow' instead. Isn't that vile? I just couldn't get dd to really grasp what she'd done wrong, which was a bit disappointing. And I really wish she didn't so much want to be friends with X. I know I should just stop worrying, but I don't like the idea of her joining in with that kind of cliquey behaviour.

Mitochondria, I'm very impressed by your high standards. I don't think it would occur to me to buy new clothes rather than send my child out looking scruffy!

I don't know why I feel I need to make an effort with school uniform, as the rest of the time he is usually covered in mud / jam / chocolate / other unspecified stuff.

I'm hoping to make dd's uniform last into summer but it is looking a bit sad. It's the constant washing - if only a set would last more than a day.

Playdate went well (I think). An almost hysterical frenzy of dressing up activity culminating in using rather a lot of my perfumes

Dh appears to have befriended a boy in her class. This morning he was very pally with her but I know only too well that he will probably feel rather over-adored quite soon and it will all end in tears.

Still doing the school run as dd still at school. DS gave me his tonsilitis, and I have been suffering. But better now. Have fear inducing play date tomorrow with one of the feistier mothers on the school run. Think she will be expecting me to leave ds there, but am fairly sure he will not be expecting me to leave and then there will be tears, and oh god it will be awful.

Am on my knees with tiredness. I wish this blessed term would bloody end.

And I have a piano DH accidentally bought off ebay being delivered tomorrow. That's all I need tbh.

Hi everyone sorry am so useless keeping up with threads.

Moodlum - lol at your dh accidentally buying a piano! Hope the playdate goes ok.

Acinonyx - glad your playdate went well too, I've not bothered with any just lately. Am just too knackered to cope with other kids so quite glad dd hasn't been invited to any.

Anyone else counting down the days til easter hols? Dd is shattered but in a bad habit of not going to sleep at night & as a result her behaviour isn't so good, lots of tears & tantrums after school & into the evening. Had her parents evening last week, she's doing well, finding the social aspects a bit easier but does take herself off to play by herself if the classroom gets too noisy. Apparently she seems quite happy to do this with the teacher thought showed some self confidence. Not much self confidence re number work though, apparent;y she tends top check other lo's answers on their work sheets & scribble hers out & copy theirs if it's different, teacher says more often than not she's originally right anyway but obviously doesn't think thats the case. Felt a bit bad that I don't practice number work much with her, teacher says she needs loads of practice so she can believe she is right. I have been neglecting any such practice & concentrating more on the reading books & homework as feel we have to do that even though she's so tired she's not really in the mood to do anything.
I'm a bit sad as my favourite teacher that has the class on a fri is retiring. She is lovely & I think I'm probably more upset by the news than dd, which is a good thing. Luckily the pe teacher is taking over the fridays so not another new member of staff to get to know.
Am sick of school at the mo, we've had a run of events, dressing up days, non uniform day, making easter baskets etc etc. Just a school disco, a decorated egg to do for next week & an easter service & that's it. Think dd is too exhausted to enjoy all these events, wish they would have them earlier on in the term. Anyway enough of my moaning!

Hello - another week and a day to go here, break up next Thursday.

Had parents' evening tonight, teacher was very positive.

Roundabout - you can't do everything. Some of it has to be school's job. I would concentrate on the reading books for now.

We break up next Thursday as well. DD has been getting a bit tearful over random things - think tiredness may be partly to blame.

Have been for a lightning visit to York and seen lots of schools. Made copious notes and know some I like which is good .

Have just (today) been delivered 252 exam papers to mark. They need to be sent back on Tuesday after Easter which feels a way away but sadly isn't, especially with the amount of things I seem to be doing inbetween. Have said over Easter I will be Marking. In PILs house. I will come out occasionally .

Nearly time to get boy child and then go to ballet for girl child. Is last one of the term so we get to watch. Have charged up camera

Noah - I'm going to be marking over Easter too. Only my own students' coursework though, I'm not getting extra marking through the post!

Helllloooooo?