34
Ianto wanted to go away for the school holidays to the Lake House. With little puppies in the home, he had been missing out for over a month and he had not realized how much he needed the distressing of the place. Four weeks of bliss ahead, he intended drinking up each and every part of it.
The school was on a different level to most, being privately run by the village not only did the children sit above the standard national average but it also meant they could rearrange terms so these four weeks could exist. The three weeks standard for all the kids and the first week that the school would be back, Ianto can home school … of course Imp will have his done within a day and allowed time off. Gods, a teenager already. Where does the time go?
With Hawk soon to start school, this would be the last time for awhile that the family can do this and Ianto intended making the most of it. The living room currently exploding with school supplies as he sorted out the Back to School Packs for the last term of the year since he would still be away that first week they would be back.
Fifty five.
That is the number of kids in the main stream school, the preschool another thirty one. Fifty five packs for the primary school. Ianto walking calmly along the long table that had forty large A4 cartons on it, the chairs turned to they could hold the other fifteen along one side. As he walked he hummed and dropped a notebook into each box, then perused his list, turning to drop pencil sharpeners next.
"I know" he said softly "I could do all this over Christmas but they will expect their New Year, New Class Packs and the winter activities River has arranged will need these."
John was in the doorway watching and he grinned as he watched Ianto now reach for a large shopping bag, lifting it to peer in and then start walking around dropping gloves in the boxes now, colours of the rainbow so it didn't matter. The kids would swap until they were all happy anyway.
"You know you spoil them" John finally said.
"I know, but I can so… why not?"
John didn't answer, just walked in to join in, lifting a bag to find little colouring books full of snowflakes to colour in, grinning as he walked around and added them. He found it quite refreshing and knew the kids would crow, the pencils Ianto was now dropping in that were covered with glittery hand grips cute too.
"So… winter things, she going to have them melt snow and see how long and stuff?"
"Yes, they will place out some crates high of the ground to collect snow so they can make snow cones too… learn about the temperatures for freezing and look…" Ianto held up a little packet of ice block sticks "They will place out flavoured water overnight so it freezes and they make their own icy-pops."
She's a great teacher" John agreed, smiling as he knew who had probably thought of that one.
He would miss him for the four weeks they would be gone. He spent more time in the warmth of this house than he had realized.
His best friends live here.