It's just you panicking
Trip Start
Sep 16, 2011
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91
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Trip End
Nov 20, 2011
Southport, Queensland, Australia
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
The days starts with a quick brekkie and getting Woody in the car for swimming. There is a bit of faffing with preschool stuff, but other than that, we are pretty slick. Noah and I both go to swimming today. Woody is still making great progress with his swimming, although today struggled with a few distractions. Firstly, he was over the moon that Noah was there, so was randomly jumping in the air giving Noah the thumbs up, yelling 'hey daddy!'. We love this. Secondly there are some blokes at the other end of the pool mending stuff – Woody could happily watch people fix stuff (kind of get in the way / help) –all day. He comes over all serious and even has a bit of a tradesman stance. So this is very distracting for him. The other thing which is distracting for him, is the realisation that he can now swim pretty independently. So, he keeps swimming off. He thinks he is a dolphin. When it is his turn to do something he is already half way down the pool doing something else. The teacher laughs and does not lose her patience. I will be interested to see if she still finds this funny tomorrow...
Next Elwood has a quick shower and a snack and we get him ready for his first day of school - poolside. When I think about it, this is ludicrous, a swimming lesson for a 3 year old before preschool, on his very first day. But that is how the timings worked out and Woody just rolled with it – as he does.
So, we get to school and walk in to reception, wonder where the thing we are meant to be signing is, walk into Woody’s room, wonder if we should just walk in, so quickly turn around and kind of bump into each other in the process. Someone sees that we are clueless and saves us from ourselves. Phew. They show us the sign in book and we do that. Result. We pop his lunch and his bag away, put his morning tea in the basket and his drink in the fridge. Achieved. Elwood is already sick of watching Noah and I faff about and has gone off to play. We call him over to say goodbye and check he knows where everything is. I ask him if he knows where his drink is, he looks at me like I have mental health issues, opens the fridge, takes out his new drink bottle, takes a swig, puts it back in the fridge, closes the door and walks off. We are clearly patronising him. Noah attempts to hug him goodbye as he is walking away.
He joins the group, going straight up to the teacher to hold her hand, and starts playing. I call out to let him know we are going, and he half heartedly looks up. So, Noah and I bumble awkwardly back into reception.
I am nervous about leaving Woody, so I decide the best course of action is to talk incessantly at the receptionist. Even as I making speaking, I am kind of aware that I am not making any sense, but I can’t seem to stop the words coming out of my mouth. I am wittering on about toothpaste and I can see the receptionist is glazing over. So, I wind up by sighing and saying ’Well I think that is everything then, I am sure he will be fine.’ She eyeballs me and says ‘Yes, it appears you are the only one panicking.’ Gulp, that’s embarrassing. I stutter some more about what time I should phone, and finally leave the premises.
In the car Noah and I feel a bit strange without Woody, and laugh at our ridiculous behaviour. I worry that I did not introduce him to one of the teaching assistants and did not show him where the toilets are, but Noah points out that he is confident enough to ask about anything he does not know. That he is.
Noah and I pop to the shops and then head home. Noah has work he needs to do, and I have a long list of things to get through. So we chat about what Woody might be doing, and I check my phone for missed calls (every 5 minutes), and then we get on.
I tidy up and work on my CV and get some people around to give us quotes for maintaining the garden. One German man that came around asked if we were from the UK, I said Noah was, he apologised to Noah for the war. Noah accepted his apology, and then we showed him the garden.
I am sure I got other stuff done today, but I just can’t think what I did. I guess continually checking my phone and wondering what Woody is up to, took more time than I realised.
We go to pick up Woody, and we see him playing in the garden – rolling what looks like a birthing ball down a slide. We are so so happy to see him. He is less excited. He does not rush over to us, and I even started to wonder if he has even noticed us. Turns out he had, he was just busy. He finally comes over to us, and he is a big , sweaty, red faced, happy mess.
We head inside to get his stuff together and chat to the teacher. She says he had a great day and expects he will sleep well tonight. So, it turns out I was panicking for nothing – who would have thought? The teacher also points out that we have signed him in on the wrong day in the book - so I feel reassured that we really are making a fabulous impression...hmmmm.
Back at home, Woody and I play, then we have dinner, skype to grandma and nanny and papa – so they can ask him questions about his day. He gives little away. All we have managed to get out of him is that he did a puzzle and someone was using ‘not an inside voice inside’. His teacher is from England and he is delighted about this.
That’s it for today really. Noah and I have both spent the evening working. Somehow it is 1.30am. I am not sure we have achieved enough for the hours we have been awake – but I am going to throw in the towel and get into bed – before Woody wakes up.
Goodnight folks. Thanks for your lovely messages today. xx
