Christmas pictures, christening and a new school year!

In our country, the school year is from January until December. Summer holidays is over Christmas, so it suits us best. Thus, the children has all started a new school year. So far, so good! I've dreaded it, since Boeboe has started grade 4, which is a big year in our schooling system. Grade R is like Kindergarten in other countries. Then we have grade 1-3 which is called the foundation phase. The children are kept in one class every year, under one teacher. They learn to do basic mathematics, reading in 2 languages, writing in both, and in cursive as well, and they're taught some "life skills", etc. Now, Boeboe is done with those. From grade 4 - 6 is called the intermediary phase, where they start to have different subjects, handbooks in each subject, and write exams in these subjects. Each subject is taught by a different teacher in different classes. They have 7 periods a day, of 45 minutes each, and after each period the whole class moves on to the next teacher's class. This is usually difficult for children, and Boeboe (and secretly me!) feared it. Boeboe's brother told her (typical boy...grrrr) that it's difficult, awful and no fun. I told her don't worry, he's teasing you, it's loads of fun, not difficult and really cool to have all these new teachers. Such a big adventure!! She fell for it, and came back after a few days, telling me how much fun it is and how much she loved this new adventure!! *sigh of relief*

The BIGGEST relief this year for me is that our department has decided to drop their horrible, horrible outcome based education system. After Apartheid was demolished, they decided everything implemented by the hated Afrikaners were absolutely horrible and should be scrapped without futher ado. Well, 20 years later and they realised it actuatlly was a good, working education system, and nothing they've tried since has worked. So, we're back to handbooks and individual performance. Thank goodness. Because the outcome based education SUCKED BIG TIME. Pity though that they haven't decided this at least 2 years earlier, when my poor son started grade 4. Unfortunately, he (and us!) had to suffer two years of OBE. Thank goodness Boeboe didn't have to. Mr N had NINE subjects in grade 4, and had to write 9 exam subjects 4 times a year. The workload were killing us! No 9-year old should study 4 weeks straight just to get through the work, and write 2 full weeks of exams. One subject every day. Four times a year. Thus, for 4 out of 12 months, my poor son had to sit and cram work into his (unwilling) mind. It was absolutely awful.

Now, with the new CAPS education system, we're back to writing only 6 exams!!!!! I'm so so grateful, because I had nightmares, trying to help Boeboe write 9 exams every time! And thank goodness we're back to the handbooks. Because those "learning outcome notes" they've given Mr N with the previous system was abhorrent! It had spelling mistakes in it! Puncuation mistakes! Grammar mistakes!!! It infuriated me that an education department could send work material full of mistakes to learners!

And even worse, it had "life skill lessons" in it. Supposedly to reflect the realities of our country to prepare kids. But they totally lost the plot. We're too diverse, in this country. I live in a culture that's so far removed from a neighbouring town's culture that it's almost like we live in two different countries. For example. I don't know anyone personally who has aids. Chances that someone I know very well will ever get it, is very slim. While amongst one culture in our country, the prevailance is more than 80%!!! Sadly so. Anyway, so in one of my son's "learner's notes" there was the following statements:

In South Africa, parents die from aids.
Children become orphans.
Orphaned children become thieves.

You can imagine my horror, reading this. I asked Mr N how he feels about that. He answered that he was scared. I asked him why? He said that me and Daddy's going to die from aids and leave him and his siblings parentless.

Can you believe our education department?????? Took me quite a while to explain to mr N that we won't get aids. All parents don't get aids. All parents don't die while children are young. Children don't all become orphans. And orphans don't all turn to thievary. After a long talk, Mr N accepted my word that I'm not going to get aids and die tomorrow. And that he doesn't need to fear becoming an orphan. How awful for a 9-year old. I was so upset!!

So you can understand my gratefulness that we're back to using handbooks and not those awful notes. THANK THE LORD.

Well, that ended up being a vent. LOL. Sorry, I only wanted to mention that school has started and it's going well. Even with Monkeyman!! He's going twice a week now, and he's really, really enjoying it! Since he's pre-primary now (grade RR), he's being tutored formally, not just playing. And he's lapping the information up like a thirsty dog! He absolutely loves it. His teacher says he's excellent in maths. So our only concern is that I still can't drop him off while they have "circle" time. Where all the kids sing together while making motions with their arms. For some reason, Monkeyman hated this since he was a baby. When me and the older 2 kids wanted to sing together, or read, he would start to cry. I had to hand him to his dad in the evenings when I put his siblings to bed, because he cried when I read to them!! Or when we sang. Well, for some reason, this fear/revulsion is still there when he's at school. He can tolerate me reading to him now in the evenings at bedtime, but not at school yet! Fortunately, we have a year of playschool left before he starts formal school. He's come a long way since beginning of last year, so I believe he'll be fine. For the moment, I sit with him during circle time, about 30 minutes, then he goes into class and I go home. If this is what he needs, to be okay, then this is what I do. I would love for him to be able to just say "bye mommy!" when we get to school, like his siblings could do at this age, but I'd rather gently teach him what life skills he needs, than force it upon him crying and despairing. I find no need for that, when I'm in the position to be there for my children whenever they need me. Why must you leave a child crying at age 4, just because at age 5 he'll need to be left alone at "big" school? When he's 5, and still isn't ready, then you deal with that. Why force him to be ready at 4, just because he needs to be ready at age 5? I don't understand why children today are pushed and pushed and pushed. Leave the breast at 6 months. Leave the dummy at 1. Leave the bottle at 18 months. Leave mommy at 3. And then they wonder why they can't get their 18-year old kids out of their house!! Because he was pushed and pushed and forced to be independant every step of the way. Instead of taught to be independant by giving him the security he needs UNTIL HE DOESN'T NEED IT ANYMORE. Sorry, 2nd rant over.

It's also going very well with our babygirl. Healthy, happy and suddenly developing at an extremely fast pace! Just 2 weeks ago, I complained that she's far from sitting, not interacting much, not ready for solids at all yet, no interest in it, still have tongue thrust, etc. etc. And suddenly, this past week she's started to sit independantly (only for a few seconds, but still), her tongue thrust dissapeared, she started to put her own dummy in her mouth, looked with interest and longing at our food, started to take an interest in her toys, rolled all over the place, laughed alot, smiled alot, etc. It's such a different baby. She's also at long last dropped her 3rd nap, and is putting herself in a good routine now, which is lovely. So, yesterday, when she turned 6 months, I gave her rice cereal mixed with her breastmilk, and she ate it like a pro! She absolutely LOVED it, and kept on opening her mouth for more! She swallowed beautifully and barely made any mess. It was so cute to see. I couldn't believe how ready she is for food. It was the perfect start! I'm really looking forward to this new phase. Even though that means I'll have to start cooking veg and fruit for her!!

We took some gorgeous pictures this past holiday. Here's some of Christmas, and Peanut's christening:

Our happy-go-lucky little monkeyman

Me and my gorgeous little peanut. She's such a mixture of the other 3 children, but
still her own little unique being.

  

Opening Christmas gifts from friends and family on Christmas Eve



This photo is a "set" together with the next 2. It clearly shows his surprise and absolute
happiness at getting his first ever cellphone. Very unexpectedly! We told him long
ago he can have his first phone on his 12 birthday. But then decided we'll surprise
him, since it's only 2 months before his 12th birthday in any case. He was so
surprised!



You can see the utter disbelief on his face!



Then the realisation and the happiness!

Same here! This wasn't on her little wishlist, so she did not expect it!

But loved it and was sooo happy!

He got the Ben 10 omnimatrix watch he was asking for for months and months!

Happy to get the nr 1 on his wishlist - a Kinect Star Wars game

Something on her wishlist. A pregnant Barbie! It's sooo cute and amazing. It has
a little perfect baby in the tummy, which you can take out. Also came with a
Dr Kevin. Her very first "Ken". She had my old one to play with, but this
was her first brandnew one.
 

The best gift ever. It has an LED screen, with 180 very cute games. Such a gem,
he's been loving it eversince!

Peanut opened her own gifts! She got so excited and pulled the paper apart, kicking
and laughing and having the best of times. It was so sweet.

So happy about her big bear. I thought it might scare her, but she immediately
loved it!

 

Even though it's double her size, LOL.

Peanut's Christening.

Boeboe carried her into the church, and felt sooooo proud of herself
and her babysister!

In her gorgeous little fairy dress. She looked too adorable for words! Though
the shoes didn't last, LOL.