Success - eggs boiled with vinegar!

Thank you Justamum and Savvy_Sue from MSE! Eggs with vinegar do not crack.

Little bear came home, looked at my attempt to prepare a nest and was very disappointed. I had got a smallish snack pot, glued brown paper on the outside, put pieces of green paper and scrunched up brown paper on the inside and hoped that it would look somewhat like a nest in grass. I hadn't been able to get out to get brown paint (considered mixing it, considered track record, got brown paper out), so I decided to go for the plastic pot option rather than papier mache.

I thought it looked okay. Little bear solemnly shook his head. He wanted a tree.

In little bear's defence he is doing a very good impression of middle to outright exhausted and was desperately trying to nap at 8am this morning. I have no idea where to start with a tree, I have no desire to start with a tree, and I have no idea what little bear thinks is going to make the dratted tree. Especially one big enough to look right with a hard boiled hen's egg.

Little bear doesn't want to enter this competition as he doesn't think he is going to win. This is not an attitude I want to foster. I am scratching around for ideas to make decorating boiled eggs fun for a tired, uninterested and irritable five year old with a mum who does not do decorating anything because I am rubbish (and fairly exhausted and uninterested with it).

Next year we work on the tree.

Last day of term

Little bear has his last day of school before the holidays. He has had a full term of school, and managed pretty well. He seems to have plenty of friends, is usually desperate to go to school, seems happy there, his reading is racing ahead (I think he is on year one books, but I wouldn't really know), and as far as I can tell there are no problems. I feel very, very blessed. I hope that this can continue.

Of course the school were getting money off us this morning. I parted with a pound for reindeer food. However this is glittery bird seed, and birds don't come into our garden, possibly due to the humungous black tom who uses it as a lavatory.

Sigh.

I mentioned snowman poo to them (white marshmallows with edible glitter) and I think that may appear next year. Or not. I think if you are a parent of a four to five year old, talking about a snowman's poo is the least of your worries.

At least they rang

School rang. Little bear was off on Thursday and Friday, so they rung mid morning to ask me to take in the dratted pyjamas for the dress rehearsal. At least they rang.

Little bear is looking tired and pink cheeked. I am keeping all crossed that it is just tired/overexcited/a bit warm from central heating.

And £25 of school photos have arrived. As a biased mum, it is worth it.

School Calendar

We have the opportunity to purchase (sigh) a school calendar for the trivial amount of £3.50.

On the one hand we have a Dr Who calendar poised to be hung on the wall and annotated. I have heard that the last school one was not the best quality. And I am getting fed up of paying out. We are already over £100 for the first term there. I could have scaled it back, but I have just also signed up to provide the paper cups for the school party (and getting rid of 50 Asda Smartprice inconveniently opaque plastic tumblers as I need clear to do stripey jellies). This is on top of the wine for the hamper, the raffle tickets for the hamper, the ticket for the Christmas Play, the donation at the Carol Service, the 'voluntary' contribution for the trip to see Jack and the Beanstalk...

On the other hand, I have this sneaking suspicion that it may be better for little bear if he is known as one whose parents will always turn up and stump up. And it is only £3.50...

I just don't know what to do. However my instinctive reaction is to not bother. I am sick of paying out.

I'd ask darling father's opinion, but he has just 'popped out to buy Christmas Presents' with a definite sparkle in his eye, so he is up to something anyway and unavailable for comment.

Re-Reading the School Newsletter

It doesn't actually ask for money (apart from the first paragraph mentioning that the raffle tickets now are on sale)...

However I will be buying an expensive pair of pyjamas (That probably won't be as good as the Matalan ones I usually get), and I need to provide items for the hamper and the school party and possibly I may need to get 'party clothes' for little bear. Much as I love him, he is short of party clothes as the parties he goes to are soft play and I would be technically insane to send him in anything like fancy. He may just get provided with his nicest jeans and top. Or I may do what I did last time this came up and fall in love with a groovy outfit from Matalan (they have some gorgeous sets for boys, with waistcoats and everything).

Regardless, all the cost of party food and hamper items are added to the asks amount.

As for the hamper item - what on earth do I get? I know lots of parents won't bother, but I want little bear to look good(ish) in front of the teachers so I want to send something in. Nothing I have from Approved Food is still in date, though of course it is fine. I am not sure how many that go to the classroom will use a jar of mincemeat (I wouldn't, I loathe the stuff). I refuse to buy alcohol, though there is some extremely inexpensive wine from the lovely newsagents that is a tempting thought. The £2.99 stuff actually tastes really nice, but it is low alcohol, only 8% proof. The hot chocolate toddies that darling father keeps bringing home from Marks and Spencer are stronger than that. I think a small packet of shortbread will be appropriate - from Marks and Spencer. Which I can pick up when I go and get the dratted pyjamas.

Another School Newsletter

It hasn't actually asked for money, so that's okay.

It has lots of songs for us to practice along with our little ones. I shall have to go on Youtube and hope that the version there is the same as the version at school, because the only one I recognised was 'When Santa Got Stuck up a Chimney'.

They reminded us about the children's Christmas Party. They are putting up a list for us sign up to bring in pre packed, or non-home made stuff. That took me a little by surprise, but I am glad I don't have to make home made. My fairy cakes do not stand up to scrutiny. And we can bring the party clothes in for them and hang them on their peg in the cloak room in a carrier bag. Forty plus kids all changing into variations on a theme of party wear and scattering uniform around - marvellous!

There was also a note about little bear and his part in the 'Christmas Play'. He is playing 'a child' and has to wear pyjamas, so his costume is not provided. 'We could just nip out and get some from Matalan' his teacher said dismissively. 'But we are sure you have snazzier ones.'

All little bear's pyjamas come from Matalan.

Actually I would recommend Matalan to anyone who has little ones. The clothes for kids are generously sized, decently made for the price, wash and wash and wash and are generally great. I am seriously thinking of only ever going their for his stuff, it is brilliant. Except, obviously, for pyjamas for the Christmas Play. I am going to have to brave the infernal torment that is Marks and Spencer in the run up to Christmas to get little bear some pyjamas that will not necessarily be that much better than Matalan. But they are middle class pyjamas.

It was my own fault. I over spent on the raffle. I thought lots of parents would be splashing out a bit for the raffle, with it being their little ones etc. I realised too late that I was the biggest spender by far. I think I may have marked my card the wrong way.

More school letters

Two letters today, one for a school trip and asking for a 'voluntary contribution'. One reminding us about absences.

I do feel for the school. They are set these targets, and they do their best, but this time of year when schools are mixing up the winter germs, absences must be a real problem. They are pushing the 'no holidays in term time' rule, and, to be fair, I sort of agree with this.

When we were young we used to get a week's family bus pass and have days out all over. We were lucky that the passes covered the beaches of North Wales and the parks and places of Cheshire. We covered vast distances with butties and squash in the bag. If you live in a remote area, it must be difficult, but we live in a very bustling place. Indeed, I plan to be taking little bear all over this summer. I wouldn't dream of taking little bear out of school, and I won't pay summer holiday prices either!

On the other hand I do feel for families who need to get away through difficult circumstances and really can only afford to go away during term time. And I also think that those schools who organise the humungous trips in term time that are more holiday than learning aren't helping either. I seem to remember when I was at school that there was a cruise in term time. Hmm.

Waking up in shock

Poor little bear was a bit neglected this morning, as I spent a lot of time falling asleep in the same room as him between about 6.30 and 8.00am. Of course he had drinks, breakfast etc, but not bright company from his mum. I am feeling better in the cough department, but like absolute ditchwater with everything else.

So I stumbled into school with him. Then I wondered if I was actually still dreaming. The staff were dressed as characters from the Wizard of Oz. The lady dressed as Dorothy, who is lovely, was just so unexpected as the normally polished lady had a wig, gingham dress, apron, the whole caboodle. It looked a bit, well, odd. I just stood and blinked at her, and thought, either someone has put something illegal in my cornflakes or I am going to have to be very tactful here. So I said that she looked very nice.

On the bright side little bear got himself dressed today. Okay, it was in installments with lots of me pounding up and down stairs to help with the awkward button and the issue of a belt. But he was determined.

Small mercies

Well, at least I got the most recent letter from school. And it doesn't exactly have any demands for money. There was just a list of the various 'Christmas Performances' and 'Carol Concerts' for the various years. Plus the ominous note that tickets would be available.

On a related note, little bear's Christmas performance is at 10am and the Carol Concert at 10.30am. How are working parents supposed to make that? I know OH would love to go to both, but he doesn't have a chance. To be fair, it is better to have it at 10am than keep four and five year olds up until daft o'clock with an evening performance. It is just so sad.

And I think that the school photos will cost either £24.25 or £46.25, depending on whether we want the CD with the photo - and we haven't gone that mad!

Running total

Running total of money given in to school so far this half term, and this is just for 'asks' and not lunch money, uniform etc, but for sponsorship, donations, non uniform days etc, is £50.10.

That is fifty pounds sterling and ten pence.

School photos are next week. Sigh. Copies to Sister in Law, Brothers, darling uncle, darling father, us (of course) and I suspect a few more aunties. I won't add in the cost of a hair cut before it, though, as he is due a hair cut anyway.

It all could be a lot worse, I suppose. I was keeping a total out of amusement, but it may be quite useful, if only to point out parental contribution to the staff.

Reading Report

Hopefully not many more of these 'firsts' to go, and the first Parents Evening is 20 Oct, so fingers crossed I will be sane by then.

We all trooped in to the blessedly cool hall, and there was a display of what they were using. They are using Jolly Phonics (Thank you, Ian, for buying all that stuff for little bear, as usual thanks to his family he has a head start!). This means that each letter or pair-of-lettter sounds has an action as well as a sound. The Head Teacher encouraged the parents to join in and told off the front row (which included me) for lack of effort. There were some little ones from Year One who were demonstrating. The Head Teacher was very careful to look out for them, and insisted on a clap for them at the end for their effort, but she is quite stern with the parents.

So I have come home with leaflets (including a list of merchandise that can be purchased) and I am now bewildered at having had huge quantities of information about homework and reading books and library books and dots and books with single large letters but no pictures and what will happen when, and I can say I have absolutely no confidence in remembering anything.

Little bear is very hot and bothered, he is sitting down with a lolly ice and looking very tired. I shall take this lull and see what I can make of the leaflets. These also include a reminder about the dratted Christmas cards.

Harvest Festival Report

Just to get it out of my system - little bear was GORGEOUS!

That's better. I sort of enjoyed it. There were the children from several schools and little bear's old nursery which makes the church a very logical place (and full!). Darling father wanted a pot of tea making just as I was going out, so I arrived very red faced and last into the church, standing anxiously at the back.

The children sounded so lovely, the talk by the lady from St Georges Crypt was very good and interesting for the children. Some of the songs were so saccharin that I wanted to go and drink vinegar as an antidote, but I just concentrated on how lovely the children sounded and it was fine.

I made sure that little bear saw me, as I know it meant a lot to him that I was there. He looked so sweet. When he is fourteen, if he reads this, he will be so cross at calling him sweet, but he was. He had to have calpol this morning, he was feeling to bad to eat breakfast, but he was fine in the church. It was also nice to see the people from the nursery.

The Head Teacher was definitely clocking who was there. Despite my best efforts she managed to speak to me, and I said how lovely the children sounded.

I am glad that I went, and I shall be turning up to all the other such occasions. Now I have to get ready and out as I am off to the big meeting for all reception parents to see how they are going to teach the children to read.

School and decisions

I am going to be so glad when I get over myself and get past the 'new first child at school' phase.

Tomorrow is little bear's harvest festival. The note said that it was at 10.30 at a particular church, friends and family are welcome to attend. I bought a bag of pasta and didn't plan to attend.

Then I started thinking, and I really shouldn't. First of all, why are they having a harvest festival in a Church a few hundred yards up the road? It is not a church school, as far as I can see they have a range of faiths, mainly of the CBA (Can't Be Bothered) persuasion. I am sure there are a few pagans around here as well as the more well known non-Christian faiths, and it isn't very welcoming to them. Why don't they have it in the School Hall? Realistically, if it is the whole school then they won't all fit, I think, but I know the Church in question, and the whole school wouldn't fit in there either, let alone friends/family.

And if they are going to have it in a Church, why don't they have it on a Sunday? Not all children could be there, but I am sure enough would turn out to take up samples of gifts collected during the week. Though I don't blame a teacher for not wanting to give up free time, so perhaps not.

Or they could go to St Georges in Leeds, where the charity who is getting the donations (St Georges Crypt, a fantastic charity) as a school trip (I would be grumbling about the cost, I am a hypocrite) and also look at the Church architecture.

And should I really go? I don't want to speak ill of the people at that Church, as the people individually are actually really nice, lovely people and you would want to be hugged by them. They just don't, as a church, do much God. Or they didn't, they might now. I'm not sure. But I am unenthusiastic about the Church itself. And all the fuss surrounding the Harvest Festival, and whether it is inclusive.

But the Head Teacher does note who is there and who isn't, in a scary way. If one of little bear's parents are always there then it does look better for him and they know that he is supported in learning. If I am not there, it will be noted. I feel for all the working parents on this as there is also a meeting tomorrow afternoon which parents are expected to attend to find out how our children are going to be taught to read. I think attendance on that will be much more closely monitored.

Biggest point - will little bear feel let down if I am not there but other mums and dads are? I am not sure. He might. Or he may be distracted. Actually he may not notice.

I'm going to have to go. Darn.

Book Bag

It goes like this. I buy a cheapo nylon bag from School for £3. I have to take little bear's book to school in it every day and bring it home every night.

Little bear gets a new book every Tuesday. Yesterday it was a lovely shiny new one.

However this book gets further and further battered by being taken to and from school, even with the book bag, and more and more dog eared as little bear does his best to memorise it (he insisted on reading it twice last night) even though he really only needs it at school on the Tuesday as he is using that book as a book to read at home. I suppose it means that they can keep track of stuff, and read with him if he needs it at school.

When I was presented with the book last night I asked if it was homework. Miss explained to me that it was so he could have something to read at home. Currently we have managed to keep the books on his bed down to around half a dozen, but there are three BIG boxes of books next to his bed, 'just in case'. I don't think Miss believed me when I explained that he had a lot of books. I think she may think I am one of 'those' mothers, whose little darlings must be always referred to as a genius. I am a doting mother, and thrilled with little bear, but his current genius involves getting into trouble and then fooling his father into believing his tears are not crocodile but tears of trauma and devastation that can only be assuaged by vast quantities of sweets.

Although, to prove the rule, little bear is now carefully going over books and making the sound for every letter instead of reading very nearly almost close to but not quite all of the words themselves. It is now c-a-t instead of cat and I am not sure I am impressed, but Miss says... I refused to go through a child's picture dictionary saying all the sounds in every single word and he acted like I had tried to amputate an ear, not that he just couldn't be bothered but thought it was an important task that needed to be completed.

It's just another routine to get used to, and it could be worse. At least he gets access to new books, and they can't make assumptions about the children that they have. I am sure that many little ones in his class don't have the same access to books, and I suspect that there are one or two who really don't have books at all.

Just to add - I can get an identical book bag that the school sold for £2.50 (ie 5op less) from my friend ebay - including the p&p! It's only 50p, but I can see these things mounting up.

Getting used to school

Little bear is having no problem getting used to school, none at all, he loves it, he has friends there, he is having a marvellous time.

Me, on the other hand...

I forgot his dinner money for the second week running. I forgot that he was starting PE this week and that the kit had to be in all week. I remembered it literally ten minutes before we were due to go out (I was looking at the clock, and it may have been exactly nine minutes).

I hadn't ironed the name tapes in all of his trousers, and guess which he was wearing - of course he had no name in his trousers.

Today I spent at least fifteen minutes sorting out little bear's calendar. Can I mention that I used to be a legal secretary organising the diary of an Associate? And while temping I actually ran the diary of a senior civil servant that included meetings with junior ministers (okay, not that often, but I was booking meeting rooms in Whitehall etc). An electronic calendar holds no terrors for me, but it took me ages to work through all the dates to slot in for little bear.

I am going to have to Have A Think about how I structure my time. Because I am not working, time is passing me by and nothing is urgent and is getting forgotten. That has got to change!

School Asks

I was told off today by a Teaching Assistant (a job I could never do, and so stand somewhat in awe of them). You see, you have to go in one door and out the other, but little bear wanted to use the toilet which was nearer the in door, so we went out the 'in' door. I got called in, I had missed the Letters From School.

The first was a slip I needed to sign and return about a meeting I was invited to explaining how they were going to teach the children to read. Sigh. Little bear is 'reading' or rather, echoing words a half beat behind me when I read to him, but he already recognises quite a few, I think most of the ones he is supposed to recognise by the end of the year. I shall, of course, go as otherwise I would be classed as A Bad Parent. Heaven help the parents that can't get time off work.

The second was a picture of a hand with fingers to colour in each day next week and I am to write what task little bear does to help in the house. I am living in chaos, I couldn't find a recipe book I could not only reach but had a recipe for rice pudding in. I had to get onto the net. Sigh. I shall find, identify and frame five tasks for five days for little bear - they are going to share these during Circle Time (anyone read Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett?) so I suppose it had better be interesting. The Friday one has to be done before school as that is the day it has to be handed in.

The third was a little news letter. I need to find and put up a calendar because I am getting bewildered by the information.

On top of the requests for donations to the local homeless charity and the local harvest festival (held in the most agnostic church I have ever encountered) I have to find sponsorship for little bear on his fun run, and a donation for the sports clothes day (?), the school photograph is looming but that is independent of the newspaper taking pictures tomorrow and I need to try and work out what to do about PE kit by Monday because it could be on a variable day, the kit is to be kept in school and I have an awful feeling that if it is missed on the day it is used it could ferment.

I am now in a panic, because if I get stuff wrong it will reflect badly on little bear. But I am a bit grumpy about trying to work out what tasks little bear should be doing as it is so chaotic here that I am not sure what I should be doing, and if I put the wrong things down I will be A Bad Parent, and if I let little bear clean the toilet, as he has asked to in the past, I will probably be referred to Social Services!

Also, I feel mugged.

School Uniform

Little bear did not go in to school in immaculate uniform today. I will be marked as a Bad Mother. I have managed to have colour run and stain every single one of the six white polo shirts that I got him for school, and the one that was the least bad had a tiny patch of dye still where the Glowhite Colour Run Remover (which is FANTASTIC) had not reached. It was my fault, that piece of fabric was above the liquid line. The second time I did a batch (the shame) I put a large bowl filled with water on top to hold them all down. I am now being extremely rigorous in the sorting of the washing!

But in he trots, white shirt, black trousers, green sweater, just like all the others. He had complained that his green jumpers didn't have the logo of the school on them, but I said that when he didn't grow out of things within a few months, if not weeks, then we could consider logos - which I think is reasonable. Little bear is not the only one with a mother that thinks like me, not all sweaters have logos on, although all have that air of 'new' about them.

However I was sad to see one little boy as the only one with a grey sweater and not a green one. Poor little lad, I really felt for him. I really hope that it will work out as a 'just starting school and having a crisis on the uniform washing front' and not be regular, as it will be really hard for him. And it put a shadow of a grey spot on little bear's top in a bit more perspective. It will probably be masked by the paint stains by lunchtime anyway.

It's starting

I went to pick up little bear. He looked cute, but he was wearing someone else's sweater. It's a warm school, it is warm out of the wind, little bear has always categorically refused to wear a sweater, so I sent him in without one. I was so embarrassed as I returned the sweater little bear was wearing, I am obviously a Bad Mother, leaving my poor defenceless child shivering in the wind. My card has been marked.

On the way out I got a request for money. We provide a piece of little bear's artwork, pay £6.50 and then we get 12 CHRISTMAS cards - It's only September! Who wants to be making CHRISTMAS cards....

I didn't say anything but they may have seen my expression. I think I have been pegged as one of the awkward squad.

Christmas cards...

Big School

Little bear went to see where he would be at school next year. It is a huge room with forty five children and two teachers with teaching assistants. The noise was incredible!

It is only a reception class so there are lots of toys and games and they were icing biscuits to look like spiders - just a step up from nursery.

All the children looked happy, relaxed and comfortable. Also I really liked little bear's teacher. On first inspection I was doubtful, but now I am really happy.

One thing that did occur to me. There were two slots for the children to visit - one this afternoon and one yesterday morning. Forty five children were starting, some already go to the nursery attached to the school. Even allowing for these and those attending yesterday I am really surprised that only six turned up to this afternoon's visit. I know the parents of at least three of those present took time off work to do so.

I expect it will be the same faces as we go through the next few years at pick up, drop off, school play and school fair.

Also, little bear didn't want to leave and he wanted to go back tomorrow.

School Uniform

I have just been looking through the rules on school uniform and depressing myself. I am also weighing up mentally how long each item is likely to last. I think I shall be visiting Asda (online of course) for what looks like an endless procession of polo shirts, t-shirts, shorts, trousers, shirts, etc etc.

I had better start keeping my envelopes because there is one a week with dinner money, plus milk money envelopes and I will be very surprised if there aren't more.

And clothing labels - I have seen some good ideas on my friend ebay, and from what I have heard they will be necessary. I am also thinking of getting some labels for my darling father, so I can tell his underwear from OH's. I have found some that you iron on and it leaves just the name, and it can be tumble dried.

I have no idea what will be required in the way of pens, paper, folders, books, etc, but I am sure I shall find out.

And this is just the start. Little bear is in the smallest size. One day he will be a hulking teenager (if I do things right) and it will be even more expensive.

I think what has depressed me a little is the info from the school. The impression I am getting is that while the school will do its utmost to nurture and care for little bear, the parents had better toe the line.