Jude Marguerite & Ben's blog: Ben's first day at Primary School

Think of all the milestones in life and five or six will spring to mind ....... your wedding day, a particular numbered birthday, your graduation day .......... but right up there with the best of them is your very first day at School. Today was Ben's special day as he joined P1 at Ballymacrickett Primary School Glenavy.

Here he is in his classroom and all smiles with proud Mum and Dad, Marguerite and Jude.

Early morning -

Marguerite and Jude had been looking forward to today for a long time and finally the day had arrived. One thing concerned them and that was Ben's love for dressing himself in the morning in his Cork, Clare, Mayo, Down or even his Man Utd top. Just how would he take to getting a School uniform on.

Like a duck to water truth be told and here's the evidence as he is full of smiles putting on a tie for the very first time.

Moments later and here is the essential Kid's first day at School pic with Ben lined up against the door for this super pose.

Ben sure was loving all the fuss that was being made about him at this stage.

When Jude was last over in Boston for a work trip in April their good friend Lindsay Devin gave Jude this super cool Boston 'B' bag for Ben. Of course it's not only a 'Boston' bag but a Ben bag too because ...... well you might have guessed it ........ but Ben also starts with a 'B'.

Wha?

Here he is leaving the house for the last time as a pre-school kid.

Jude was the proudest man on pigeontown Road this fine day, Wednesday 06th September 2017.

That's my boy!!!

Marguerite was holding back the tears all morning, God bless her ....... here she is as proud as proud can be.

'That's my wee man!!

A quick 3/4 minute drive through Glenavy and Ben was there,, at Ballymacrickett Primary.

He couldn't wait to get over to the school from the car park.

So Ben has been going to the local Swing Park at Lyngrove for about the last 6 months and over that time he has got to know lots of local kids, some his age but mostly older primary school children such as his friends Aoibhean and Nicole. Well on his first day weren't they over at the Glenavy Gaelic pitch at their morning club when Ben arrived and they were cheering his name. 'Beeeeennn, Beeeennn ....... have a great first day!!!!

It was quite the welcome for anyone's first day at school!!!

Here is Ben waving back at them kind of shy but loving the little bit of big day attention all the same.

'Now that's what I call a welcome', Ben was surely thinking to himself.

Then ....... just like a bunch of tourists ....... Marguerite and Jude dragged Ben over to the School Sign on the side wall for a few pics.

There was Take 1 ........ the cool pose.

There was Take 2 ....... the 'hands up' pose.

And then Take 3 ........ the 'Ok I'm outta here' pic.

'Ok son ....... let's do this', said Jude as he took Ben by the hand and dandered around the school heading to the P1 classroom door.

Ben just could not wait to get into his school and into his class.

And then he was in.

First in on his first day.

He even had his own peg and box for hanging his coat and storing his bag.

'The grand old Duke of York, he had 10000 men .... he marched them up to the top of the hill and he marched them down again ..... and when they were up they were up and ........'.

Anyone ........ anyone??? Wha? Ehhhhh ..... never mind ...........

....... so here is Ben setting up his lunch in the wee lunch shelves.

Now it was time to meet ...........

.......... Mrs Bonnar. Well actually Ben had met her briefly a few weeks back at the open day but this was his first proper day at school with his new teacher.

For about 10 minutes Ben had the whole class to himself and he quickly settled in.

Here he is settling in at his own wee desk complete with him name on.

Now that is one cool desk!!

Marguerite and Jude survived the morning with no waterworks at all ........ good going ....... though the hardest part was leaving him.

So they got Mrs Bonnar to take this pic ....

........ and this onnnnnne .......

....... and this one!

Melters!

On Ben's first day in Nursery at Little Crickett's when Ben was not yet 1 year old Jude took him into the nursery school and Ben cried. He cried quite a bit that day but over walked one little man called Daniel and handed Ben the toy he had been playing with.