Mini Tornado

The third week of school is coming to a close for our family. There has been tears, tantrums, amazing opportunities, new friendships forming, frustrations, joy and exhaustion! And we have the whole year ahead of us, go team Glanville!

This is the first year my 3 little A’s, Aspen, April and Adam are all at school. If you are a regular to my blog you will know that Adam started Prep this year and it has been a roller-coaster of emotions and not just for him.

Adam starting school has hit our family like a mini tornado. Although one morning last week it felt like a major tornado. His mood seems to dictate the mood of the whole house at the moment, actually no . . . rewind . . . his mood seems to dictate everyone in the house except April, oh and the chickens, they’re totally chilled out!

Day one. Tears, his not mine. I was super proud of myself! It was an overcast day so I decided against the large sunglasses (I didn’t want to look like a goose, not even a fabulous goose in my designer oversized and equally overpriced eye-wear). Hubby took they day off work (shout out to hubby, love you!) We lugged 3 backpacks and 3 boxes into the school filled with new pens, books, about one thousand glue sticks, tissues, crayons, folders, and whatever else, oh yes lunch boxes. So I was very grateful to have hubby’s support and muscles!

After dropping the girls off first we trudged up to Adam’s classroom, and we were allowed in the class. We unpacked, played some games, tried to get him to say hi to other children, nope not gonna happen. He knew the time was coming and if I even moved myself in the slightest he would look at me with his big sad blue eyes and say “you’re not leaving yet are you?” Well eventually after several “no, not yet” answers it was time for me to answer the dreaded “YES”. That’s when he lost it, he grabbed on for dear life, he was not going to let his beloved mummy go. After several attempts to pry him off the teacher finally got hold of him, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. She spoke soothingly as he wailed and cried, his little arms outstretched in my direction. I took a deep breath, turned away and ran to the nearest drinking establishment and had a party, NO I didn’t, what sort of mother do you think I am? I walked away, my baby’s cries in the background tearing at my heart strings. All the while reassuring myself that my daughters survived and he would too, (and making a mental note to investigate home-schooling).

It has been up and down since that day, Adam is coping really well with the learning and sitting nicely, but it is the outside play times that he is struggling with. He informs me that the “playground has too may people”, and that he just doesn’t know what to do!The thought of my little man feeling lost and lonely at playtime is heartbreaking.

The second Thursday was the worst day for Adam and for me. The girls went to school earlier to attend choir practice. I think Adam thought he had got away with not going, he was doing the whole “I’m sick” routine. I think his tummy did hurt from anxiety. So when I said time to get dressed he was not impressed. Have you ever tried to dress a five year old who doesn’t want to get dressed? Um yeah, not fun, and not easy.

I tried talking him into it, promising big cuddles, saying just two more days until the weekend. I tried saying I would take his favourite pillow away until he got dressed. I tried to make it a fun game, I tried really, really, really hard not to lose my cool as I knew it wouldn’t help. I don’t know how I remained calm, thankfully I managed. I knew he wasn’t being naughty, he was confused , his heart was breaking. I could see his little mind thinking “why is mummy making me do this?” On the drive to school that morning I must confess, a few tears ran down my face, I felt like I was letting him down. My logical brain was fighting with my emotional brain.

Aspen has been emotional, sometimes we forget that although she is the eldest, she is only ten. Aspen and Adam’s moods tend to feed off each other. Last night they were both exhausted, it’s been hot here and between school and out of school activities everyone is tired. I decided to relax them and let them watch a show, well that was the plan anyway. Half an hour later they still couldn’t agree on a show, they were both in tears. So I had to say ‘no show’, Aspen accepted it, but Adam melted down, needless to say another fun night at the Glanvilles! My husband often jokes that if Aspen and Adam had been twins we would never of had another one! Saying that though they are really great kids, and I am lucky that when not tired they get along famously.

April is a different breed. She is in a world of her own. For example, last night when I was telling the other two to stop fighting and they sat there crying, April happily smiled her sweet smile and played with her toys. The other day when Adam was carrying on about not wanting to get in the bath, April sat there telling me over Adam’s cries that she was a bubble princess in her bubble castle. She will make a good counsellor, she doesn’t get emotionally involved.

My little man has one more short week before he hits the full time school hours. Any volunteers to break the news to him for me???????

So yes three long weeks down and to celebrate we are off to stay at the beach for the weekend. Adam is relieved that we are sneaking them out of school before lunch playtime.

Hubby is not happy that the new filters for our camera lens hasn’t arrived in the mail, but I promise I’ll share some photographs from our trip in a future blog.

Have a great weekend and thanks for joining me, love Mackenzie xx

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Love to hear how your children, nieces or nephews are settling in, share your thoughts below.