The class clown?!

Look at that sweet little face. The child who in this picture taken during a quick stop while shopping is singing an ode to her 'babycino' [foamed milk] and fluttering her eyelashes at it in faux lovesickness. She has always been very funny and bordering on insane around us, but for the first time I got a glimpse into the level of confidence and happiness she has at school now.

I picked her up just before lunch on Thursday as we were off on a short family vacation to Italy (more on that to come of course!!). First I peeked into her classroom door. The children are all quietly working on a writing activity. Except for one child. As the teacher makes notes at her desk, head down, Amelia is balancing two pencils between her mouth and nose and dancing her head around in front of nearby classmates for a laugh. The boy closest to her is giggling behind his hand and the very well-behaved girl near her is stealing appreciative glances at her. Amelia's writing page is sitting quietly unfinished. I glance nervously at the teacher. She hasn't noticed. I both want her to and don't want her to.

That would have been an amusing glimpse into Amelia's daily world, but I was totally unprepared for the performance to come. I walked into the classroom and another child saw me first: "Amelia! Your mum is here!" Amelia leapt out of her chair, clasped her hands to her chest, and said "Italy!" She then duck walked around the room making odd noises while I gaped in horror and the entire class erupted into laughter. Some of them started making the odd noises back to her. Others jumped up from their chairs to watch her display. She swooned around the room, saying things like "Goodbye my darling Sophie! Goodbye Lucy, I must leave!" and hugging each of her favorites dramatically, kissing on the cheek, etc. Other children piled in to join the hugs. I couldn't settle on either staring in shock at her teacher or at Amelia. She continued to duck walk around the room and cause big group hugs. Children were shouting out "Amelia! Amelia!" or making the noises back to her. I made eye contact with her teacher and mouthed "Sorry!" She said, in a marvel of British understatement, "She's been very excited about her trip." We finally left the classroom in a cloud of goodbyes and final hugs.

Walking back to the car Amelia was her usual self and completely excited to get in the car with her family. I was still in shock. Here I was thinking at 6 weeks in she's starting to come out of any early integration shyness and maybe even get to know some of the children who have been together for years. I had no idea she was playing the role of ringmaster to a circus of crazy 5 and 6 year old ducks.

She loves her school and can't wait to go back - too bad there is another week and a half of term break!