Sunday 6 September 2009

Mieke's last days at Pewley - school trip, garden gang, leavers party, last day & new rabbit

Before the holidays I had such a hectic time with stuff at school that I did not blog about Mieke's last days at Pewley, so here goes.

Trip to RHS Gardens Wisley:
First I went with her on a class trip to Wisley.  It was probably one of the hottest days of the year (around 32 degrees) and although I would not normally complain, walking outside in the hot sun with naughty complaining kids is NOT the best way to enjoy a hot summers day.




But off we went in search of sticks and stones and petals and other obscure things we could later use to make a piece of art with.  The kids then had to work in a team and decide what they are going to make and then put it together on the ground.  This was in the way of a certain artist whose name I can't remember (sorry Mrs Tester) but he only used natural materials and made the art in nature, only to be blown away or melted or washed away by the sea shortly afterwards.

The kids in Mieke's group made a fire.  No not a real one - they used rocks and sticks and then orange and red coloured leaves to make the flames.  It was okay - nothing exciting and they enjoyed messing it up afterwards more than making it.  I also noticed Mieke wasn't very into working with the group - she really preferred to do her own thing.  So afterwards she took some grasses which was shaped in a circle and used it to make a nest, with round pebbles inside as eggs, and little feathers surrounding the nest - it was really sweet.


The next day or week (who can remember) we went to the park and she made a face with leaves which I thought was quite good.


We love the park - first we go in the splash pool if its warm enough, then for a play and then rush to get ice cream which we have in the rose garden - lovely...


Peter Rabbit:
After long deliberation and me putting it off as long as possible, we eventually got a pet - a male rabbit called Peter Rabbit.  It was between him and a rat, so I chose the rabbit:

The girls really adore him although he frustrates Silke as he doesn't like to be held.  He bares it for a few minutes then hops away.  He is a house rabbit which means we keep his cage in the house and for exercise we let him out his cage and then WE get a lot of exercise chasing him around and trying to get him back into his cage.


He chews anything he can find but especially enjoy my photo albums and important documents which he can shred into a thousand little pieces.  But he is quite entertaining and very cute and fun to play catch with.

Garden Gang:
Mieke attended Garden Gang every second Tuesday at Pewley.  The school has its own allotment where they grow herbs and veggies and sometimes flowers which never grow.  Mieke loved it - sometimes she brought some rhubarb or potatoes home and she probably know more about gardening than I do.  But then she knows more about a lot of stuff than I do.

Pewley Leavers Party:
The Year 2's had a Leavers Disco in the school hall - I discovered Mieke is quite a disco bunny just like her mummy!!  We had a lot of fun dancing together when the played YMCA and Greece - luckily Werner wasn't there otherwise he would've died of shame.
The DJ asked the kids what comes after Y and they (being very clever and all) said Z.  He then asked the parents and one piped up the correct answer which was M!!  Like in YMCA.
Mieke had a great time with her friends until one of the boys hit her on the head with a football - boys always know how to ruin a great party!!
Last Day at Pewley:
Here is Mieke on her last day in Blue Class at Pewley.   Boehoe - she obviously was not as sad as I was and had a Great Day!!
She received a Pewley Pen and Bookmark and a Enid Blyton book as leaving gifts from the school.  Here she is all grown up reading her new book - finished it in a week:


Summer Walk:
Just before the end of term in Summer Pewley has the Summer Walk where the whole school, teachers and helping parents walk from the school to the Downs.  At the Downs the kids sat down and Richard (the head teacher) told the bible story of how Jesus fed 5000 people with one loaf of bread.  Then we all walked further - past the farm with all the horses and through a forest until we reached a campsite where all the kids had a play.
 

It was a lovely morning in a beautiful setting and even though it was when Werner was in hospital I enjoyed being there.

And I just realized why I am not working and not earning a living.  It is so that I can be there with Mieke and Silke at all these moments in their lives - it is worth more than all the money in the world.