Today marks the first day proper of the new term! Obligatory photo of new uniforms taken, bags packed with sparkly new stationery that is currently all labelled and games bags with clean and tidy kit! I know the enthusiasm expressed today by them all being ready by 730 probably won’t last and that when the homework and music and club regime kicks in the moaning will commence – but for now I’ll ride the wave of positivity!
It is strange as for half the summer term we were wishing for the holidays to start! We couldn’t wait for the routine to be broken and have some time to ourselves to be a family. Then by about halfway through the holidays we were wishing the kids could go back to school! Outings were becoming scarcer and expensive and they were fed up with each other and beginning to argue constantly!
Now they have gone back and the house suddenly seems big again. Instead of being full of noise and the kids and their friends and half of the stuff in their bedrooms lying around the house seems vaguely tidy! (My house will never be show home tidy!) Gone are the sounds of the kids playing, arguing or moaning, playing on various devices. These are replaced instead by me typing with the TV on in the background! Indeed I can finally make some progress on the full to bursting SKY box whilst editing but the TV is now on more for company than wanting to sit and watch all day! And there is the conundrum! Whatever we have we want something different! When I have to take the kids to school life revolves around the school run, homework and so on. I struggle to find time to write and so on but when I don’t have to take them we still have to do things and go places but at a much slower pace and I still don’t have time to write as the kids interrupt or we go out and spend time together! This means being more organised this year and making time. I know my school hours and although there will be additional days when I get asked to work I can add these into my writing schedule. I am aiming for at least two hours a day, even if it is research or note making or doing an exercise rather than new work on the novel(s) or editing! I think that on days that are relatively clear I will edit and write new stuff and on those days that are a bit more hectic the work will be more research based. I am aiming to plan the week ahead on Sunday so I can really keep myself working hard!
Having dropped the three of them and waved them in to their new adventures I had time to do a quick tidy, completed 30 mins of exercise without being interrupted and walked the dog. He was a bit put out as it his first walk kid free for a while, and he found himself walking quicker and therefore further than he has been used to over the summer! I have been able to catch up on some admin, sort out a few appointments and still have some time to do some editing on the kids book before going to collect them again!
I think though some of the reasons that I look forward to this – other than missing them of course, is that I get to hear about their days. All of them will have done different things and after weeks of being together for most of the time they will all have something to talk about, be it good or bad. First we have to run the gauntlet of the school family photograph. I return to work on Monday and will be balancing teaching and writing as well as all the kid stuff and I know I am lucky to be able to do so. Fingers crossed all the new starters have a good first day and come out keen to go and learn even more tomorrow!
