MADI IS IN SCHOOL!!!

First, for all of you who have asked Madi if she got her presents yet she wanted me to tell you that they came!!! Besides a few more Pet Shops (which are called Littlest Pets here) from Cooper and some computer games for 1st graders she got a new Barbie and some walkie talkies. She was in heaven!!

Now about school. After more paperwork, visiting three different schools to talk about our concerns about her being behind when we get back to the states, and paying the international student fee of $4,610.00 (good thing that work covers that one or we would have home schooled children in Australia) Madi is finally in school!! We decided just to send her to the school whose boundaries we are in. They actually have a K/1 split class so which they put her in ( it is called composite here). I was really worried about her going back into Kindy. The principal said that she hadn't ever heard of a way to get around the age rule, but she would check (Madi barely misses their b-day deadline). They are going to assess her at the end of the year and see if she should move up to 2nd or go to 1st (if they can get around the age thing). It has been a little bit stressful for me - I just want to do what is best for her future - and I broke down and cried to Kev one night and told him that I just wanted to go home where everything was easier. Since then I have decided that things will work out for the best. The 3rd term is almost over anyway (there is only two weeks) and then there is only one term left before the new school year starts at the first of the year.

She seems to be adjusting fine - although I feel bad for her being the "new girl". The first couple of days all of the kids gave her tons of attention since she was novel. It isn't the same anymore and I think that Madi doesn't know how to handle that - she seemed to relish in all of the attention. I talked to her teacher (she actually has two teachers, they split up the week) today and she said that Madi is doing fine and that the kids all seem to like her. I am sure that in time she will have lots of friends to do things with. For our very outgoing little girl I have been suprised at how shy she can be in new situations with lots of people around. She has found a boy in her class that she thinks is cute and told us that she is going to marry him. We had to have some talks about not dating until you are 16 and temple marriage - who's daughter is that anyway? She went to his house to play Friday after school which was fun for her.

She does get to wear a uniform which is interesting. The girls all wear dresses - it seems a bit old fashioned to me. She also has to have a hat, or she can't go outside (the ozone is thinner down here or so I have heard :) She did get an award this week, and got to go up on stage, for "settling in so well her first week of school". She was very excited about that!! The other thing that is different is that she has tea time in the morning. It is basically a snack at recess. Madi told me that she told a girl in her class that we don't drink tea because it is bad for us. They also have scripture study once a week for a half an hour, for now I have decided not to send her since we are neither Catholic or Protestant, but they didn't realize that this week so she went. Kev thinks that we could send her anyway because all they do is tell Bible stories to the kids. I am going to ask around at Church and see what people say. If she doesn't go she just gets half an hour of free time to do something else.