Back to school 2022

Back to school today for these nuggets! After a long hot summer, with covid finally cracking the WA markey, it's masks galore and school time for everyone. They were so keen to go and I am so happy for them.

I love that they are so close. It's nice to know that they will always have each other if something goes wrong at school.

Madeline is off to year 5 this year and is absolutely thrilled to pieces as she managed to score the teacher she really, really wanted. She has had a lot to do with Ms. Berman in the past and is super excited as her dog Sasha also comes to school a lot, she is a therapy dog!

Joseph is really calm about school (this is wonderful for me!) as he has Mrs Southee, who was his spelling mastery teacher last year. He copes a lot better with people who are familiar to him, so that's an all round win.

Maddie is also playing flute this year which she is really excited about. I can't wait to see what's in store for the two of them. 

2022 - Let's do this!

back to normal

the older kids went back to school today and mine and alexanders lives went back to normal. we walked, we had breakfast, we did the washing (and alex had a picnic on the ground while i hung it out) watched some hey duggee, had a decent nap with no interruptions from noisy older kids and made mess. well, one of us made mess and spoiler alert, it wasn't me. 

alex did look a little confused when maddie and joseph had to go off to school, but when he had me all to himself, he wasn't complaining. after all, his life was back to normal. ❤

back to school

these little nuggets went back to school today. i am so proud of them, though also equally as sorry for them. they really didn't get a holiday, it's been a month today since we lost their grandfather - but they have borne this trial with a great deal of courage and i am so proud they made it through. we spent nearly all of the holidays between the hospital and home, then the rest organising things for the funeral and the aftermath... but they made it through, with minimal whining. hooray!

maddie is so excited to be back and see her friends and learn some more... she has been split off from her closest friends at the beginning of each year, but thankfully she has been blessed with the ability to make friends easily and i know she will be fine yet again.

joseph was nervous about a new teacher and a new class (we were very spoiled having the same education assistant two years running, which was a great blessing for our shy boy) but went in with a determined look on his face ready to start the new year. he has been put in a split year one/two class this year, which i hope will allow his new teacher to extend his learning some more.

i am really blessed to have such great kids. these holidays were not ideal, but many times, they would tell us it was okay, not just the other way around... so i know we must have done something right! i am sure they will do well in whatever they do this year.

of course the morning wouldn't be complete until we threw baby alexander in for one of the photos. he is so loved by these two. such a lucky boy! 

2020, we've got this. bring on another year at ellen stirling!

the unicorn squad

some of the girls in maddie's grade at school have gotten together and formed a club that they refer to as the "unicorn squad." i'm not entirely sure what the point of it is, but i (along with the other mums) think it is adorable and love to see them having fun together. we walked to school with two of the other girls this morning and i couldn't resist snapping this picture of them, with their pastel backpack goodness, just before we reached the school. 

life is so much better with friends... 

and i am grateful every single day that she has good ones ♥

back to school 2019

can you actually believe it? these two nuggets went off to school on monday, both full time! when the heck did that happen? and what on earth will i do with myself (don't you worry, i know i'll have plenty of things to do...)

this girl is so ready for the year ahead, she is so bright and bubbling over with a desire to learn, her reading and writing (and most definitely her talking!) are above normal levels and i know she is going to be just fine.

joseph is a little more shy, but he is doing so well, he is already reading way above level (thanks to miss madeline of the living room classroom who has drilled him for months) and loves books (hot tip, if you want your child to read, they have to want to read, so find them something they'll be dying to know the words of - in our case, hot wheels books. boom) so i am sure that he will be amazing and surprise the teachers with how much he knows.

my cute girl. i wonder how much i'll be able to get her to wear the dress this year. she claimed at the end of last year to hate it, but put it on with no arguments... phew. she has a teacher we don't know, but we've been assured she is lovely by a few friends, so that's great!

joseph has a teacher madeline had in pre-primary for two of the five days, and another we didn't know for the other three. we are thrilled to have mrs. cunningham again and we are already liking his other teacher, hooray. 

i am sure alex is going to miss the noise and his big siblings during the day, but i am sure he might actually get some good naps in now...

2019 - we are coming for you!

and me, i am trying to pretend i'll miss them, but i'm looking forward to some quiet time! kids are both the best thing and the worst thing ever ;)

off to school together!

can you believe it? my babies are both at school this year and went off together yesterday for the first time. madeline is a big year one and joseph is at kindy 5 days a fortnight (3 one week and 2 the following). i almost have no idea what to do with myself... but let's be honest, i can always find something to keep myself busy.

 

my emotional little madeline was a bit teary when i had to leave her in her class, but was thrilled to see her best friend ella was in her class, especially are finding out that 4 of her closest friends were all in the same class, and she wasn't in it. :( she settled in fine though and was all smiles when i picked her up.

joseph on the other hand, waltzed into his classroom, put all his things away as instructed and went and sat quietly on the mat with his hands folded in his lap. "bye joseph, i love you. "bye mum!" clearly nothing to worry about there... but then really what could he have to worry about? he's been watching madeline go off to school for two years now, he knows exactly what's up!

they were so cute together, they appeared in my room, shortly after 7, both fully dressed and ready to go. it was adorable! 

i can't wait to see them learn and grow this year, they both love school and are super hungry to learn, so hopefully only good things will come!

♥

school ready

it's school time in just 8 days (but who's counting, oh me for sure! my kids are squabbling and it is time...) and i am ready to go! mum came over for the day and whipped up a library bag for joseph, cars of course. 

finished an art smock for madeline...

and then made a new library bag for madeline (she's over the frozen one that poor mum made and then hand embroidered her name into last year. sigh)

i spent the day labelling pencils and books and packing everything ready to go for next week and i am pleased to report that we are done and dusted.

now to work out how i'll cope with my baby at school next year. thank goodness it's only five days a fortnight. i don't know what i'd do with myself otherwise! i'll let you know how we go! 

our pre-primary girl

this morning i delivered this little girl to her new pre-primary class, where she will be attending full time! i can barely believe it, but my little girl is growing up so fast. we had a lovely surprise when we arrived at her classroom, to see her teacher is none other than her alternate wednesday teacher from last year... hooray!

what a cute kid! but seriously, do not let that sweet smile fool you, she is full to the brim of so much sass, that i am amazed it doesn't stream out her ears when she is sleeping...

here is hoping she has another great year and makes more great friends. we found out yesterday that she won't be in the same class as her two best friends this year, but i know she is strong enough to make plenty of new ones.

and just to prove it's not an issue, she and isabella found each other the minute the final bell went and posed happily for me... different classes? no problems! we've got this!

let's go 2017! ♥

back to school... back to school...

these gorgeous, amazing, fabulous, attractive children are my nieces and nephews 

and as an afterthought - they happened to go back to school this week

jared (above) is at high school for the first time - and miss emma is off to kindy.

they are so cute and i just couldn't resist swiping these pics from my sister in laws facebook and posting them here for the world to see.

proudest aunty ever...