Finishing reception – the end of the first year of school

I almost can’t believe it, but tomorrow is the first day of the school holidays. A whole three terms since I sent my excited only-just-four year old off through the school gates with his wellies and his p.e. bag and his hopes of things to come.

Now those same wellies are upside down and mud caked, well used and too small and awaiting storage for the next small person who follows the path from the reception gates.

In the last year the Wee Man has grown, physically and mentally. His sense of reasoning and understanding has unfolded and I’m amazed daily by his ability to spell out words (no more getting away with referring to the i-c-e-c-r-e-a-m and hoping only the Other Half will understand!) and to work with even quite complicated number puzzles in everyday life. He has established friendships, his understanding of the world and how it works has vastly expanded, and he can’t wait to start year 1.

I missed his last day as I wasn’t feeling well, and so the Other Half got to see him as he waved goodbye for a few weeks to people that perhaps he’ll still be friends with when he’s the same age that I am now. I think that was nice for him, in a way, as he misses a lot of milestones when he is at work and finishing reception, well, that seems like quite a big deal as milestones go. Year 1 feels much more formal, much more ‘school’, and of course much more mandatory – because the Wee Man will be 5 in only three weeks time.

So much change in three short terms.

I wonder what the next year will bring.