and exhale.....................

It's the first day of the summer hols.

Never, never have I so much looked forward to the 6 week break from school, back in the day*, I used to dread the approaching end of term, knowing that I'd have 2 children in my house and on my hands, demanding full-time entertainment. Those 6 weeks of summer could be tortuous.

But for the last few weeks I've been willing time to fly by, desperate for July 14th to appear as the date on my phone and computer screens.

I think it helps that the children are getting older with each year (weird that isn't it? it's like every year they're another 12 months older, almost said mature - but that might never happen, after all one of said children is male & my 41 year old brother still has the same mentality as my 13 year old son) and so they don't need me and my Butlins redcoat (thank goodness, it was getting a bit tight after all these years) but also as I've sat down to plan out the 6 weeks school free-ness it's obvious that we don't have much down time...

- the first weekend my parents arrive to house and pet sit while we swan off to Spain (the offer to pay their airfares was rejected in favour of me providing sherry for them to quaff, the rate was (I think) 1 bottle per pet - don't think they were too amused when I had to plant a hamster**)
- then we actually go on holiday to Spain for 2 whole weeks
- after Spain we have 2 and a bit weeks at home during which time hopefully Jas will get the metal supporting pin in her arm removed, it's supposed to be an "in 'n out" job at the krankenhaus, it better be, I do hate hospitals (full of sick people you know!)
- then the last week of the hols we have to go to England for a wedding ('have to' = booked everything the moment I heard about it)

And that's it, summer hols 2010 sorted.
Back to school at the end of August, goodbye summer, hello autumn and my birthday and then it's Christmas. Not that I'm wishing my life away or anything.

Another reason I'm not dreading the summer break this year is because I think we're so desperate for it. It seems to have been a hard year so far, stressful what with Jas being ill at the beginning of the year then the stress with school, then the broken arm, and the constant getting up at 6.30 doesn't help (although Simon is always more tired than me, it is physically impossible to be more tired than Simon, I just don't go there anymore) It will be so nice to not have to get up and not have to force the children to bed.

So why, oh why, was I WIDE awake at 6am this morning? I was looking forward to sleeping in...ho hum, maybe tomorrow!


* inside joke, sorry.
** it died shortly after Easter and we buried it under the apple tree (which has a bumper crop this year... wonder if there's a connection?) and a friend's 6 year old reported to her mom that we'd 'planted' said rodent.