Two terms of Playtime to Go!

We've hit the "5 months to go" mark in the previous week.

Quite extrodinary.  Really, moving to Melbourne seems to get closer and closer every day ;)

But of course there is a lot of sadness, particularly when I think of saying goodbye to the kids and families I've been working with over the last three years.

I was thinking of some of the most memorable Playgroup kid moments (warning- some of these are repeats from other posts):

-Little Lisa, such a gorgeous little treasure! If she sees me sitting down will come up behind me and pretend to "cut" my hair.  "It's too longer, it's too longer" she says, as she pretends to cut it with some fake sissors from the playgroup doctors kit.  "Stay still" she says, if I move my head to much, in a very hairdressery voice.

-Little Hayley, after struggling to say my name for nearly a year, finally calls me "Aunty Bananna"

-Ren, who insisted for a while on "Playing Belinda" before meals, which meant saying the following "Dear God, thank you for friends and food.  If you haven't paid for this term, please see me afterwards.  Amen"

-Little Max, with his gorgeous big blue eyes.  On the week of his birthday (when we did a cake for him) he said "I love you Belinda, you are the best Belinda ever".  Another time he said to me "I like you Belinda" before saying quietly to himself "Beautiful Belinda".

-Oli and Matty- who like to play "Aunty Bawinda" at home, which basically means getting out their teddie bears and ordering them to sing and dance.

-Shy little Harper, who will quite often announce (after she has warmed up a bit) "Look I can hop".  And so she does and soon she has the 7 or 8 other kids hoping around in front of me.  So gorgeous.

-Nathaniel- whose Mum will suggest he gives me a hug.  He will walk towards me, and as I drop down and open my arms, he will bolt in the other direction- laughing hesterically at his own little joke.

-Little Hanna, who spends all week singing playgroup songs at home.  When she is tired and struggling to get out of bed her Mum says "maybe you are too tired for playgroup".  She shakes her head and says "No, we have to go.  Belinda is WAITING for me".

-And little Xavier, who at 6 months old always gives me the biggest grins whenever I smile at him.

So special to be involved in these moments :)
Belinda