Children | But I Smile Anyway...

Bag of Nerves Emptied!

01 Mar 2016 93 Comments

by Ritu in Children, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Acceptance, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Children, School, Secondary school

Can you tell from my Bitmoji’s what I am about to announce?

Firstly, thanks to you all for the good wishes/candles/prayers.

I spent part of this morning in tears at school, talking to colleagues, as I was so stressed, and worried about the outcome of the Secondary School admissions process.

Then I tried my hardest to forget until at least 4 pm as that was when the emails were rolling out…

So after despatching me afternoon crazies, It was around 3.50 pm, I thought i would check my mail.. obviously nothing was going to be there yet… but I saw an email from the Admissions team.

EEK!!!!

They were early!

I actually had to make my self sit down before opening the message as I was shaking.

Then I read it, and read it again. I closed it and then opened it again, and read it. I even got my colleague to read it to confirm.

HE GOT INTO HIS FIRST CHOICE SCHOOL!

The relief I felt was palpable! I nearly fainted!

Then obviously I had to go and find the Lil Man in question. His teacher, who knew how stressed I was, met me on my way, and gave me a great big hug!

Lil Man, well, I got him to read the message himself, and he literally jumped in the air and cried “YES!!!!”

It is a weight off our shoulders. I have told him that now he knows his destination for next year, he should be relieved, and that he must just try his hardest at school, which we know he already does, and just do his best. No more negativity, just positive vibes!

Our selection process works on many criteria, that the Local Authority set, and they include Children in care, special needs pupils, siblings, and distance, and if you have applied for a faith school, that is also something that gets taken into account.

So I was so happy that he got in, as I was aware that the school in question was oversubscribed, and that even though we were close, there were man children closer…

But ironically enough, I already know of 2 children who live closer who didn’t get in…

God, you were really looking down on us, and as I said before, all your thoughts and prayers must have played a part too!

Bag of Nerves – Update 1

01 Mar 2016 42 Comments

by Ritu in Children, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Children, nerves, school places

The day has come….

We find out where Lil Man has his place at school. Amd I am literally a nervous wreck, waiting to open that email…

I just couldn’t bear it if he doesn’t get his first choice!

Three has been such upheaval at school with this whole new curriculum as it is, and he has taken a battering, mentally, and emotionally. At the moment he just feels like he isn’t good enough for anything.

Which mother wants to see their child going through that? I wish I could give him his first choice of school on a plate, and serve him the good news that no matter what those SATS tests say, he will be going where he really wanted to. But I am at a loss, as I can’t influence that decision at all.

I’ll be on tenterhooks until 4pm, which is when the emails will be rolled out. Then I will be obsessively looking at the email app on my phone, until that fated message arrives.

I am trying so hard to be positive, but I can’t help but worry about the flip side. I can be positive, and think positive about everything with regards to me, but he is going through his own changes at the moment, amd every thing is an issue for him. I can’t help but worry that if he doesn’t get his first choice of school it will send him into a downwards spiral of depression, almost. I have had him in tears over the last few weeks, over seemingly silly little things… But they are things that mean a lot to him.

He’s a precious, unique bundle of joy, and we tell him that all the time. I just hope he remembers that.

So please, spare a thought for my Lil Man, and many other children out there, waiting to hear about their school places today. A nerve wracking time for both the child, amd their parents.

I hope I can report back with something positive this evening…

I’m sorry… Just listening to the news…

“Kent had 600 more secondary applications this year the LEA has cut the number of places by a third.”

Ok, if I wasn’t nervous enough already, that has just got to be the icing on the cake!

Night Out… On A Week Day?!

27 Jan 2016 65 Comments

by Ritu in Children, Family, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Choir, O2, Proud Parents, Young Voices

young voices

Last night we had a bit of a late one. No, it wasn’t date night, but we were lucky enough to go to the O2 arena in Greenwich, London, to watch my Lil Princess singing!

Her school were registered with the Young Voices Choir, and they, along with around 7500 children, had been practicing for the last 6 months, to sing at this show!

What a buzz to see my daughter there!

It was just over 2 hours of music and entertainment!

There were performances from Laura Wright, who sang at the Rugby World Cup here last year, Tom Billington, the Beatbox Collective, and Urban Strides, a dance company. The kids sang alongside them all, as well as singing medleys of many songs! It was in fact awesome!

To think that in a few years, she will be able to boast that she sang at the O2!

It was great watching her, as she pretended to be a rock star! Yes, my photos show her as a dot… but I know which dot is her, and I am so proud of that dot!

They had great seats, at the front, right next to the conductor, and we were on the floor, but a little towards the back. Still, with binoculars, we got a great view!

They all held these little key ring lights, and when it was dark, and the children were shining those lights, it looked like a starry night!

We got back after 9.30pm. Lil Man was exhausted and was in bed as soon as his teeth were brushed… The choir didn’t arrive back until 10.45pm!

A late night, and school the next morning? Uh oh… I wasn’t sure how this one would play out, but you know what, she stayed in her bed, a massive thing in its own right, and she was up at 6.45am, changed and ready for school!

Wonders will never cease!

Still, Proud Mummy signing out!

‘Hand’icrafts!

24 Dec 2015 24 Comments

by Ritu in Children, Humour Tags: Arts and Crafts, Handprints, Reindeer, Voodoo Dolls

Now Lil Princess loves a good Arts n crafts project! She loves her some glitter and glue, paints and pom poms!
So when she made her Christmas card for 2014 at school, the idea stayed with her…

The other day she told me she wanted to do the same again at home but this time “Reindeer! I want to make reindeer!
Lovely dear, you go ahead…
She got on with it, left it to to dry, and I have just seen the end product…