Friday 21 August 2009

Two schoolboys

We're used to seeing Finn permanently in clothes that look too small for him so he looked a little lost in his long school trousers, white polo shirt and navy blue sweatshirt as he got all dressed up on Wednesday for his first afternoon in Primary 1. His school uniform is for boys aged 5-6 yrs so he'll grow into it and will no doubt be growing out of it by P2. Sean has now progressed to some new kit for his entry into P3.

Finn looked very handsome with his hair neatly combed as he posed reluctantly for the obligatory front step photos before we drove down to Pentland Primary with Rowan and Angus. Having walked to school for Sean starting P1 we weren't going to risk the time that could have taken, especially with Rowan in tow. With half of each class having started in the morning, the other halves were gathered by the P1 door. Finn was in no rush to greet his new classmates and hung on to Sharon's leg for a bit but when the door opened and his teacher, Mrs. Henry, invited them in, he was quite happy to trot in, find his classroom (across the corridor from where Sean started), find his name-card on one of the tables and take his seat. He is sitting next to Robbie and Jeff, with Zoe and Emily also at his table. They are all children he was at pre-school with so there is no lack of familiar faces and the surroundings are familiar too. The parents gradually filed out into the playground, leaving their charges in the clutches of the education system. The previous day when Sharon was at Ikea with Finn and Rowan I told her to tell Finn to enjoy his last day of freedom before entering a life of servitude!

Sharon was a wee bit tearful as we made our way back to the car. Our second boy is looking all grown up and will soon have a few rougher edges shaped by others than ourselves. They change imperceptibly, but change they do, and you can't help but look at Rowan and Angus and remember Finn when he was the little baby smiling away or the cheeky rascal running about into everything.

I looked after Ro and Angus while Sharon went to the shops and then she went to collect Finn who was completely unperturbed, coming out the door to meet Sharon as if he had always been doing it. He had done some colouring and listened to a story and had a snack and gone outside for a play and seemed quite happy with his lot. Sean is now in school a little later, till 3.15pm, and he too had enjoyed his day, seeing his school-friends after the holidays and eating up his packed lunch. His teacher, Mrs. Urquhart, has rather more years behind her than Mrs. C-M, his P2 teacher, and has a more fearsome reputation with regards to temper and homework-giving, so we'll see how Sean fares. He told us he was starting ERIC (Everone Reading In Class) as he will no longer have reading homework.

Finn had a good second afternoon too, doing an alphabet dot-to-dot, and began his morning stint with the rest of his class today. It's funny seeing Sean and Finn both in the same uniform, walking into school. I don't want to consider what it will be like once Rowan and Angus join them.

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