Eric started reception class last week, it really is the end of an era for us. I actually wanted to call this blog "end of an era" but I already used that title on a blog post I wrote years ago. I wrote it when I decided that I wouldn't wear bikini's anymore. An update on that... an airbnb guest from Italy left a bikini in our house. I probably should have posted it back to her but instead I wear it. I don't feel great about it body wise or morally, but I guess the bikini thing wasn't the end of an era after all. Just like when Percy started in Reception and I thought that was the end of an era, then 6 months later I was spending all day every day homeschooling him.
So anyway, Eric has been very excited to join his big brother in school, he said "I have been waiting for this for about 2 million days." I said, "how many days do you think are in a year Eric?" and he said "5?" The school do this staggered start thing, which is very annoying for pretty much everyone. The first week that Percy was back Eric wasn't. Then Eric was in for 2 hours a day in the afternoons, then this week he's in 8:55-1:30 and then this coming Monday is his first whole day. He was so desperate to go but by day 3 he said, "oh school again, I've been for soooo many days." I think it's just hitting him that he has to go 5 days a week for 3 times his life time, and that's quite a lot.
So far he seems to have done crafts and a lot of playing in the sandpit and theres a few boys names that he mentions that he plays with. He's coped with it really well considering he's one of the youngest and possibly the smallest in the class.
I remember being really emotional about Percy's first day. It felt like a really big deal that I wasn't going to see him so much anymore and he was going to make all these new friends and like he was going to lose his innocence. I didn't have a great experience of primary school - I was dyslexic but didn't find out till I was 16 so I always found reading and writing really hard work, and also I joined a new school in year 2 and struggled to fit in. But so far Percy doesn't seem to have had any of the issues with reading and writing that I had and he loves school. Hopefully we won't ruin that all for him when we move him to France! I thought I would be really emotional about Eric starting because it's such a life changing thing to have them both in 5 days a week and I don't really want him to grow up, I miss him being tiny. Not like a baby, I don't miss those days at all, but I really miss two year old Eric.
The staggered start made it less of a big deal though, and then it turned out I was actually working as a covid tester on that day, so Dan took him. I felt no emotion taking him in for day 2. I'm weird like that sometimes, I can be really emotional thinking about something that might happen. I remember thinking about the day when we would get a house, in the days where we were sort of homeless, and then when we actually got given the keys and it was just me and a tiny Percy who didn't realise this was significant, it felt like that was not the time for emotion. And then my head quickly moves to all the things we need to do and maybe that pushes out the emotion.
It's been quite a different experience for me - Eric starting school compared to Percy. This time I've made Facebook friends with some parents who have kids starting in the same class, we've had a few play dates and theres a class whatsapp group and I think everyone is enjoying getting to know each other. Whereas with Percy, I knew two other parents from his class and I didn't really make new friends. We've been to loads of whole class parties and I'll obviously say "hi' to other parents but I actually think it would be a bit weird for them if I started trying to make friends now.
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Both boys have already been to class birthday parties this term. Percy has had so many invites, but one less than I thought. He came out of school one day saying he was invited to this girl's party, but we couldn't find the invite anywhere. I thought it must have gone missing so I messaged a friend who had the invite and they sent me a photo of the invite. yesterday I messaged the Dad of this girl to say "thanks very much but we unfortunately can't make it." He said "thanks for letting me know" Then Percy tells me that this girl said he was actually never invited, and he just saw an invite and thought he was invited. EMBARRASSING.
Thanks for reading x
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