Expressions on a Wednesday in a Tutu!

We’re half way through term four and on a roll to Christmas, with all the dance shows, carol singing and preparations. Sophie is really settling in to her new school and coming home every day with a smile and a pile of reading. She brings home wonderful books and often has the whole family acting out plays from her school journal! Of course there’s been settling in nerves over various things – but thankfully they’ve all been put to rest pretty quickly with her amazing teacher helping her every step of the way. Sophie has also needed positive encouragement to get out of bed in the morning (she’s a late to bed and late to rise girl by nature). She’s asleep by 9pm at the latest – though we start ‘winding’ her down from 7pm! We have to wake her up at 7.30am to be on time for 8.30am school start. Once she gets to school she’s normally got a big smile and is pumping to start. At pick-up time she’s fizzing!

Our girls are so fortunate to be able to go to such an amazing school (it’s costing us a fortune; but worth the sacrifices we’re making to see them so happy, positive and enthusiastic about their learning, making great friendships and having such varied opportunities to participate in sport, music and art.). The girls really benefit from seeing the senior school girls leading the way in such a positive environment too. This week some senior girls took Sophie’s class! Sophie came back so enthusiastic about the science room and told me, ‘Mummy! Today we learned about convention, radiation and conduction with the senior girls!’. The older girls also put on plays, fairs and events throughout the year, which makes a wonderful ‘family’ atmosphere.

It is great to see both Charlotte and Sophie so happy and for me to enjoy some one-on-one time with Alice during the day. The next five to six weeks will be a whirlwind of preparations and events, what with Sophie’s 6th Birthday party, Grandma and Granddad arriving from England and the Christmas build-up!! I wonder if Sophie’s two front teeth will have fully grown through to fill the gap by then!

I took these photographs last week and even though Sophie doesn’t take dance classes (or Alice) they both love dressing up and moving to music in their own unique ways! Wonderful expressions 🙂 Happy mid-week!