Thumbs

The years are flashing past faster than a minibus full of mooning rugby players.

Five years ago I wandered into the hospital at half past midnight, popped out a baby boy, and was home introducing my daughter to her new brother at breakfast time. What with it being breakfast time and her having Prader-Willi Syndrome, she finished her cereal before she gave him a cuddle, of course.

Yesterday, the little lad started primary school. Today, his big sister started Year 10. Half a decade has disappeared, at high velocity.

She was anxious, but manageably so, considering she faced a new classroom, new teacher, new teaching assistants, and some new classmates. 

He, despite the misleadingly cheerful photo, was worried and clingy, and treated me to a fountain of tears outside the classroom door. The teacher bundled him inside, and I breathed a sigh of relief, only to be surprised by the forlorn fella making a bolt for freedom back out again. Dropping the soil out of the bottom of his trousers was his big mistake. That, or speaking English to a passing Nazi.

It's the end of the day, and the thumbs ratings data is in. The sprogs had to give a thumbs up, thumbs down, or thumbs sideways (representing ‘not sure yet’).

My boy gave his first day a wavering sideways thumb. To my surprise, after this morning’s heart-wrenching histrionics, his second day got a thumbs up. “I told my friends I was sad, and they played with me all day,” he said, chatty and chirpy after school, his smiles fuelling my relief.

My girl gave today a ‘not sure’. 

“I don’t like my new classroom. I liked my old classroom much better.” 

“But was it OK with the new teacher and teaching assistants and your new friends?” 
“Yeah, that was thumbs up.”

That’ll do for me.

Song is Ike And Tina Turner - Crazy 'Bout You Baby, from Bold Soul Sister: Best Of The Blue Thumb Recordings