Carefree Days No More

The long carefree days of the year end holidays are officially over. Last week signalled the start of a brand new year with the entire family reverting to old routines of school, work, homework and enrichment classes. No more aimless, lingering afternoons of repose and lazy play. No more spontaneous or impromptu outings. And with me going back to work, no more long days with the Bees at home that seemed to extend each day unto an eternity.

In Hong Kong Disneyland, grinning in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle

Last year was a milestone for the Bees in their school lives. Big Bee entered into a new chapter of her life in primary one, and I am delighted that she had cope well - not just academically, but more importantly, socially, as she learned about the vicissitudes and harshness of interacting with 29 other classmates, many with typical childhood petty and nasty traits. Over the holidays, she had confided some friendship issues that led to heartbreak in little children. I am happy to lend a listening ear, supporting her decisions and just being there for her. But I am glad she had emerged stronger and more confident, learning that this world is not as rosy as what she experienced in her preschool. 

The Bees on the windswept seafront promenade, facing the skyscrapers of Hong Kong Island

The first week of 2010 was rife with busy schedules and unexpected pleasant surprises. On the Sunday before school started, Big Bee displayed her first traits of autonomous responsibility and accountability without any guidance from us. By dinnertime, she was bugging me that she had to pack her schoolbag. We gazed in wonderment at her, as she went about briskly and businesslike, packing her bags with her new textbooks, sharpening pencils herself, arranging her uniform, and reminding me brusquely of school matters. I nodded my head in obedience to her requests, feeling more like a child with a parent! I told her how impressed I was with her transformation in primary two, which was a far cry from her helpless self at the start of primary one. She went away shyly, absorbing my comments in quiet delight.

And over the weekend, she excitedly requested to work on her brand new assessment books, poring over the Math and English questions with enthusiasm. I had to persuade her to stop working on them so that we could spend some private time together! I was in total disbelief, and hoped this wonderful attitude will sustain throughout the academic year!

Unfortunately, immediately after the first day in school, she fell sick with a medium grade fever, and was happily recuperating at home for 2 days. The fever must have made its rounds from Little Bee the week before! 

We are all gritting our teeth until the next mini break in March. Hang on there!