OUR KIDS LIFE IN FRANCE, AND OURS - a new school, a new term an one lost son

August passed very quickly and it was soon time for the children to start their new school. They were very excited and nervous at the same time, but were pleased that they already had friends they knew in the school. They were up bright & breezy that morning, in fact it was quite a rare thing to see them get up and dressed so easily, it normally takes alot of shaking and bell ringing before they finally fall out of bed 5 minutes before it's time to go. Unless there's a school trip or it's not a school day, or even better they're always up at the crack of dawn on a day when we don't have to get up! They said their goodbyes to nanny & grandad, who were popping back to the UK for a few weeks before the big works started on the gite. The doorbell went and it was a young lad the same age as our eldest who had heard that they were starting school, and wondered if they could come up with him on their bikes. We agreed to let the eldest go as he was almost 11 by then, but not the twins being only nearly 7, and we arranged to meet them up there.

When we got to the school, we were greeted by the head teacher/teacher of 4 classes/secretary/playground monitor, who showed us in. "Where's your eldest son?", he asked. We thought he was already there as he had left before us on his bike, but he was nowhere to be seen. I explained and apologised, said I would be back and ran back down the road to the house to see if he was there. He wasn't. By this time I was frantic like a woman possessed. My husband tried to calm me down, that he would turn up soon and be alright. "But what on earth are they going to think of us, letting our son disappear on his first day at a new school, how embarrassing!!", was all I could think of. I ran back to the school to ask if the teacher knew where this other boy lived, by which time they had turned up. They had apparently decided to take a little ride round the village sightseeing before school. I think I growled at that point, or bore my teeth or something of that nature. I quickly said goodbye to the kids, all 3, and left...red faced! I would deal with him when he got home......