1st Days

Obviously new town means lots of new things, but the two biggest for our family were Kai starting school and Alana starting at Nursery.

Because of the move all happening durring the school holidays, we couldn't do much about visiting the school or even speaking to anyone about it as there was no-one in.  We'd spoken to the council who'd given Kai a space at Tillington Manor about 1.7miles from home (according to Google maps).  We were told the teachers would be in on the 6th Sep and the kids go back on the 7th (fab for them, short notice for us).  So first thing on the 6th we rang and arranged to pop over and see the school and meet Kai's teacher (Mr Tucker), he seemed very nice and the class was all laid out ready for the next day so we go a sneak preview.

That night Kai went to bed as normal.  But after we went to bed he kept coming up to us.  So I took him back down and he asked for a story, I explained it was late and we talked for a little while, I leaned over to kiss him and SNAP the bed broke.  Great, just what he needed.
So Kai had to sleep on the spare matress in our room.  So at least we did eventually get some sleep.

The next morning we all got up,  washed and dressed, had breakfast.  Kai looked very smart

There's only one market stall in Stafford that sells Tillington Manor school uniform, and that was closed on the Monday after our visit to the school, so his first day Kai just went in his polo shirt.    We took him into his classroom, found his peg for his coat.  Parents were allowed to stay for a few mins, Kai and I looked around at al the activities he could do and once he found the train set he was ready for us to go.  I couldn't stop the few tears, my little boy was growing up and I knew this was the end of lazy mornings, kiddie classes and Mummy and Daddy being the centre of his world.                                                                                                                  

We then had three hours to fill, so we went to town to buy him a school jumper, then had breakfast in Asda before going to buy him a new bed, which would be delivered on the Friday afternoon.

Waiting for him to come out at lunch time was an anxious time, would he have enjoyed it, would he have made any friends?, would he even want to come home?

He came out of school looking all disheveled, trousers undone (at least we know he used the toilet by himself ok) shirt untucked (well so was his teachers, so can't have eveything).  He had a certificate for surviving his first morning, some raisins and a big grin on his face.  Ok Kai being Kai we'll never know exactly what he gets up to at school as his super memory always lets him down when it comes what he's done during the day, but he'd had fun and wanted to go back, so who could ask for more.



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New full uniform



The next day he had his jumper, and while we were waiting for the door to open another boy in the class announced that Kai was in the same class as him.  Since then they've been inseparable.  They've already played at ours and us at their house.    

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One week on  I decided Alana needed to make some new friends too.  So we went to speak to the childrens centre near to Mark's work.  They do a child care option, and had spaces for her to go  on mon and tuesday mornings, which will allow me some time for working on Pippas Web, and maybe even a spot of house work, you never know.
We arranged a few settling sessions, after all Alana's never been left with someone else without us or her big brother there before. 
We had a quick look round her new room and got the guided tour, with the plan of going back the following week to meet her key worker and seeing how she got on with out me.

Alana ready for her first day at nursery

So after droping Kai  off at school we went to the nursery.  She acted all shy to start with and held on tight to me, we filled in the paper work and eventually with a little coaxing she went of to bounce on her own on the trampoline. I think she worried the key worker that she was so clingy to me.
The next morning, she played painting in puddles and then I went out to the reception and she played without batting an eyelid.  When I went back in 20 mins later she'd been out side playing all the time.
Wed morning, I left her to it after only 10mins and apparently she'd got a little upset when they stopped play and sat in circle time (I don't think it was because she missed me, but because she had to stop playing and sit down for a min).
She's got some more settling sessions booked for next week, then the following week hopefully she can start properly.  I'm sure given a week or two she'll be bossing them all around, as long as she has fun that's ok.