Canberra.
Sian is in her final year of Primary school. Historically in Year 6 they go on a school trip for 4 days and 3 nights to Canberra with their teachers. It costs a lot of money and we paid it over installments with her school fees since January. They are allowed to bring spending money but were encouraged to offer to do extra household chores to earn it.
Over the last 6 weeks Sian has cleaned windows, spread topsoil in the garden, stuck stamps and airmail stickers on Christmas cards, licked envelopes, cleaned bathrooms, folded laundry and sometimes just been my slave for an hour as I called out a list of small jobs to help tidy up the house when it was getting too much for me after a long day in work. She really earned her money! Many of her friends were talking about bringing in the region of $50. Some were working hard for it, some said they were just going to be given it. Sian certainly fell into the first group! When she had reached $42.75 there was an unexpected surprise. Granny in Ireland wrote Sian a letter and inside was $10. I had lost my slave, thanks Mum !
And so on Monday morning the alarm went off at 5am and at 5.01 Sian was standing at the foot of our bed dressed and grinning and ready to set off to school for the coach. It took us slightly longer but by 5.30 we had woken and dressed Gareth and Rhiannon and were on our way. I didn't bring my camera but got out the mobile and tried to take a few photos on it. It was so early that the light wasn't great and the photos are a little blurry and grainy but I'm sure they show how excited they all were.
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I did get a lump in my throat as Sian hugged me goodbye. I'm sure she will have a great time.
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Roll on Thursday night when she returns!
The girls do look so excited to be off on their trip.....but I had to laugh at your first photo ~ the woman in the background looks as if she isn't quite awake yet! :)
I hope Sian had a marvelous time! They grow up so fast...enjoy these times with her.
She is so adorable Gina! What a fun trip for them, one they will always remember!
Awwww...good for her, she'll do well in life with that work and reward attitude.She must feel very grown up off on her own.
When my son went on his first school trip the teachers were always checking that they weren't in one another's rooms and in bed at a decent time. Some weeks after they came home, one teacher was revealed to be pregnant by the other! So much for 'do what I say and not what I do.' :)
Ah thats a big step for you beautiful daughter. She looks so cute and young, is she a bit smaller than her classmates? I just wondered because my daughter Moya is smaller than all her friends and just another thing we would have in common!!
Lots of not-quite-awake people stumbling around that morning Debbie!
She's just home Diana and overflowing with excitement. A blog update will follow sometime over the coming days...
Hoping not to hear any baby news Jennifer!
...and finally J, She is tiny! totally and utterly the smallest in the class. She was a tiny baby (5lbs 14oz) at full term and has always stayed small for her age.
Small but perfectly formed!