The Sunflower Fete

From the beginnning of the school year I have been part of the Southfield Parent Staff Association (PTA). I joined to meet more moms, as I was still pretty unsatisfied with my social life last fall. After Christmas my involvement in the SPSA really accelerated as the planning for the annual Sunflower Fete (Pronounced like fate and is similar to a small carnival. The greens around here are packed with them nearly every weekend from April through October.) got underway. Somehow, being the gullible newby, I got talked into (I won't say hoodwinked, but close!) into chairing the sponsorship portion of the fete. This involved organizing teams of moms to canvas Chiswick, asking for monetary or merchandise donations to give to the fete. They could sponsor a ride or another stall at the fete (such as toddler-age games, food tents, bric-a-brac which is donated garage sale items for sale). For those of you who know me well, this is not a job well-suited to my strengths or personality. I was personally in charge of going to all 37 Estate Agent companies (real estate agents) and giving them the spiel about donating. In the end, my team was sucessful even if I personally didn't get much donated. I think next year I will pass this to another new mom and contribute in some way that's better suited to my strengths, whatever they may be.
The above picture is Abby and Sophie riding on the PM Nursery ride - The Carousel. Thank goodness there was a Barbie car!
After months of planning and hearing all sorts of carnival rides and games that I had never heard of, I finally find the answer to the greatest curiousity of them all: What are Swingboats? Here's a picture of the girls enjoying them!

The best thing about a carnival for a primary school is that every ride is suitable for Abby AND Sophie. Sophie is definitely aware of being left out of activities so she didn't need to feel bad this time!

Two weeks after the fete was over Tim and I got the best piece of mail we had received in a long time: Abby's acceptance letter into Southfield for next year (and the rest of her primary school years while we are in England)! Although we are in the school's catchment, we live near the far edge of it and because of the increasing popularity of the school she was orginally placed on a waiting list... and placed in another school several miles (and a car ride away). Suddenly a large problem in our life is solved! Love that!

So in the fall, this is the girls' school schedule:

Abby: M-F Reception (Kindergarten) from 8:55 to 3:15

Sophie: M-F Montessori from 2 to 4 and after Christmas (when she turns 3!!!!) she will go M-F 9:30 to 12:30 and can stay one full day a week to take karate, if she'd like. :-)