The little boy on your left has grown 6 inches since last January and turned into this 13 year old on your right. He just started high school this week and was most gracious about it being a little overshadowed by the Short Divine One starting Prep school.
Times have changed in other ways too. I recall back when the four biggies were in early primary when a Contact and covering marathon of several days would have to be undertaken. The Big Fella would take them out while I sticky taped and peeled and folded into the hot wee January hours once with a swarm of flying ants for company. No longer! Number Four declared it highly uncool to cover any books or even to have her mothers' uncool handwriting on them. In fact I left a pile of pens and exercise pads on the table and told them all to organise their own bags this year….and it was good!
Of course, I covered Shorty's tiny selection and took great delight in going overboard with sparkly glittery stuff because I only had to do it once!!
We bought approximately (sung to the 12 days of Christmas) seven pairs of shoes, six pairs of socks, five boys' shirts, four boys' shorts, three girls' blouses, two pairs of skirts and a laptop bag of required denomination. Not to mention the padlocks, belts, lunch boxes, etc) The coffers are well empty!
There were no first day photos. This one was crying because she did not like the 'stupid' dress (aka the nooniform). She fell asleep at 3.45 pm after her first day. The second day was a breeze.
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| homework- Day 1 |
This one refused to be photographed so I sneaked one from behind the tower of lunch boxes while he was checking his diary for the thirty seventh time.
We can't get a group shot because the B1 refuses to put on shoes until we drive into the school driveway and the B2 is gone to swimming training before the normal people get up. I may have to pay them to sit for a first day photo some time around the twentieth day when we've all recovered.
Wednesday I was so tired I wagged the doctor. Yesterday I came home after drop off and crawled back into bed for an hour.
Who'd have thought? Five of them…all at school. The happiness, the excitement, the bittersweet sadness, the fun, the quiet, the laundry…..the relief!
Hi, I don't cover school books either. And am quite happy about that. I may do the youngest next year just for old-time's sake, like you did. We also have thrown buckets of mula in the direction of school shoes, uniforms, key rings, keys, phones, bus passes, drink bottles, lunch boxes etc. Though it's all worth it because they all look so smart and grown-up. Cute piggie tails!
ReplyDeleteThose bus passes are a nuisance when they forget to let you know they are out of credit or when they let a friend borrow theirs because he needed it for the bus. Hello!
DeleteThink of the holiday we could have had with that nooniform money!
I will be finding myself in the same boat come Monday with all of them in school. I imagine it will be strange surreal feeling tinged with sadness and utter relief. I think crawling back into bed will be something i'll be doing at least for the first week!
ReplyDeleteSheer exhaustion but full of some very cute moments like the new hi schooler walking out with the new preschooler after he picked her up from school this afternoon for me. Moments worth bottling!
DeleteThat beautiful sleeping little girl melts my heart.
ReplyDeleteHope it all keeps rolling along somewhat smoothly. I'm down to a house with two little'uns ... overcooking, under-laundering, all very different. Enjoy your mob.
She fell asleep whilst eating an ice block at nanna's. It took only seconds. Still just a smidgen of baby there if I squint.
DeleteWOW Annie, all 5 at school!!! Please accept my virtual hi-5 and hugs on a job well done....they are so cut! Bless her little pigtails :-). Ours start back tomorrow and the coffers are empty just after the new shoes and haircuts, for now we can rely on the $2 polo tops from Bigw but I shudder just thinking about the high school uniforms.....x
ReplyDeleteAh, the memories.
ReplyDeleteYou just must get a pic of all of them together.
But let me say , the next highlight is the day they all leave school.
The Divine one has lost none of her charm. Couldn't you tuck a little frill in somewhere on her severe zooniform?
Hard to believe Shorty is in school. Bless her little heart, all tuckered out. Love all the photos.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Sharon
I'm so late with this comment you might just have managed the group shot by now!
ReplyDeleteCan't believe that Shorty Divine has hit 'skool dayz' already, but then I can't believe that every last one of mine has waved school good bye either!
I hope you are well, missing you, thinking of you and your family and wishing you all the very best, from a stranger on the other side of the world.
ReplyDelete