What Does 2014 Hold?

I'm no fortune teller but there are a few things I already know will happen this year. One is that my baby (Mr O) starts the peuterspeelzaal (psz). Well, he actually started last Monday, joining his three year old brother (Mr C) there who is a bit of a psz pro. His eldest brother made him a special "first day at school hat" which he wore proudly.

Mr O didn't hesitate to join the school going population, albeit for only a couple of hours twice a week. In fact, he'd been displaying more and more resistance each week to leave the psz when dropping off his brother. Last Monday, his first day, he smiled, gave a wet kiss to me and his dad and waved us off, hardly looking up from the play dough he was attacking at the time. His brother reassured me that he would look after  the baby of the family, and true to his word the two boys were as sweet as pie together.

They were sat in the circle next to each other the first time the group got together, but the second time another child sat between them. The teacher said she had wondered what they would do. Mr O left his chair, went to his brother, gave him a big hug and then returned to his own chair. They were fine. They were adorable.

I came home, having dropped off all three sons at school, and shed a few tears, marvelled at how time is flying by and how big the boys are getting and then I sat at my desk and started writing. I'll get used to these few precious hours a week when the house is perfectly still. It will become the norm.

Mr O starting at the psz is a forerunner of things to come. After the May school holiday this year my then four year old will join his older brother at primary school. My heart breaks to even think about it right now. So I try not to think about it, treasure every day with him until then and cross that bridge when I come to it. He's ready for school, excited about joining his brother in big school, and whilst I am excited for him too, curious how he'll be in school, I just can't quite believe it's nearly that time already.

On the writing front, I am planning a revamp this year. A new website, getting back into taking on writing assignments, progressing with the book I am writing and getting more involved with other group projects. After all, I do have a few hours extra a week to play with….

What does 2014 hold for you and your family?