So...school went back on Thursday. Here are my little darlings, all ready for their first day, standing in front of the beautiful garden that Chris planted at Christmas times.
Josh is in Year 4 this year, but Alana has started high school, so this was her first day wearing her new uniform. Things has been fairly uneventful for Josh so far, the school hasn't put the kids into their new classes yet so he has been in "holding pattern" i.e. still in last year's class. (Back in my day we were in our new classes on the very first day - it was what we looked forward to about going back to school! These days apparently it's much harder for the schools to be sure of exactly how many students they are going to have in each year, so they use the first few days to fine tune the classes.)
For Alana, however, the year has begun with a bang. From the first day they were straight into classes, doing work and receiving homework. From the second day they were expected to find their own way to their different classrooms. Over the weekend we made sure that all her books were covered and labelled so that she wouldn't receive a lunchtime detention. Today they're having school photos so that they can finalise production of student ID cards. Students must carry these cards every day and use them to "swipe on" when they arrive at school (taking the roll being "so last century"!). On Wednesday all her year leave for a three day camp to get to know each other while participating in water sports, rock climbing, archery and the like.
As well as school, after school activities have now begun. Last week the kids had gymnastics and baseball, and Alana is also back at piano lessons. (She has her first Music Performance in class on Friday week. Students that don't play an instrument must recite a poem from memory instead!) This week ballet starts up too, as well as my Maths and Music students. Afternoons are now a minutely organised routine of comings and goings at my place. Dinner happens at a different time each night, to fit in with the movements of various family members. Chris relies on me to simply tell him where he has to be and at what time! (How, I wonder, do single Mums do it? Or families in which the parents work long hours and aren't at home in the afternoon?)
Uni has not started back yet, but I have received my text book. I bought it from The Book Depository, of which I can't speak highly enough. They ship books for free worldwide, and their prices are great. I saved so much money getting it from them rather than via the uni sanctioned coop bookshop. It was even cheaper than a lot of students were selling their copies second hand. Here it is in all its glory!
Yes, I'm trying to convey that it's a very thick book!
I haven't done much more than skim through the introduction and the chapter synopses so far, and suffice to say, there's a lot of it! Will really try to read some today...
Lastly, an update on my progress on the Buck-a-Book Challenge. Since my last post, I've read Nine Parts of Desire by Geraldine Brooks (review here) and I'd Tell I Love You But Then I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carter. I'd bought it for Alana, but it was just sitting around, and I had nothing to read (not counting uni text!), so I read it! Alana's reading it now that I have given her a favourable review!
So, that makes $9 that I have not put aside yet - but I fully intend to!
What have you been up to?
