The boys went back to school on Monday 20 August. Had to get myself back into the routine of getting up early and making lunches etc. and then getting them going, so as to leave the house by 7.30am.
They had a Welcome ceremony, for all the children entering into the 5th class. I met Gerard at the town hall at about 8.20am. The ceremony started at 8.30am. This of course meant that we had to stand throughout this entire session. Apart from 3 different groups of children from the school, singing, dancing (dance aerobics) and an instrument band playing, the headmaster stood and spoke on certain issues. Most of this speech I could understand but not all of it. For me to understand German of this level, I literally have to lip read the person and have no interruptions of any sort!!The children entering the 7th class were also at this ceremony, which makes me believe that in two years time, my son will be moving into a different class yet again. (Only an assumption).After an hour of droning speaches etc. we then had to leave the hall and follow our child's teacher, who had a sign with Class 5 d r, on it, held high above his head.Robert is in the Sports class. Now what this means exactly, I have no idea!!! Gerard had some mumbled remarks which he muttered under his breath. Hopefully, he will be chatting to the teacher in the near future, as to what this class entails. We are assuming that the school, which offers 3 types of classes, 1 being normal classes, 2 being sport class and 3 being music class, that Robert will be doing the usual syllabus plus sport. He led us to my Robert's class room at a school building that I never even knew was a school. Here we all stood in the classroom only to be told what he expected from his students and what he would expect from us - the parents. Once he had cleared this up, he asked us old folk to leave. When I fetched Robert from school at 1.00pm that day, he was quite happy with life in his new class etc.
There was a lot of school book buying done this week and then of course, I had lots of books to cover!! I also had to kit Robert out with a new sportsbag and sports gear. That came at quite a little price.
Trying to get into a proper routine with after school activities etc. is taking some time.
I did manage to see Heidi during the week and on the Thursday he and I took a drive through to Treysa, where there is a Kaufland shop. This shop stocks such a variety of things, which we are unable to get in Alsfeld. On our way back we called in at the Rhode Shoe factory shop, just to look and see what they had.
On Saturday, Gerard went to the dentist. The dentist has advised him that he should have another 2 teeth removed. We can't believe these dentists here - all they want to do is remove teeth!!!! Gerard said he would think about it but that is as far as it will go. He then went and played tennis in Eudorf. Him and Natasha played well and beat their opponents.
That afternoon, Dick and Inge popped in to see us, catching me totally unawares. Gerard had forgotten to tell me that they might call in. He had seen Dick earlier that week, in Eisenach. So they had to put up with coffee and biscuits. It was nice to see them again and Inge told me that they were off to S.A. for nearly a month. Lucky buggers.
On Sunday Gerard left for Spain. I took the kids to the pool for the last time this summer.
