The Big School Debut

Aren’t they supposed to come home jaded after their first day of school?

I’m not sure what happened to mine but they were still fair bouncing off the walls at 8pm.

Some parents report their new entrants falling asleep during the car ride home. One mum took her boy out for a celebratory dinner and said he was diabolical.

I was looking forward to an early night but no, it was harder than ever to get them settled.

I did, however, manage to extract more information than usual about their first day.

“Mum, Jai didn’t get a growling all day because he uses his inside voice now,” reported Miss Five, before proceeding to fill me in, as usual, on all the kids who did get growlings.

This torrent lasted, in great detail, all the way home with Master Five interrupting at one point with his own input.

“Grrrr,” growled his sister, clearly annoyed. “I hadn’t finished!” And away she went again.

Finally she dried up and I asked her brother what he learnt that day.

“I learnt to write a capital I,” he managed, before running inside.

Funny how I get the most insight into their day from his one sentence than all his sister’s ramblings.

While his energy continued to be boundless, the big school debut caught up with his sister on day two. I’d left them watching a dvd while I went to cook dinner and when their dad rang I took the phone to her. I found her lying on the couch comatose and not happy about being woken up.

She couldn’t utter one word into the phone before storming off claiming everything to be too loud.

It was early to bed that night with no tea. The next morning my normally happy-go-lucky was still in a fouler.

“Mum, I still don’t know how to read or write,” she moaned.

I explained to her that it takes longer than two days and asked if she was looking forward to playing with her new friends again.

“No, because no body plays with me,” she whimpered. 

That’s not what you want to hear. If it weren’t for the fact her nana teaches at the same school and keeps an eye out for her grand children, I’d find it hard not to march up there every playtime and set her up with a friend.

I checked with their nana who confirmed that, while her twin brother disappears off into the sandpit with all his buddies, she’d seen Miss Five floating around by herself on day one and tried to find her a friend. The next day she’d spotted her sitting outside the classroom at lunchtime with another new boy who also appeared to be friendless.

When I asked Miss Five about this I didn’t realise her older brother was listening.

“Ahhhh Jayla’s got a boyfriend!” Master Seven shrieked running off to tell his brother. They both erupted into fits of laughter, reducing their emotional sister to tears once more.

“Well it wouldn’t hurt either of you to play with her,” I told them.

“No way,” said Master Seven.

“No way,” emulated his younger look-a-like.

I’m sure she will find a nice little girl to play with – or boy … I’ll just have to check him out first.