summer hols are just about here

Tomorrow is the last day of school. I'm so excited to have my little Girly Girl home for her six weeks summer holiday, it has felt like a very long wait to get to this point.

As school draws to an end, things get busy. Summer Fayres, school trips, class parties, special assemblies, sports day, the list goes on and on. Parents start looking frazzled, we all roll our eyes and say 'here again', because it really does feel like you're at school more than anywhere else. I have to scribble on calendars, in my Filofax, I have a clipboard with newsletters and a print out from the school website showing all events. Just to try and make sure I don't forget anything!

But it's good fun, and lovely to be a part of. And at the end of it, the children have a long break. Not as long as some other countries, but a break nonetheless. I hear a lot of mums at the school moan at the prospect of having children home all summer, but I don't. I love it. I miss my girl when she's at school.

Even though I look forward to summer hols, I can't help but feel a little sad. Another school year has ended, and next term she'll move up to the next year. I feel as if time goes far too quickly. My little girl is growing up fast, I find myself trying to hold on to each day and make the most of them. When I hear her saying things like 'when I'm in year six...' I stop her in her tracks and remind her that she hasn't even started year 3 yet, so let's just enjoy the moment and not look too far ahead. I know that might sound stupid coming from me, the person who likes to make things for Halloween and Christmas in June, but I just want to stop The Girl from looking so far forward that she doesn't see what's right in front of her.

While I have these feelings of sadness (and please tell me I'm not alone), I tell myself to get a grip. It is what it is, and I don't want to waste time feeling sad. I want to enjoy The Girls childhood.
I remind myself that I'm so lucky. For the past two years I've been able to go into class each week to help out with handwriting, reading or playing educational games.
Last week, I was given an envelope full of cards made by some of the children to say thank you for going into school to help them.

It meant so much to me. I know they'd been told to make cards, but even so. The messages and drawings were so cute.

I've been on school trips too. The latest being Framlingham Castle, which was fabulous. Hadn't been there for years and loved every second of it. I feel so lucky to be included in her school life, not everyone gets the chance, I appreciate it, and it's making happy memories for both of us. My mum used to come to school trips with me back in the day, it feels like it's a family tradition!

One thing I'm pleased to finally be able to do is throw out the tired looking school uniform. Her white tops don't look so white, trousers are frayed on the end, skirts are too short now, and her shoes! Eeks! I don't even want to tell you the state her shoes are in. I console myself that every child looks the same by this time.

I've already got pretty much all of her uniform for September. Don't want to think about it really, but at least it's here, labelled, and I can forget about it. I'll be pleased when September arrives and I don't have to go out in a panic to buy it all.

Now we have the rest of summer to enjoy doing whatever we want. We have lots of plans, but also plan to take it easy too. Baking cakes, using the nearby parks, shopping. She has two birthday parties to go to, and we'll a few days away by the sea.
I've dug out the calendar I made earlier in the year, and am about to scribble in some plans. Starting on Wednesday. The Girl is having her ears pierced. She's 7, and decided she wanted it done. I wouldn't do it when she was young simply because I wanted such decisions to be hers and not mine.

We have sunny weather, but I'm sure that will change. It tends to be sunny leading up to hols, then turn rainy just as the kids break up!

In case you haven't heard, the Duchess of Cambridge is in labour! Good luck to her. I hope labour and birth go well, and that the press leave her alone to enjoy the early days of motherhood.