Off To School.....

Boy no.3 starts school tomorrow and I think I'm more nervous than he is. I don't have a photo for tomorrow because it hasn't happened yet, so instead here's his first day at Nursery last September....

Our house has been awful the last couple of days as everyone starts stressing about returning. Do they have everything? Will uniform still fit? Where's my PE bag? Did I do my homework? What sort of Summer will everyone have had?

I have to wrangle the bickerers and find the missing items, sew the handle back on the bag and turn up the little one's trousers, hand out stationery and buy more black tights. I also have to get over the fact I've cried every single time one of mine has gone to nursery or school for the first time, and I'll no doubt cry tomorrow. I'll also cry on Monday when boy no.4 starts nursery, not least because he's my last one, my little baby. I'll probably also cry when boy no.1 moves out for University even though he's in no way a baby. I'm so soft it's laughable.

This time of year always marks the passage of time so clearly, and this year all of the children are mentioning it, so they're obviously feeling it too. We've taken some time out this morning looking at pictures and reminiscing.

In 2017 in only 4 years time we'll hopefully have 3 more at University and boy no.1 will have finished. This is where we were with our lot the same distance backwards 4 years ago in 2009.... I took more than 20 attempts and never got a single shot where everyone was sensibly looking at the camera. I remember taking this photo as if it were last week, I'm stunned at how little and sweet they all look, I thought they were all really grown up at the time.

And what they're up to in 2013 ~ left to right ~ GCSE Exam year, GCSE Exam year, 1st year of GCSE's, 1st year of school, GCSE Options year, 1st year of University....

For all of you just beginning your journey with children and with all those years ahead of you. Just. Don't. Blink.