Not too soon for June

Isabel woke me up at 6.30 this morning, ready to have a bath and get ready to go to zoo camp. Usually on schooldays, we have to drag her out of bed at that hour. No such reluctance today.

It's not that she dislikes school, a fact she reminded me of when she called me at work on Thursday, upset that a file photo of her had been used for a blurb for Mind Your Body the day before. It was to illustrate a story about some children's anxiety over going to school.

She was in tears. It's not that I mind having my picture in the papers, she said. That's not why I am upset. But I mind people thinking that I don't like to go to school. It's not true at all. What if my classmates see it and think that I do? It would be very embarrassing. What if Miss Katherine sees it? Or Miss Ling?

I didn't really have an answer to the clear-minded logic of a seven-year-old. Instead I felt ashamed that it hadn't even occurred to me, her mother, to think about her feelings when Rishad showed me the blurb before it went to print.

Then she offered up her cousin for next time. Ethan wants to be in the papers, she said earnestly, and he doesn't mind frowning. Next time you need a picture of a frowning kid, you can take a picture of Ethan and use it instead. You could hear Ethan in the background agreeing.

I had to stifle my laughter. She was persuasive!

But anyway, although both she and Alexis don't mind school, it's also a drag to have to be up at 6.30 every morning and in bed by 8 every night. I can't tell you how much all of us have looked forward to these next four weeks. It won't be too soon before my leave starts on June 10. Sometimes one just wishes for a more quiet, less demanding life. Where would that be?

I mean, just this morning alone, it took us 20 minutes to locate a taxi so that we could get to zoo camp by 9am. We arrived at 9.10, in plenty of time but still, there had been some anxious looking at the watch along the way, and not by me alone.

Then we waved goodbye and after the children walked away, I bought a coffee and sat down near the entrance for the next half hour with my book. It was really pleasant -- beautiful sunny weather, greenery all around, the sound of water in the background, and nowhere to have to get to for the next five hours. Wouldn't it be great if every morning could be this way?

I hope the girls will be okay at camp today and that they enjoy themselves. It's the first time they've had to complete an entire day's activity without a grownup they know with them. Even when we went to riders' lodge, Jonathan and I were in the vicinity, if not with them during the activities. I hope they won't be anxious today and be keen enough to go back tomorrow!