Monday 9 August 2010

First the lasts and last the firsts..

Regular readers of this blog will know that Missy Woo, my little girl, is due to start school in September. That's, like, next month, right?!

Over the last few weeks, we've had a few lasts occur. First, I had my final "Frantic Friday" where I dashed from school run to coffee morning to lunch to music group to school and thence to swimming lessons. That's one last I won't be sad to see the back of! On the same day, Missy Woo went to her last music group. She'd been going since she was a baby with Monkey who went from 7 months. I was sad, because I'd been going with one or both of them for nearly 5 years. It felt like the end of an era and we said goodbye to Sue, the lady that runs the groups brilliantly.

Soon after, came two lasts that I will not miss, not one bit. First, the last ever nursery bill. I love the nursery that they have attended but not the cost. We paid to use a year-round nursery when I was still working and by the time I took redundancy last April, it was really too late to change. Monkey was a few months off starting school and Missy Woo loves the place so much that I know she would have had serious words with me if I'd moved her. Anyway, no more. I've paid my last bill and now we are free of that expense.

Next, I had my last nursery/school run. One day a week, I had to take Missy Woo to nursery and Monkey to school. I did it that way round to force me to get out early as Monkey had to be there for 9am but my back up was I would take Monkey to school first. I'm proud to say I never had to and Monkey was never late but oh boy, the stress. Nursery is 3 miles away in one direction and school 1.5 miles in the other, so nearly 5 miles apart. Such mornings could be interesting, if shouting at children to do as they are told to brush teeth/put coats on/get in car seats counts as interesting.

Then, on Friday, another last. Missy Woo's last ever party at nursery. The leavers' party. There was a magician, played party games and ate party food. Missy Woo had a ball and I got a child-free morning for nowt, being as Monkey was on a holiday football course.

During the morning, I suddenly noticed the date. 6th August. Realisation hit me like a slap in the face. In precisely one month, Missy Woo would be having her first day at school. Well, actually, it's a morning. Her first full day will be two weeks later but that is when she starts and we, as a family, will mark the occasion.

Between now and then, we have a couple more lasts, like last day at nursery. However, the lasts aren't what it is all about; after the lasts, come the firsts. Once she's started at school, the firsts will come thick and fast throughout the first term and the rest of the academic year.

Ready for school
I know lots of mums get sad about this point in their child's life, particularly their youngest, and I'm sure I will feel strange as things change. Nursery has been part of our family for over 3 years, the carers have been fab and the children have had a ball there. But, for now, I'm choosing to look at it in the same way that Missy Woo is - with big excitement for the new phase in her life. She wants to go to school with her big brother, be in class with the same teachers as Monkey had last year, make new friends - and play with a few old ones. She loves the uniform, she has school shoes, and a Hannah Montana bag for school that she adores (see right for Madame modelling some A/W 2010 trends). When she went in for a settling in afternoon, she told me to go as soon as I got in the classroom!

So, as the cliche goes, as one door closes, another opens. She doesn't realise it but my funny, clever little Missy Woo has the world at her feet and I know she will meet the challenge of school with relish - she will sail through those lasts and onto the firsts without batting an eyelid. I know what lies ahead for her and I am excited for her.

That just leaves me to sort out what I'm going to do next with my life. Easy!

14 comments:

  1. Missy Woo looks a picture! Such events in our lives are emotive mileposts, aren't they? They can't help but prompt a look back over the shoulder at the road just travelled. The little one looks and sounds all set. Great times.

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  2. It had to be that the best picture of her was the one where I cut off her feet, didn't it?! She was so excited trying that on again.. and whoa, she's in 5-6 dresses and is only just 4, what is that about?! We have a matching scrunchie too, I'm sure you're impressed with that. She'd want you to know it matches. ;)

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  3. Love this post! So bright & full of life. I'm so glad you're up beat about the new adventure you're all going to have! As for the rest of your life - list please!

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  4. I am not looking forward to mini going, I know he is ready, but it is me. I have so much fun with him at home, making doing and laughing. That is what I am going to miss, but I will try and be positive like you

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  5. Hello Kate, thank you for your lovely message on my blog. I can't believe your little girl is going to school soon. That's gone so fast. She is adorable. Hope all is well with you.

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  6. Oh, she looks like you! I'm in the same place, really - no4 will be in the nursery class, but pretty much full time, from September. I've watched all my friends have a wobble when their youngest started school, so I am prepared for mine to happen. But I'm also excited about the blogging, the writing, the sewing machine-ing, the redecorating, and all the other things I can do as we enter a new season, and I enter a new season of parenthood.

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  7. Oh, excitng times ahead for your Missy Woo, what a big step forward for her..... and you! I see the perfect photo was right there in front of you all along, eh ;-)

    That nursery/school run day sounds like a nightmare. We used to have what I called "Mad Wednesday" when I used to bring my WiiBoy straight from school to a Drama/therapy class (which I helped out at) then straight onto Taekwondo. Poor child had to eat en route and TRY to get some homework done!! I am so glad to see that back of those days too I can tell ya!

    best of luck to your Missy Woo! xx Jazzy

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  8. She looks great and like she will take it all in her stride. I think looking at it as the world opening up to her and being hers for the taking is a wonderful idea and one I will try to hold on to when Little Pink starts school (although that's not for a while yet).

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  9. Blimey, a list?! I will have to make one up first, Julia. ;) Maybe... but thanks for the comment.

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  10. As Rachael says, it is often when the youngest goes to school that some mums seem to have a wobble. A good 3 of Monkey's friends now have new baby siblings - with 2 more mums due to give birth before the end of 2010 (one is expecting twins!). Another friend, who only has one, said she really wanted to have another once he was in school but her husband vetoed that idea and she is actually quite happy. All change means adjustment, I guess - and kids seem better at us at that. Thanks for visiting and commenting.

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  11. Hello, lovely. No worries at all and thanks for the lovely comments. We are all just fine, thanks. I do love the pix and the recipes on your blog. Must remember to add it to my blogroll. :)

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  12. S'funny, people think she looks more like her Daddy. She has definitely got darker tones, and a thinner face etc but obv there are elements of me. Monkey looks more like me.
    As I've said elsewhere, there were a lot of Mums with kids in Monkey's class who obviously had that wobble as there has been quite a baby boom. From my own perspective, I *know* I am too old to have any more and I'm quite happy not to go to back to the baby years. The things my kids come out with are priceless and I do love them being able to do some things for themselves.

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  13. LOL. I had to get her dressed up in everything, not that she took much persuading - she really loves putting the dresses on. Those dresses looked big on her (but not massively so) when I first bought them erm in April, and now they look like they fit fine - and they're 5-6!!

    Fridays WERE pretty awful. Never time enough to stop for too long. The longest I would spend in one place was 2 hours max, often less. I don't mind the odd afternoon of it but it could go from 9am to 5pm.

    Thanks for the comments anyway.

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  14. Maybe I would feel differently if she wasn't so positive about it but she is. She is only just 4 (5th July) so potentially there would be the concern about being too little, not ready for it etc as some of the younger ones last year were clearly struggling. But she's not - she's confident, and keen to learn. Her reading is pretty good for her age - she now checks the post and gives me mine saying "this is yours because it has a K on it" and 90% of the time, she is right! The teacher is going to have fun with her, that's for sure!

    Thanks for the comment.

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