Starting school
Now we’re approaching the Halloween mid term break and Maisie has settled in so well. The only thing she finds tricky are some of the transitions for example when one activity is finished and teacher is preparing for the next one. She will go and hide under the table, only for a few seconds which is really funny and actually this is something she does at home too. Debbie will write a few things down in her communication book every day which is wonderful as I never got information like that from my older two kids when they were that age. In recent weeks, Maisie has begun to tell us about her day at bedtime and it’s just so lovely to hear her stories and songs. She’ll tell us she painted a flower one day, or that her friends were singing silly songs and doing funny faces. Ms Golden gets mentioned a lot! She must really love her teacher and I think I love her as well, she is very caring and full of creativity. One evening Maisie started singing “Dia dhuit, Dia dhuit”, the irish for hello. I’ve been told Maisie loves singing irish songs and doing all the actions. I’m exhausted at the end of every day but listening to Maisie at this time gives me pause for reflection on how wonderful she is doing and makes me feel grateful for the family we have.
Morning drop offs are mostly fine now, she’ll walk in holding hands with a friend or with Evie or runs to Debbie if we’re not too late! The nicest part for me is when she turns around and waves and says “goodbye mammy”. Not long ago my dad dropped her off and he got emotional when she turned around to say “bye Jim”, and he couldn’t help but think of how far she had come.
Other activities have been keeping Maisie busy this term. She started back at ballet and really enjoys it. Swimming lessons we decided not to delay any longer so we took the plunge and Maisie goes along with Evie now. The lessons started well but then there were times when I wanted to put my head in my hands, the rascal would throw her board away for the fun of it, or hold on to the rails as if it were a race with the other kids. The swim tutor certainly has her hands full with assisting Maisie and dealing with a few rowdy boys. This week we saw an improvement with her attention so I’ve relaxed about it again. Drawing and painting is something Maisie continues to love doing and now she’ll describe what’s in her pictures, not just who. I’ve had to put all markers out of sight though as she will draw on her face and arms and I won’t go into detail about the time I discovered three purple lines on the side of our expensive cream couch in our good room!
Santa is already to the forefront of Maisie’s mind and she’ll take out the Smyths catalogue most days and tell us she wants a Paw Patrol IPad and a remote control Spider Man car. I love that she doesn’t watch either programme but loves the toys. She has a Paw Patrol school bag and a Spider Man hat, so her pink clothes are obviously chosen by me! I took Maisie to Smyths when we were in Donegal over Halloween and she got her Paw Patrol IPad. She had been asking for it for months, and by the look on my dad’s face in the photo I can tell you he wasn’t impressed Maisie was getting yet another toy!
But parents deserve a break now and then and we are very lucky to have the grandparents who are happy to help out, so Caolan and I travelled to Cavtat for three glorious nights. We treat ourselves to the most beautiful boutique shore side hotel so it’s easy to go for multiple swims. Amazing beds and pillows, beautiful decor, sea views and a small pool surrounded by lush planting, not to mention the tastiest breakfast we’ve ever eaten (including homemade cakes brought back to our room to have with a cup of tea instead of going out for lunch, whilst looking out to the turquoise bay) We keep returning because home life is so busy and sometimes we’ll ponder trying a new destination but the stunning Adriatic Sea with its beautiful sunsets and swims entices us back and all we want to do is relax and we head home reluctantly but rejuvenated.
So that’s the end of Maisie’s first term at school, now we’re ready for a break and looking forward to what the next couple of months will bring. I’m certain she’ll continue to thrive and enjoy all aspects of school. I’ve noticed older girls greeting her by her name and Debbie told me she adores her. It makes me think how lucky the school is to have her, but I’ve always thought that about Maisie and the situations she encounters. She has a way of leaving a memorable impression on people and can brighten up anyone’s day.
