The Bidwi, the boys, and me...and 365 days in the UK.

Showing posts with label Boys Schools. Show all posts

Day One-Hundred and Ninety: Autumn

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

The cooler weather is definitely here and our walks to school in the mornings are getting chilly. Tate is back in the "fuzzy turtle" for our morning walks. Don't let the smile fool you, he hates putting it on.

Speaking of school, these two handsome guys were both elected to student council. I was so proud of them when I heard!

The headmaster told me that he thinks it is a Barrow Hill first that two siblings were both nominated to the student council. He also said that our two American boys have taken the school by storm and are quite the popular kids. I got a good laugh from that. This experience for the boys has really pushed them and helped them grow. They both have really loved it and for Thatcher especially it has been wonderful for him to come out of his shell more. I think they have really loved it and it has absolutely broadened their horizons and expanded their world and all that good stuff, which was one of the reason we really wanted to come, so we are happy.

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One-Hundred and Seventy: "It's the most wonderful time of the year!"

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

I remember back in the the 90's there was a Staples commercial about a father pushing a shopping cart down the aisle filled with school supplies, the Christmas song "it's the most wonderful time of the year!" playing in the background. I remember thinking it was funny as a teenager, now I don't just think it is funny, it is the HONEST truth!

I love my boys. I really, REALLY do. But being crammed into a small flat for six weeks with no yard and two big active boys day in and day out and no car was enough to DO ME IN. So today was a good day at our house. BACK TO SCHOOL!

These boys are owning Year 5 (4th grade) and Year 3 (2nd grade)...ahhhh it's so confusing!

Oh, and Thatcher is a punk.

Hello I have a grown up for a child. I cannot take him getting any bigger. Make it stop.

Tagg is now a full on boy, losing his baby chub and all.

It's going to be a wild ride for these two boys this year, but if anyone can do it they can. I am marveled every day how these two smart, compatible, talented, amazing little men came from me. I couldn't love them anymore.

After the obligatory pictures, they were off finding friends, which warmed my heart.

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Day One-Hundred and Twenty-Five: No more teachers, no more books!

Friday, July 18, 2014

So...yeah. School gets out SUPER late here. It is because it is basically like year-around school. They get so many more breaks than we do back in the states. Big break for fall, HUGE break for Christmas and Easter...etc.

So today was the boys last day of school. They were just a little excited. They had seen that their friends in the states had been out for about 6 weeks already, and they were TICKED. I tried to explain it all to them, but you know they didn't care? Ha ha ha!

This morning I made them take their obligatory last day of school pictures out front of our flat. I was shocked to put the pictures side by side their first day of school pics from back in August!!

Tagg lost his little baby face this year! Aghhhhh! So sad, but so sweet at the same time!

(and you can totally see the difference with his eye after we got it fixed with his surgery!)

Thatcher is turning into a young man and I don't like it one bit! Okay, I do like it, but sometimes I just want to gather him up and carry him around in his old baby bjorn!

Ok, that sounds creepy, but you know what I mean!

The cruelest and also the best thing in the world is watching your kids grow up!

Todd and I are SO proud of these two. It isn't easy moving. Especially to another country, school system and culture. But these two did it and not only did they do it, they really did thrive while doing it. They adjusted well, they made new friends, and we feel so blessed they both got great grades and learned a lot these last months here in London.

Woo hoo! They did it! They survived!

Summertime!

I love this picture of them...this is totally these two to a T. Silly gooftroops. Love them.

Tagg with his teacher Georgie. Just Georgie. Yep, it's a first name basis here, which still weirds me out. But I call her Miss Georgie at home, and so does Tagg.

You know what they say..."you can take the boy out of Texas..."

Thatcher with his teacher Robin. Thatcher really liked him and Robin is actually going to be Tagg's teacher in the Fall, since Tagg moves up to join Thatcher at Barrow Hill.

I decorated the door with balloons and ribbon and gave each boy a little end of the school year gift.

We like celebrations and parties around here, and it isn't every day you finish 1st and 3rd grade!

Now wish me luck as we try to survive summer without a yard and in a smallish flat. Good thing summer is only 6 weeks here!

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Day One-Hundred and Twenty-Three: A Midsummer Nights Dream

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

As part of Tagg's 2nd Year end of the school year celebrations and graduations, the 2nd years put on a play of "A Midsummer Nights Dream". Tagg was SO excited to say the least. He has really loved his time in his class studying Shakespeare and "reading" this play. One night at dinner he told us the whole thing from beginning to end and I will have to admit it made this Brit-lit loving mama's heart happy and proud. Tagg was given the part of Demetrius, which he totally hammed it up and really loved it.

Cute little program...

Here is Naomi, Tagg's Headmistress, aka: The Trunchbull.

Here is Tagg as Demetrius in all his crumpled shirt-crooked tie glory!

I sent him to school with his nice clothes all hung up nicely on a hanger, and when I saw him walk in I cringed a little and then just had to laugh! That is our Tagg for you! Buttoned up wrong shirt, wrinkled, and crooked tie. Aghhhh Tagg. We sure love this creative, outspoken, crazy silly boy! It took everything in my power to not go up on that stage and straighten his clothes out!

The costumes and the set were so cute!

Here is the part where he said his big line...

"I am sick when I do look on thee"...

He totally nailed it and got a big laugh from the audience...

So proud of him and who he is becoming!!

At the end of a the play and a little musical number, the children each got to come up when their names were read and shake Naomi's hand. She gave them their graduation from Infant School gift, a thesaurus.

Naomi gave Tagg a high five too, which he thought was pretty cool and "probably because I am American and American's LOVE high fives." Yup, made sense to me!

After the play and program they invited the parents to join their children for "tea". I was a little bewildered about the whole idea of the"tea" thing, but have learned that "tea" really means what we mostly call refreshments. Oh and tea is also served there, along with other drinks.

I was also a very typical American and underdressed. Oops. The one chance I probably will have to wear a fascinator and I blew it. Oh well.

The whole afternoon was so cute and nicely done. I think Tagg and I will always remember it, this little celebration of the end of his few months at a very British Infant School. Such a cool experience.

He is growing up! I can't believe he will almost be 8 and in 2nd grade (Year 3 here in London). Time sure does fly when you are having fun, and this boy brings so much fun into our lives!

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Day One-Hundred-Sixteen: School's (almost!) Out...

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

So here we are, July 9th, and the boys are still in school. It is weird. It really doesn't feel quite like Summer at all. Not only are the boys in school, but the weather here is absolutely more like Spring than Summer. Mid 70's typically, intermixed with cooler days with rain. I am not going to lie, I love it. I don't mind that it is isn't boiling hot by any means. It is such a sweet relief from our Texas summers.

Today while dropping off Tagg for school I went in to give him a goodbye hug and kiss and he pulled away and said, "Mom! Not in front of my friends!" Ahhhh! Thatcher has never said this to me, so this was the first time I have heard this. Not going to lie, my heart broke just a little bit!

I hugged him anyway, even though he was all stiff and embarrassed and then sent him off to his friends...

Shortly after I snapped this pic, he turned around and looked at me, smiled, then ran back and gave me a huge hug and kiss. It was so sweet and cute and I love this sweet mama's boy to bits and pieces!

Every day I watch him walk in like the picture below and so often I just relish the moment because I know he is only 7 now and leaving me for just a few hours, but someday all too soon he will turn and walk away from me as a 18 year old boy/man and leave me for two years...ayyyyyy my heart.

Speaking of my heart, look at this little monster-boy who is now climbing on every chair possible!

He is so proud of himself!

Such a fun boy, so glad my days are filled with him.

Tonight we had "Open Evening" at Barrow Hill, Thatcher's school. We are reaching the end of the school year...yay!

We got to go and Thatch showed us around the whole school and we saw all his work since March and got his report card and had a little visit with his teacher. It was such a nice evening and so fun to see all of Thatcher's hard work, and hear how great he did since March. He is such a good student and he loves to learn and to go to school.