Parenting 101 or This is the Boringest day of my life!
Four Weetbix in a bowl. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
So you have a cute little baby. So sweet!!! Despite what you may think at 2 am when you are awoken from your delicious, longed-for slumber by the dulcet tones of a scream to be fed, this baby is quiet in a way you will appreciate by the time that little bundle of joy turns into a 10 year-old with verbal dysentery.
Tuesday morning involved a trip to the dentist for Miss O 2, a young lady who recently achieved the status of a double-digit age.
The plan was come to work with me, we’d park the car, jump the tram to the dentist, come back, get the car and I’d drop her off at school, then back to work.
Now, she was quiet in the car on the inbound journey, but after that?
“Mum, your office is very rough!” rough = messy
“Thanks, dear, nice of you to tell me.” Like I don’t already know.
“Mum, can’t we go now? I thought we were going straight!”
“In a minute.” We’d been in my office a whole 5 minutes.
“I’m bored.”
Birthday movie outing with friends for Miss O 2
Miss O 2 finally hit double digits, turning the big 10 this week. Tonight she celebrated in style with a cake and a trip to the movies with two friends. A third friend sent her apologies as she was in a dancing competition out of town. I think a fine evening was had by all.
I have, as usual, pixelated the faces of her friends in the shots. What astounds us is how tall she is now! In June 2010 when we went to enrol her at school, she was tiny compared to her classmates. As you can see she is now taller than at least one and almost as tall as another! Miss O 2 and Mr O Jnr 1 have both shot up. I estimate in another 12 months she will be taller than Mr O Jnr 2, something that does not make him happy: “People will think she is my older sister!”
We saw Dairy of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days. It is many years since I sat through a children’s movie: next time it is definitely Dad’s turn! 
There was certainly a message there about being responsible and honest!
Mr O Jnr 2 wanted to see the movie too, so he came as my “date”. As we were walking out, he threw his arm around me and asked, “How was the movie, baby?” This is one young man we’ll have to keep our parental eyes on, I think!
Thank you to Miss O 2′s special friends for helping her celebrate. It was lovely to have you as our guests!
Primary School Reports One Year On
When Miss O 2 and Mr O Jnr 2 got their reports at the end of 2011 they had been in Australian schools a mere two terms. Reports received now, twelve months down the track, are more illuminating. We were VERY pleased with their reports last year, but knew that this year would be more indicative of their progress in this new world.
As I published recently in Amnesty International Annual Report 2012, the literacy rate in Nigeria is reported to have dropped nearly 10% in four years. I know when Mr O was reunited with our children he was concerned about their academic levels, but it wasn’t until we were all settled back in Australia that the real comparisons began for him. Mr O has spent hours emphasising to the children that they must work on improving their English and catch up on other subjects.
Mr O was educated in Nigeria MANY years before our children: his English is also much better.
Strive to Achieve
Strive to Achieve is the primary school motto. Our younger two brought home their school reports last night and they have done just that. Very pleasing documents. There is some room for improvement in a couple of subjects as is only to be expected given they have been here a whole 6.5 months, but overall we were VERY pleased with their results.
Mr O Jnr 2 excelled in Information Technology: I’m not at all surprised about that, he has worked out so much about computers it is scary! 
He has also enjoyed the music classes very much and will be part of the school’s Year 6 leadership team! Next year he will participate in his first school camp, which I am sure he will love!
We loved this snippet from Miss O 2′s report!
I couldn’t be more proud of Miss O 2 in the way she has shown initiative across all learning areas, having a go at all tasks and doing so with such an infectious smile and laugh that has won all of her peers over. She has made many close friends in the short time she has been at school and is a highly valued and respected member of the classroom.
It is amazing how resiliant children are. We have taken them half way around the world to a very different environment, they have only had half the year in their new school and these two have finished the year on par with their peers.
Congratulations, Mr O Jnr 2 and Miss O 2! You have started so well, you can really build on your work in the new year!
Interview with Miss O 2
Due to popular demand, we will now present a series of interviews with the new arrivals. For no reason other than Mr O’s brain is taking a well-earned break after so much studying, we will start with the youngest and work up the line.
Let’s get started! Miss O 2 is the youngest, so her answers are a little shorter than the others will be!
Miss O 2 in her new environment!
Differences in schools
In school in Australia they teach very well. I love the school because all the children are very friendly. I like reading to Mummy and Daddy when I come home. In Nigeria if we had two papers to do and we finished before it was time to go home, we would be told to sleep in school. In Australia we read A LOT!
At home the light stays on: in Nigeria it goes off every day, most of the time. I like having my own bed and I love M & Ms very much.
We go to bed earlier in Australia than in Nigeria.
I love Australia!
