The First Day Back

Eek, what a weird day today feels like, as life as we knew it pre-Christmas resumes once again. The kids are back at school, Peter is in the office and I’m sat at my kitchen table/desk with my head down blogging and answering the 287500737786 emails I was sent whilst my Out of Office was on.

Don’t get me wrong, I couldn’t be more excited for the year ahead. My book Mumboss launches on May 3rd and writing it last year was the biggest creative undertaking of my career as I juggled blogging, motherhood, and sadly trauma with the illness of a close relative, and also the death of my auntie Zak…This is the year I hope it helps mobilise many potential mumbosses and I’m able to enjoy the fruits of my labour.

2017 was a tough old year but I’m hoping 2018 will be kinder. It has to be, right?

I’ll be honest though, I’m feeling a bit meh today. I’m on a post-Christmas come-down and I feel a little bit lonely now it’s just me, home alone.

Sleep deprivation doesn’t help either. I couldn’t sleep last night for fear I’d miss the two alarms I’d set plus and an earlier nap on the sofa jeopardised my usual sleeping time and my head didn’t hit the pillow until 4 am!

Goodness knows how we got to the school gates on time but we made it…

I love routine, I thrive on being busy but I’m 100% committing to self-care this year to help keep me strong for not only myself but everyone else too. I want to feel like I’m rushing less this year, so quality time and greater structure will be at play in 2018.

But back to today and the here and now.

It’s only been 2 hours and I’m already missing my twosome, terribly. We literally spent every minute together over the holidays (today is the first day I’ve actually been able to go to the toilet solo so there are some silver linings, I suppose) and whilst some days, admittedly, we drove one another mad, overall it was a magical break where we made precious memories together, laughing, baking, eating (A LOT) and going for long walks mostly on the Long Walk in Windsor or above at Kew Gardens, doing what we love most.

The kids truly blossomed over the 3 weeks off school and seemed to mature in front of my eyes.

Despite only watching films and cartoons pre-Christmas, Oliver now loved Bake Off after watching the Christmas special with my Mum, as well as Countdown (which is annoyingly even beats me at) and Come Dine With Me (‘Look what she’s cooked Mummy’).  His love of reading knows no bounds as he’s zoomed through many more Roald Dahl classics as well as many of David Walliams  brilliantly funny books, I too struggled to put down, even reading once Oliver slept!

Alexander too has grown in independence, standing up for himself in arguments with his brother (he seemed to find his voice this Christmas) and an obsession with Pokemon materialised too (correlating with fewer pounds in my purse). Xander makes me laugh so much, a born performer, he would ask daily for us to record Facebook Lives (I’ve created monsters huh) and we even made a YouTube film last night on guess what? Pokemon cards!

The most wonderful characteristic of the boys though has to be how affectionate and kind they are, and truth to be, today I’m missing all the attention they lavished on me over the festive season.

I’m missing the cuddles, kisses and dare I say it, their little voices starting every sentence with, ‘Mummy…’.

…Roll on 3.30pm pick-up so the madness can start again.

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