I think I’ve forgotten how to do the school run!
To say we’ve had a brilliant summer might be a teeny, tiny bit of an understatement.
There were trips to France and Spain – and then back to France again. Flea spent her eighth birthday in New York making a custom Muppet, then we spent an amazing week in Cape Cod. Even being at home was an adventure this summer – the  week we were at home together, we visited the Warner Bros Harry Potter Studio Tour and Warwick Castle.
One day, I’m going to show Flea photos of the holidays we spent camping with my Dad in the 1980s. My Dad was a cub leader and most of our holidays happened in fields. Many featured flasks of mushy peas and leaky tents.
I’m just saying. Flea’s pretty much the luckiest kid ever.
Although, just to prove that the universe must always have balance, today we crashed back to earth with a bump.
We got home from our latest trip to France at 2am the day before Flea started back at school.
Shell-shock doesn’t even come close to how we both felt when the alarm went off at 8am this morning. I was definitely not prepared for the ideal school run routine.
Now, I should say I’m full of good intentions at the start of term. You know the sort of thing: I’m going to get up on time, I’ll have time to put Flea’s hair in plaits, her bag will be perfectly packed, we’ll set off early, listen to Radio 4 in the car, and I will probably drop Flea off at school and then go to the gym for a swim on the way back home.
After all these years, you’d think I’d have come to terms with the fact that I’m always going to be the mother who sleeps in and rushes out of the front door 10 mintues late, stopping only to find a hat to cover my unbrushed hair.
This morning was a sterling example during which I think I might actually have hit the School Run Triple Gold – unwashed hair, incomplete kit AND we burst into the classroom at school to find every other child in Flea’s class sitting nicely at their desks while Flea trailed behind me, saying, “Well, I don’t know which class I’m in, exactly…”Â
Maybe I’ll do the gym tomorrow.
She looks flippin’ good to me. But then I thank God I had 2 boys so I never have to worry about hairstyles beyond running a quick comb through and plastering some gel in it to make it look half trendy. Welcome back to the real world (Isn’t it crap? Hopefully it won’t be too long to the next holiday)
Gosh, yes, long hair will be the end of me, it really will.
What a super, what a mum and what a perfectly turned out child I say. The smile says it all!
Thanks 🙂
I think she looks really smart still so well done you (& Flea for being so cute and carrying it off well).
As for the hols, rest assured it’s been a shock to all of our systems! Life is for living and enjoying Sally – for us – like you I suspect, the hols went just too fast. Still, we crammed in as much as poss and yet enjoyed some much needed R&R with lazy mornings in bed reading, cycle rides to the park, trips “up north” to see the inlaws, impromptu camping nights away with friends (involving me getting very slightly hammered, falling over a branch in the dark and now sporting a pretty magnificent black bruise the size of South America on my right bottom cheek) and lots more.
Roll on half term eh?!
I think you should blog just so we can hear the camping story…
My daughter starts reception next Thursday and I am fighting against everything that is natural to me in trying to get us into a decent routine…yet I still know we will be late pretty much every day, breakfast will most likely be eaten on the way to school and uniform will (if my daughter has anything to do with it) be crumpled in a pile by her bed every morning. I am glad I’m not the only one who struggles to manage the perfect school run. Though, by looking at Flea, it seems this is the way to go! Top notch stuff x
I think you can’t fight nature ultimately – especially human nature!
I don’t think I will ever have time for plaits 🙂 and I can only dream of going to the gym.
I think Flea looks lovely, very well turned out. Z had similar socks today, I realised in the car he had one knee sock and one trainer sock on. Then the ever so lovely Doctor pointed out that both my girls had back to front T-shirts on. I will do better next week…..maybe…
I know. Plaits are The Dream. Reality? Slightly different…
That was very nearly me this morning, I was putting a plaster on The Boy’s heel as we were on the drive walking to school.
Nice!
LOL! Now imagine doing the same with 3 in tow. Yeap, that’s me. The mum who forgets to pack nappies for the baby’s first day in nursery. 😉
I just call it living on the edge.
Awww yet she still looks fab!
I’m that Mum too, my poor children despair! xx
Good intentions? We have to sign a contract promising we’ll listen to them read every day. Of course reading is important, but EVERY day. Times 3. With all the after school clubs and generally actually being a bit tired of school work after a day of – school work. This year I broke my own record and failed on day one.