Aidan’s Gallery: five years eight months old

Aidan is now five years and eight months old! We've been in Auckland for just over a month now, and what a busy time it's been :-) .

Aidan has settled in to his new school really well, and all our worries about his reading vanished within the first week of term as everything seemed to click into place for him. By the end of that first week he was reading :-) :-) . It was very exciting to see. He's been making friends already, and seems very happy and settled. Within a few weeks, Aidan was made the class "Superstar" - this is a weekly award, and Aidan was awarded it for his improvement in handwriting. He received a certificate at the school assembly that week for that too - he was thrilled! His teacher also got him to show me an story he had written at school, all about flying on an aeroplane. I can't believe this is the same child who was struggling with all these things back in Scotland! Clearly the stress involved in moving had had a huge impact on his progress, and now he's free of that.

Aidan also completed a ten-day swimming course at school, in addition to his weekly swimming class, and his improvement there was really dramatic - from being afraid to put his face under water and not keen to swim, all of a sudden he could swim! He was very chuffed to be put up a class at his regular lesson as a result!

We've been round to our neighbours' place, who have kids of similar ages to our own, and we've found time for a couple of trips away. Our first trip was on Waitangi Day, when we went to a black sand beach, Karekare, in the Waitakere Ranges. Aidan had a fantastic time running through the shallow river that splits the beach in two, up and down to the ocean. Megan spent lots of time making ever larger sand cakes (complete with twig candles!). Our second trip was to Waiwera and we spent the day lounging about in the sunshine and in the wonderful hot pools there!

We also spent a fantastic weekend away on the Coromandel Peninsula - it was great to finally visit there! We went on the brilliant Driving Creek Railway - a narrow gauge railway up the side of a mountain. The kids both loved panning for gold at the Gold Stamper Battery, and had their attention held for over an hour(!) by Ashley's riveting and intriguing tour. We had a lovely time relaxing in the motel spa pool too :-) .

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Image 0089-8683
Canon PowerShot S45
1/60 sec., f/2.8
2009:01:27 11:11:18 UTC
(c) Keith & Carolyn

Outside Glasgow Airport, leaving Scotland. The kids each had their own wheely carry-on suitcases, which they enthusiastically packed with books and toys.

Reading the emergency card on the aeroplane. Aidan diligently read his on every leg.