My last day today - though the others have to do tomorrow too - and just as well, as we all felt somewhat jaded after three parties on Wednesday. As we have morning children and then different ones in the afternoon, we do everything in duplicate, including Christmas parties and we had perhaps foolishly also booked our Nursery Staff dinner for last night, too.
The day went well. We swapped about as usual, so that I spent the first part of the morning helping children make party hats and the second part playing circle games in the garden before helping with all hands to feed them their party food.
Then in the afternoon I spent the first part singing and dancing with the ones who already had ideas about what a party should be (rather than play as usual, like some of the younger ones) then the second part helping to lay the tables before helping with all hands to feed them their party food.
The food was provided by the parents and was a good selection of savoury and sweet, home cooked and shop bought, and the usual variation from the parents who had no idea it was even party day (after all, there had only been a message in the newsletter, a large message on the notice board for the two days prior and verbal reminders the previous day) to the ones who came with enough food to feed all of the children a substantial meal.
After sending the children all home happy, we rushed off early ourselves (after a quick stamp round the block to walk off some of the snacking we had indulged in during the day) and met up again for our meal.
We are so lucky in our Nursery team. We all get along really well together; not that we are particularly alike in character or ideas, but we understand each other and laugh together. Despite the fact that we work alongside each other every day for many hours, we were pleased to have the opportunity to socialise and relax together, and the six of us didn't run short of anything to say before it was suddenly time to remember we had to work again today.