Sophie the Chatterbox!

SJ is approaching two and three quarters and is such a little chatterbox. She’s an absolute delight to spend the day with and puts a smile on everyone’s face. This week has followed our usual pattern of visits to the library for story-time, swim lesson, play-dates and time enjoying the outdoors.

Today, was a day delivered from heaven. Twinkle toes has been a little cherub all day.

This morning we met up with my friend, Kathy, from Perth (here for a year or two) at Cheeky Rascals for a delightful play-date with her gorgeous boys. I noticed on the Emigrate NZ website that Cheeky Rascals was on the forum as a possible meet up venue for new arrivals. Afterwards Sophie and I met up with Dan for ‘Yum Char’, where SJ delighted all the staff with her manners and chit-chat.

With the sun shining and a few hour’s to spare before school pick-up we went to Oriental Bay for a perfect Wellington afternoon. There was a hint of summer in the air with children paddling in the sea, building sand-castles and riding bicycles along the promenade.

SJ rode her bike along the promenade excited at the prospect of an ice-cream reward at half way. On the way back she stopped to talk to all the painted animals and ask ‘How’s your day going?’. She had all the passers by entranced.

Charli was a happy girl on school pick-up, where she’s thriving. School here is very casual with no gates (which has caused a few concerns from parents losing their preschoolers on pick-up time and finding them wondering around the grounds or heading back toward to the car!), no uniform (though I’d find it a lot easier if there was one!) and lots of home/school interactions. There is a strong community spirit and we couldn’t be happier with Charli’s teachers and the school’s encouraging principles of celebrating the individual and encouraging self-esteem. Sophie likes to wear her own little ‘school’ bag for our school drop-off and pick-up, running up to Charli’s teacher saying, ‘I’m a little school girl.’ Sophie will be more than ready for school by the time she’s five!

The rest of the week has been equally as good as today, but with some wind and rain thrown into the mix! Not that it’s bothered us.

Sophie and I spent four hour’s at Te Papa yesterday; where she fed her limitless thirst for knowledge and fun!

Playing shops and doing jigsaws:

Puppet shows and computer-aided learning (she’s got the mouse sorted!):

And writing about her family history and birthplace in The Marae:

She really is an absolute joy. We missed Charli today, as always, but it’s also good to see Sophie having an opportunity to thrive on her own feet and make her own friends too. I hadn’t realised, until Charli started school, how used to constant entertainment and companionship Sophie had become. Charli always played independently for hours, but SJ is having to learn that now. As much as I’d love to be her non-stop play pal I do have to do the chores as well – and she’s learning really well that Mummy needs time to do her jobs (and she’s even become quite a handy helper!).