School’s out for Summer! This year I have to admit I felt a little sad, no more nursery trips for me now that pixie has left to enter the world of full time school. Hpops has finished Year 3, how is that possible and soon Imp will enter his last year of infant education to be swallowed up into the juniors! It seemed to hit Pixie that she was leaving her beloved teacher the day before term finished and we had a fair few tears, although she is growing up very quickly it is easy to understand how she feels.
It occurred to me that in eight weeks all three of the children will be at school all day and what will I be doing? Well I have now sorted myself out a provisional timetable, on a Tuesday and Thursday I will be reviving my love of teaching as I will be helping out in school. I am quite excited by this, although I won’t be paid I will be doing what I went to university for and helping kids learn, without any of the planning, marking and reporting responsibilities. I am hoping that this may then enable me to get a paid job at some point in the future as I will revive my knowledge and get to grips with the new technology routinely used in the classroom today. On Monday and Wednesday I will be run and then write and Friday will be relaxing and then helping out in the library or with swimming, this is as well as chaperoning various clubs and instrument lessons with the children.
Study resumes in October as well so I will have plenty to keep me out of trouble as well as several Dexter, Criminal Minds and CSI DVD box sets to watch, seeing as how they are not really suitable for children to view! Before that I have to survive the summer, our holiday isn’t until the end of the holiday but I have tried to book some activities in for the children to keep them occupied and they are already excited about the Olympics.
We were all excited to go and see the Olympic Flame on Friday, I was busy watching the tennis until it was time to go. We aimed to arrive an hour before it was due to get to us but even so there was already a lot of people gathering and a buzz of excitement in the air. As people lined both sides of the street of Brentwood we sat the kids on the kerb, they had met some of their friends from school and so chatted along happily, using their ipods to take photos. Luckily Mr T made it as well.
As the crowds thickened the police had their hands full keeping the road open, several cars beeped their way past cheerfully, flags were sold so we could wave the flame through and eventually some police outriders came through high-fiving the kids which added to the excitement for the children. An ice-cream van fought its way though the crowd and then re-appeared opposite us, clearly sensing an opportunity. Further down there was a buzz and we knew something was happening, several vans with dancers from the sponsors and Olympic buses with the mascots came past smiling and waving, we had to mind our toes and the police gave up and closed the road completely!
Eventually after a pause the torch itself came through, held aloft by a white tracksuited torch bearer! Everyone was clapping and cheering, waving flags and smiling, even the few drops of rain that fell couldn’t dampen the spirits. We walked back to the car with many of the crowd and everyone was happy and cheerful, having seen a bit of history and shared it with the community. I even got back into the car for to hear Murray win his Wimbledon Semi-final!
We are looking forward to our visit to the Olympics in a few weeks time and I am glad that we are getting towards the start date now and we can actually enjoy the sport rather than the advertising leading up to it! I am counting down to the Wimbledon Final – I hope Murray can do it otherwise despite all he has accomplished people will continue to write him off as an also ran rather than appreciating what he has achieved already! I suspect however that Federer with his majestic shot making, desire to get back to number 1 and win an historic title could edge him out, but the wonder of sport is you never know, if you want me I’ll be in front of the TV!
