Sports day

Yesterday was Louka's school athletics carnival, to which parents were invited. Thursday had been hot (maximum 28 point something degrees, still Winter!) so when the forecast said 20° and sunny, I dressed lightly. Mistake: there was a biting wind and I shivered the whole time.

I laid out my picnic rug near a couple of her friends' parents. At recess children were allowed to join their parents, so Louka was able to sit near Amelia and Tyson, who shared chocolate biscuits and cake with her.

Louka isn't athletic, so I wasn't surprised she didn't get any ribbons, but she tried her best and seemed to enjoy herself, which pleased me. The previous year she'd been teased about her performance and had got upset and run away, so when I couldn't see her across the field in her bright orange shorts I thought Oh no, it's happened again. Then she showed up in the line for the toilets. Big sigh of relief.

On the way home I asked which was her favourite race. "The lolly and spoon race." Of course.

In the afternoon she had her swimming lesson, and it was assessment week. I thought she might be a bit tired and not perform very well, but when the assessor came to watch her, she swam the length of the pool. She was allowed to advance to the next level on condition of not turning over ("twirling") when swimming freestyle. So she got a ribbon after all.

Workers in our community

This term, Year 1 are studying workers in the community. Today they were asked to come to school dressed as the worker they want to be when they grow up.

Louka opted to be an artist and mother. She had very definite ideas of what she needed to wear: a green skirt, green t-shirt, white baby sling (with baby doll and puppy) embroidered with thread that looks like corn silk and scattered with buttons, apron splattered with paint. The green skirt turned out to be one I'd already knitted for her and she had the t-shirt too, but I had to whip up the sling and apron. Actually I made two aprons, one black and one white, for her to choose from. She had a lot of fun making them look "used".

Here she is, painting the sky:

Her teacher apparently would have preferred to be a police woman. I think she might have an over-glamourous idea of the police force.

Here is Louka's whole class. Teachers and vets were popular choices with the girls, the boys tended more towards firemen, police and sports coaches. As usual, Louka was the only one of her kind.