Sydney's Special Arvo

Sydney was the queen of the playground. Not because she was bossy, but because she was the funniest kid in her class! The sun shone brightly on the shiny yellow slide, and the air smelled like freshly cut grass and yummy sausage rolls from the tuckshop. Sydney was busy doing her famous Wobbly Jellyfish dance for her friends, Chloe and Liam. “Wiggle, wobble, wiggle, wobble!” she chanted, and her friends giggled so hard they nearly fell over.

When the school bell rang with a loud ‘BRRRING!’, playtime was over. A little cloud of sadness passed over Sydney, but then she remembered—today was Special Person Arvo! Her Grandpa was coming to visit her classroom. Suddenly, a new feeling, a fizzy, nervous feeling, bubbled in her tummy. What if Grandpa thought her classroom was boring? What if her little wooden chairs were too small and the noisy chatter was too loud for him?

When Grandpa arrived, his kind eyes looked a bit lost amongst all the colourful paintings and tiny tables. “Right,” thought Sydney, “Time for my best stuff!” She stood in front of him, puffed out her cheeks, and wiggled her eyebrows up and down. “Wibble-wobble-woo!” she declared. Grandpa chuckled, a small, quiet sound, and patted her head. Sydney’s heart did a little dip. That was her best funny face, and it hadn’t even earned a proper giggle. The nervous bubbles in her tummy fizzed even more.

Feeling a bit deflated, Sydney took her Grandpa’s big, wrinkly hand and led him to a small bench. She decided to give up on being funny. “I was worried you wouldn’t have fun, Grandpa,” she whispered, looking at her shoes. Grandpa squeezed her hand gently. “Oh, Sydney-pipsqueak,” he said softly. “I don't need a big show. My favourite thing in the whole wide world is just being with you. Now, tell me about this amazing purple giraffe you’ve drawn.” Sydney looked up, and saw his eyes were sparkling with love. Her whole body filled with a warm, sunny feeling.

For the rest of the arvo, Sydney showed Grandpa her paintings, they built a block tower that wobbled just like her jellyfish dance, and they shared a chocolate biscuit. Sydney didn’t try to be funny, but she made Grandpa let out a huge belly laugh when she accidentally put a block on her head like a hat. As he gave her a big hug goodbye, he whispered, “Best arvo ever.” Sydney smiled. She realised that special family love wasn’t about being the funniest person in the room; it was about sharing the quiet, wobbly, biscuit-y moments together.