Last Day (Again)

We had our rocking Preschool Holiday Program and PR2 / Likhwa's Last Day / T's Last Day / My Last Day Party Day on Friday. We made cookies, balloon people, glitter paintings, and party hats. We also ate huge amounts of cake provided by Likhwa, Emma, and Jack/Hugo/Syddy's shopping skills.

When I said goodbye to Mia (who is the best-spoken two-year-old in the whole entire world), her mum said that she's never seen Mia love someone as much and as quickly as she loves me. Which was the sweetest thing in the world for her to say. Even if I have a simple explanation for it. In the words of LMC:
I'd go back for one day just for the ego stroke.
When everyone in the whole center thinks I'm awesome, even kids who've never met me are bound to agree starting right then. It always wears off though!

I wrote goodbyes to J/H/S in their books, including a new update of what Hugo is into right at this present moment in time. Things like:

Likes:
riding his bike on the concrete
throwing things into the playroom from preschool
Hugo in the preschool room
cookies

Dislikes:
riding his bike on the bike path
the playroom
food that's not fishbites or cookies.

In addition, here's a list of things I've said in the last 24 hours or anticipate saying in the next that will confuse anyone in SA all to hell (and their origins):

Hugo: Oh no [insert something that has fallen, eg 'oh no stars' or, more likely, something that Hugo has dropped, eg 'oh no orange', or 'oh no tana toast' or, and this is not not within the bounds of possibility, something ceramic that Hugo has somehow taken the lid off and dropped it to the floor and smashed it into a million pieces such as 'oh no toilet'].

Connor: Behind you! (Even if said thing that he's pointing to is next to you or over there or even right in front of you.)

Connor: This one! (Said when he's choosing something, as in the following conversation:
K: Here Connor do you want your smoothie?
Connor: NO. (Another patented Connor phrase.)
K: Do you want my banana one then?
Connor: This one! (Pointing to my smoothie.)

Which leads me to...

K: Yeah no.

and...

D's pajama's from Pajama Party Day: Let me think about it. Ummm, no!

D and I: 1234...Hi5!

edited to add:
"i NEED you to ..." (hugo)
and
signing things like 'finished' and 'ready' and 'orange' at people who don't quite understand.

Preschool Holiday Program Teacher: Blah blah blah and there will be hand and foot painting on the verandah.
Liam: And if the teacher says wow you put it on the wall!

***

The Rents: Come on kids, we're going shopping.
Jack: We need [it's frickin contagious] to go cake shopping.
Me: Sounds good to me. Hey Jack, you can buy me one too.
Jack: Ok.
Me: Do you some money?
Jack: Yep.
Me: Oh, well, that makes one of us. Have fun shopping.

Next day, guess what we have for afternoon tea? Yep, chocolate cake. Turns out the kids went and got it and wouldn't let The Rents put it back. "We need to buy a cake for Missy. It's Missy's cake." Ha ha HA.

Thanks, kids. You are the BESTEST.

Bananas in Pajamas

Today was the Pajama Party. Everyone came in their pjs including me and D and T. I think ours was the only room where everyone did. Hugo had awesome glow in the dark skelton ones and Jack of course had Thomas ones. When I got there Hugo was all, "I have to go," and then, "I have to go to the Pajama Party." Obviously there were no balloons and cake, this was not a party. We did have pancakes but only the kids got them. Pfft.

Later,
Hugo: Read Teddy Bear books.
Me: Nah Hugo you read it.
Hugo: I need you to read Teddy Bear books.

How awesome is that?

First Day Back (Again)

"Hi Jake! I'm Missy! Get off the concrete!"
[Cue T and D pissing themselves laughing.]

Emma: My dad's on a work trip. It's cold. He has to wear lots and lots of clothes.
Jessie: Well, he can't wear no clothes.

Also had a heaps long chat with Anastasia who will never talk to ask you something but when her and Jessie and I had been messing around on the cushions for a while she wouldn't shut up. Jack is much more articulate now, and there's a new girl called Mia who is incredibly well-spoken for such a young kid. There's also a new kid called Tylar who I've decided will be a rugby player when he grows up, but a really sweet one. Syddy did her fake-coy thing for a while but of course got over it. Emma and Jessie hung off me all day which I'm hoping they'll be over by tomorrow. And we had signing class after work which was good as I'd forgotten some and got to learn some new ones. Let's hope the novelty of being back doesn't wear off for another few weeks!

Moving On

The Parents sent me a pic of Little Miss Syd. I started crying. I'm such a loser.

It's weird, but I feel like I achieved a new level of ... something ... at work. Maybe it was cos I did without T for two weeks, and without D and T for two days. Maybe it's cos I know that I won't be seeing the kids again for at least a year. I don't know, but there's something.

Hugo has an appointment with the specialist in Melbourne sometime. How weird would it be if I told them to bring Syd too, and I'll meet them there?

I was right. Weird.

Or they could just send Bunna to Adelaide. No, seriously.

Brrrmm

It was my scooter's last day today.

Jack, Sydney and Hugo each got one last sit on AND an actual ride on it.

I know. I'm awesome right?!

Jack: You drive me to your house now.

***

I've got Syd trained to say she's coming on a plane with me to live in Adelaide. She told the rents this PLUS added that she needs to buy a ticket. Dude, I was just going to stash you in the suitcase, or maybe have you flash that grin and get yourself on free.

***

While talking about Adelaide, Hugo had this to say:

"No Missy Adelaide. Missy and Hugo. No M Adelaide!"

Sorry kid. There's only so much room in the suitcase.

Feeling Hot Hot Hot

Jack had a huge-ass temp today - 39.1!!!

Did he get picked up early? No of course not.

***

He also had a male support worker in pre-school, who has an awesome British accent.

In addition to being a male role model other than dad, he also fixes toys! I knew we needed a bloke around!

They're growing up so fast

Start of the new school year.

Big Jack's off to Big School.

Nicholas will be off.

Mark will be starting with a cast on his foot. Not sure if that will suck or make him the coolest kid in his class.

Jessie will still be doing part time preschool and us.

Jack and Damon and Sian I think will be going to our preschool.

I pity the preschool teacher if perchance we actually have one.

And Hugo will be going to Nemarluk. In a taxi. Hmmm.

And I'll be starting at 8:30 instead of 9am. Sucks to be me. Except not, cos I only have two and a half more weeks before I basically say goodbye to them forever. Now that sucks.

Jackaroo

Jack is a cheeky little shit. This is what I know.

He has however, been much improved this past week, even with me, which is the real shocker.

The cheeky is still there but the listening has increased a bajillion times. If you talk to him calmly and rationally (and end in "and then we can go and play") he's been doing as we (I) ask.

It's great, and I just thought he and I needed a big shout-out for this huge step forward.

(One problem is if I call in the cavalry (T) she always makes a big deal about how he wasn't listening to me, instead of just making him do whatever he should have been doing. It's singling me out to be not listened to and I don't like it.)

Update

Jack
"I can't." (Dude, yes you can.)
"You can't get me!" (Why would I want to?)
"No!" (Um, actually, yes Jack.)

Hugo
"Drains!"
"In the tunnel!"
"Missy!"
"Nonnights T."

Mark:
"My mum wiped her glasses with my booger and then it was on her and she said GROSS!"

Michael:
Dragons.

Sydney:
Heeheehee!!!

Arrogant Prick Dad:
"We're getting rid of the shape ball." (Mum: We're what?! Me: Loser.)
"You need to find a boyfriend with a car." (Are you offering me a lift home? Creep.)

I'm back!

Went into work for a visit on Tuesday. They all loved me. It was very nice. Even Matthew and Rachelle who moved up from the nursery while I was gone wanted hugs, so that was a nice introduction for them and me.

Hugo is freaking amazing. "One blue plate." Oh my god. Still a cranky little shit when he hasn't had enough food or sleep. Jack is permanently a little shit. Syd is cute as hell and knows her cheeky grin forces adults to smile back, even when she's ignoring instructions.

M, the qualified in our room, annoys me, but not as much as Sh did so I guess it's ok. She does an awful lot of sitting and shouting instead of running and talking and playing and reading and laughing.

We don't have the bear hunt book or the dinosaur one in our room anymore. That's ok. I know them off by heart anyway. Hugo got all confused when I started reciting the bear hunt, telling me, "It's gooone, it's gooone." Hehe.

Three days next week.

I miss you

Dear everyone,

I miss you very much.
I would like my job back at the end of November.
I have no idea how you're going to control Jack til then. I do not profess to be able to do it after that time either.
I have the urge to sit in the kids' section of the library and recite books outloud.
I am sure that I am forgetting my signs.

And also, I miss you.

Love,
Missy.

PS I think it will be an interesting study of kids' memory banks when I do get back. They'll still love me. Right?

All Good Things

I have three more days of work, then I am moving halfway across the country, to a place which in addition to being far, far way, also has no Sydney, Jack, Hugo, Grace, Mark, Princess, Tania or fortnightly income. Or funny, sad, ironic, poignant, hilarious, loving, hysterical anecdotes.

I still have to tell the boss, and Michelle and David.

A Day In The Life Of Jack

Jack was a little shit today.

He stole Charlotte's hat, ran away with it, and threw it when he realised he was being pursued.
He stole Patrick's hat, put it in the toilet, and flushed it.
He took all the bags off the lockers and threw them on the ground.
He grabbed all the books he could see (including the one Sophie was reading) and threw them in the air.
He took Mark's shirt and threw it in the bin. Guess what we had for lunch? That's right, spaghetti bolognaise.

But then came the high point of my day.

I heard a crash then a cry, and saw the flash of a bucket in motion.

Hugo likes throwing leaves in the air. He sometimes has difficulty distinguishing the difference between leaves, and say cups, plates, trains, toys, blocks. Jack has picked up this habit. This is annoying.
But back to the story.

Jack had thrown the bucket in the air - with a cheeky grin no doubt - and gravity, clearly on my side, had dealt him a smack upside the head.

Freak outs

Jack came in for the afternoon with a pink cat face-painted on his face. Very cute actually.. Unfortantely, Sophie didn't think so. Freaked out. Wouldn't go near him, didn't want to sit down for afternoon tea cos she knew he'd be at the table too. So S sold her have a sit in the reading area. Unfortunately, she then told Jack to put his sheet away - in the reading area. The pink cat stalks his prey.

Mark, normally the cluey one about everything, doesn't like policemen. Hid behind the wall as far away from the road as he could. He's done it before too, when they were out with a radar gun. This time, wouldn't sit facing the road for afternoon snack and there was no way he would come for a walk with me to the fence while the cops were still there. Had a big chat with him about how they'll help you and things like that. A bit of poetic license with my bike story, but hopefully he got the message. Maybe his parents speed.

And before all this, we had photo day, where none of the expected freak-outs occurred. The others were to pay me back for getting complacent.

The complicated web of friendships

Last week, for some reason everyone wanted to sit next to Jessie. We had about five three- and four-year-old girls fighting over Jessie at every single meal.

Mark and Damon together are pretty smart. Mark being older and wiser is a good influence on Damon, who is prone to silliness and easily led that way, in my opinion. However, Mark's eating habits are questionable at best, although he has been improving heaps since we've had the handling of it. Still prone to loudly telling us what he doesn't like (which is 'most everything) so we don't want Damon next to him at mealtimes lest he pick up on these unfortunate tendancies.

Jack and Damon are increasingly hanging out together. Jack's parentes aren't thrilled about this as apparantly Jack has picked up a habit from Damon of calling people "silly dragons," something I've never actually heard Damon say, but we're monitoring it. However, it would be good for Jack to be hanging out with the older boys some more instead of constantly with his trains (which are now no longer there anyway). And Damon with Jack and without Mark can be quite silly, excitable, and annoying.

Just on a side note, Jack has picked up the D-word from somewhere:
Me, Damon and Eleanor? Molly? someone anyway were doing a puzzle when Jack comes up with a cheeky little grin on his face:
"What doing little dragons?"

And Mark is moving up anyway. *Sniff* I'll miss him.

J&H

Hugo has really been so much better at lunchtimes lately. Instead of getting lunch and either throwing it or taking it straight to the bin, he'll take it to the table, take two bites, then go to the bin. Progress right?

Well progress took a backwards step last week.

We were having lamb and potatoes and gravy for lunch. The gravy was in one of our two water jugs. Therefore it must be something to drink, and in Jack's estimation, was chocolate. What a disappointment it must have been to him.

Even more so to Hugo, who couldn't have any of it. "More, more," he asked shoving his cup. The water jug when offered was shoved at, clearly we weren't paying attention. This ended with two cups flung across the room, and S rocking him forcefully to sleep cos I was being too nice to him. Just cos I understand what he wanted.

PS. Goo is now dairy, gluten and soy free. Poor kid.

Too many cooks

In this instance, I'm referring to people who are employed to do a specific job and then think they can have a say in the running of the whole operation.

So far, they've consulted us (me, A, & T), the special school guy, the speech therapist, the pediatritian, the psychologist, themselves, and the postman. Ok I made the last one up, and I'm all for having a good research base, but once you've worked out a system, let us use it and stop giving us all the subsequent opinions you've collected like trading cards.

Especially when one is the speech therapist, who (a) doesn't have a normal accent, and (b) knows nothing about any situation except speaching.

Reading

It is interesting the different ways the people (children in particular) choose and respond to books and reading.

Hugo only likes ones with some sort of repitition eg We're Going on a Bear Hunt, We All Went on Safari or pattern, like the counting or alphabet books. Also, inexplicably, the big world altas, maybe as it has lots of pictures, and a lot of them are in oval frames (one of his fav shapes).

One of Jack's fav's (one which I don't like and never read to him) is one about the phases of the moon. I don't think he knows it's about the moon. It has a cat looking up at a moon, and I think he likes it for the cat, with the moon being a bonus.

Em currently likes one of the new ones, Where is the Green Sheep? which I'm sure she has at home. When we get to certain parts, she always tells us the same thing, putting herself into the story.
Em: I climb up that ladder and splash into the water [pointing to the bottom of the page].
Also I'm not sure if she knows it's all about 'sheep'. She can recite almost the whole thing, but I don't know if she knows all the fluffy things are sheep.

Mark, Damon, and Samuel all love the Space and Spaceships books. They will read it to themselves, with great discussions, and also enjoy us reading it them, asking a lot of questions. I had a big discussion with Mark the other day about listening to what the book says, then asking things he still doesn't understand.

They really do know their space stuff.
T tried to argue with one of them, Mark again I think, about which planet had rings, and which was 'the big planet'.
T: The biggest planet is called Saturn.
Mark: No [turning to the right page and obviously repeating from somewhere] Jupiter is the big planet.
T: No Mark [fully believing she was right] Jupiter has rings.
Mark: Jupiter is the big planet. Saturn has rings around it.
Me: Um, yeah he's right.
T: [Actually looking at the book] Oh yeah. You're right Mark.

When it comes to these boys and space, that's a given.