The First Last

Wednesday was Charlie's last day at Kanga House AND the day before his birthday. Of course, the standard birthday treats were prepared the night before (Molly took hers in on Monday - we're getting our use out of the cupcake pans!). Right around the time I was icing the 7th cupcake, it dawned on me that we don't have a car any longer and 24 cupcakes and an almost 5 year old would not be riding my bike with me to Kanga House. Perhaps I should have thought this through before 9PM the night before. Perhaps.

Before they endured the bus ride and urban hike draped in cheap plastic wrap:

The next morning, Charlie and I boarded the 316, together with a many, many uniform clad school girls (yellow school buses don't exist here, it's all public transportation) AND 24 formerly neat cupcakes. We walked the 3/4 of a mile uphill (well, there is a hill) to his school and were greeted by some very happy 5 year olds.

Here's a photo of one of Charlie's teachers Ms. Tho. Ms. Angela and Ms. Hisae were his other kind teachers.
At the end of the day, we got a binder filled with photos and work that Charlie did in his 10 weeks there. I was also greeted by a little girl named Kitty who dobbed that Charlie said no girls were allowed to have cupcakes. She didn't seem too sad that I was taking Charlie back to America.

Aside: Charlie got a slot in the Kanga preschool because Ava's family was on sabbatical (you can just make out both of their names on the top left cubby up there). Ava's mom is the woman who rented us her car while she and Ava and the rest of their family were away (and came back to claim it 2 days before the scheduled cupcake delivery). In a surprise ending... Ava's family is moving into our apartment the day after we leave! I think if we had known about them a few months ago, we would have rented their place while they were gone and they would have moved right back in! Their might be a reality TV show in that.

Since I had my camera...The Australian School of Business, Department of Economics, Forth Floor, our work home at the Uni. Yep, that's why we came, to work...beside the palm trees.