According to this photo it is a cold, mid-winter dawn. Freda looks composed while Edie is anxious, possibly at the prospect of entering the large house behind. It is in fact 9 am though still fairly chilly at -6 degrees C. Freda is incredibly nervous while Edie seems to be taking it all in her stride (expressions are purely for the camera) as they face their first morning at Culbokie Primary School. The building (which you can see in its entirety) houses 109 pupils in total, twenty times fewer than their previous school in China. Pupils are divided between 5 classes, 3 of which are composites. Edie is in Miss Mills' Primary 2/3 class and Freda has joined Mrs Danson's class. While Freda had over 72 classmates in Simao, she now has only 21. Number 22 left for Zambia yesterday and Freda has taken her place. This seems fitting.
Freda woke up today worrying that she would have to stand at the front of the class and recite the 9 times table. She was delighted to be told on arrival, however, that they would be occupied with Christmas crafts and 'golden time' this morning - the latter being a reward for good behaviour. I await their home-coming for more news. This is the last day of term and after this morning's excersion they will be on holiday until 10th January 2011.
Freda woke up today worrying that she would have to stand at the front of the class and recite the 9 times table. She was delighted to be told on arrival, however, that they would be occupied with Christmas crafts and 'golden time' this morning - the latter being a reward for good behaviour. I await their home-coming for more news. This is the last day of term and after this morning's excersion they will be on holiday until 10th January 2011.
Wrapped up warm for a morning sewing session.
My first morning for long time without the resonsibility of home school. What would you do? Well, I made myself a cappuccino, danced to my new Maroon 5 CD then got busy making a cushion cover. My sewing machine is one of the few possessions I really missed while in China, despite the nearness of a very affordable seamstress. Our house is now filling up with textiles, arts and crafts from our travels, this small piece of patchwork being one of them.
I completed the patchwork in China, using scraps from the children's homemade trousers. It's now a fleece-backed cushion cover. A strange expression of nostalgia, perhaps.
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