Mama of Boys: Oh thank you, baby Jesus!

It has been a looooong half term and I am delighted to announce that Boy has officially broken up for the holidays. We practically skipped down to church this morning and at the end of the service, when the children were dismissed until Jan 7th, we positively ran out the door whooping and hollering.

Don't get me wrong, he seems to like school and I know he loves his friends but he is still so young and it is such a big ask. He needs the 3 weeks to replenish his little body, mind and soul. As we left school on Wednesday the headteacher asked me and another Mama if we were looking forward to the holidays and (after we looked at him like he was insane!) we both wittered on endlessly about how we couldn't wait, we adored them! I think he assumed our love for the break came from a fondness of lie-ins and the lack of school runs...

But it's just so much more that, isn't it?

We're not a sicky family on the whole but man, do we need to slow down and recharge before next Friday?! Boy is so exhausted he can hardly cope, Baby barely got over the last cold before this one started, Husband is about to start with man flu (God help us all) and I have fought off a killer head cold but am now suffering from nausea and stomach cramps.

The school runs won't be missed, I will admit, but it's nothing to do with the early starts (my boys are up at 7am no matter what!) I miss our lovely happy mornings where I didn't have to constantly 'nag' him into eating, brushing his teeth, getting dressed, finding his left shoe... I miss letting him choose, letting him just 'be', letting him relax and really get into projects around the house without worrying about timetables or routines. I am excited to watch him play soldiers with his brother for the next three weeks, build hundreds of Lego models and paint many, many pictures. We are going to pootle into town, leisurely run our errands, go for coffee together, take our sweet time and enjoy each others' company.

Because that's the main reason I'm so stoked. I love my son and I think he's a hoot. I enjoy his company and the thought of spending 3 whole weeks with him fills me with deep joy. I know we'll fall out. I know we'll grump at each other. But I am his Mama and that's my job and the small shit bits are NOTHING compared to how much fun we're going to have together.

School is necessary and Boy seems to be flourishing so far, but this Mama is delirious that it's temporarily suspended!!