Last Day Of School – Summer 2022!

Here we are in the blink of an eye and we’ve found ourselves at the end of the year already. Florence’s first at high school, Raffie’s last as a pre-schooler, Jimmy’s only one at primary school as the only Rocknrollerbaby rep and Posie’s last being able to be in cahoots with her brother – What a year which saw me with a high schooler, a primary schooler, a nursery goer and a baby at home! We feel so proud of all of them and with this end of year comes another end of an era with my baby boy off to big school after the holidays!

Florence did us so proud in her first year as a bursar. She has added a scholarship onto that bursary and is now also a French Hugenot scholar to boot! She’s had many wonderful moments over her first year where she’s added to her friendship group in buckets and enjoyed every single second of being at her wonderful school. She comes home happy, telling us all the fabulous things and has enjoyed in particular getting to learn things like Latin and Spanish as well as the dance, drama and surprisingly, cricket which she has fallen in love with! She has performed in lots of productions including being asked to compere with some of the sixth form at the end of year gala and I couldn’t wipe the pride from my huge smile as she did so with such poise! She also did tremendously well in the end of year exams – way to go Florence!

Jimmy has had a year with a little turbulence, but with a new head next year I’ve no doubt any left over residual will be ironed out and not be an issue for my bright and lovely boy. He’s done well at his studies regardless, continued to have a wonderful friendship group and taken to a little extra independence with sometimes walking on his own well in his stride. He has also taken to football like a duck to water and can’t be kept off the pitch but then hey, when did playing football 24/7 hurt anyone?! We are so proud of his achievements this year which have seen him overcome tricky aspects as well as enjoy the more easy ends to being in year 5. He went to look round Florence’s school which he has decided he REALLY wants to try and gain a place for (not sure how Jimmy is going to be going to high school in one year?) and so he is determined to work hard with that as his carrot. He knows, as we do, that this is a very special application which doesn’t come easy in the achieving and he knows, no matter what, we are just so proud of him and thrilled for him that he wants to give it his all and try. That’s our gorge boy!

Raffie, the baby as we called him for SO long and as I still think of him really, has had his last year of nursery and is SO ready for big school. Being an October baby he will be one of the oldest in his year and compared to Jimmy, who is a summer born baby, Raffie will be a whole 7 months older than his brother was when he started school. Yet he still feels too young. I guess I just don’t want him to go because I’ll miss him SO MUCH! He’s grown up so much over the past few months and can do so many things I can’t believe he isn’t already there like Jimmy was. He is learning to read and interested in books, he loves to practice writing as well. So ready is my baby boy and wow, they’re going to get a firecracker in reception come September! Fiesty, strong, independent, clever, kind, loving and loyal! They are his best attributes along with being super cute – I know he’ll be fine, I’m just worried about me!

Posie has enjoyed the last year of being at home with Raffie and will find it very quiet without her big brother on hand every day I can tell you. She loves play group and Gymboree and swimming just like Raffie does but will have to find a new way, just like me, of being without him and being just us. In a lot of ways that will be lovely. I had lots of time with Florence just her and I and again had this with Raffie. Jimmy and Posie haven’t had me to themselves in the same way so this will be her moment for a while and I remember when it was Jim’s, after Flobo started school, that we had great fun just the two of us so I am looking forward to spending my days with my clever baby girl who can now unscrew lids (how?!), get out of her car seat and a whole host other things she shouldn’t be able to do yet but can! She’s also the most brilliant company. I’ve always said that, so here’s to the days of just me and Posie (where we might bust out Raffie occasionally too because, well, you know, I might have to)!

So that’s a wrap! They’re mine for the next month and a half with no interruptions so I’m not thinking about school because school’s out for summer!