THE SCHOOL YEAR HAS BEGUN

Most people talk about the new year in January. Very sensible idea! But with three school aged children and a hubby who teaches, January is holiday time. The first week of February is when it all starts.

We've just had our first full week and I feel like the year has got underway. My 18 year old son has begun his last year at school. He trotted off with his new pocket watch and feeling deprived that we still haven't found him a waistcoat. In the best steam punk tradition, he wants to be the epitome of the well dressed Victorian gent - with the addition of black jeans and high cut sneakers, of course.

Fourteen year old son has returned for his second year at high school and in the course of the the first week has decided to take up futsal and can't quite get his head around the fact that having guitar, bass guitar, drums and piano lessons are a little out of our budget! However, he will be continuing with guitar.


Twelve year old daughter is home schooled, and this is her last year. Next year she's off to high school. We've had a good week. We've started a new curriculum with a theme on the Middle Ages and she's going to the local intermediate once a week for technology - this term she's doing metal work.

Hubby started off the term with a terrible bout of flu and two days in bed, but is fit as a fiddle now. He teaches at a special needs school and although it's full on, he really loves the work.

And me? I'm thriving on the return to routine. It always helps me to achieve more. This year I plan to finish the first draft of my new novel - a New Zealand historical - and get through a big chunk of my TBR pile.