This is where I leave you

It’s the last day of school for the half of the VM family that it is relevant for, and the other half of us are busy whingeing and wanting cookies/shooting down our to-do list frantically while trying to get the last-minute washing done.

Tomorrow we are off for a few weeks to Familyville, and I intend to treat it as a Proper Beach Holiday. The kids are old enough now where it’s more enjoyable than stressful, I’m going to read books and drink cold things with mint sprigs, and get the heebie jeebies at the amount of sand that gets tracked through the house.

Oh god look at that chubbit little arm that’s four years old now and not as chubbit any more 🙁

We are also going to have slow school holidays when we get back, lots of lounging and food on sticks and avoiding tidying the bathroom. Time for our brains to rest and freak out for a bit and then find their groove before popping back into All Systems Go Mode when school starts again. The bit where I fight the tupperware cupboard and look for shoes that fit.

It’s been an … interesting year. Not quite as bad as last year, or the year before, but not particularly fabulous. In fact, for the last few months I’ve basically been waiting for it to tick over to January 1, although I appear to be the only one in the family who hasn’t found 2016 to be terribly appealing.

Bigs has thrived at school, both socially and academically, and reads like an absolute champion, which pleases my bookish heart no end. I’ve made the most solid school mum squad ever, and school has been nothing but a big, fat plus to us all. Lort may it stay that way!

Smalls has had a blast at three-year-old kindergarten and alternately made friends and got sand thrown at her at regular intervals throughout the year. She’s a happy little sausage, always busy doing Terribly Important Things with the authority only a very serious four-year-old can have. She started gymnastics with some little friends earlier in the year and absolutely loves it. In fact, she’s the only one left now, all signed up for another year. She got her first medal the other day and I think it’s motivated her even more.

Plenty of ups and downs and feeeeeeelings, so I’m grateful for a break and a brand new start.

I hope wherever you are and whatever you celebrate, you have a good one. May the family politics be less offensive than Trump’s, and may your cocktails be strong.

This is where I leave you 🙂