Apologies for no blog entry last week. It was a very strange week. I struggled to get through the most basic tasks and have only just realised what it was – return to school hangover.
The week started with the euphoria of Youngest Son commencing secondary school and the house being returned to a haven of peace and quiet between the hours of 8.30am to 4.00pm. Bliss.
Tuesday had been pre booked with appointments that I never really wanted to keep and had cleverly used the summer break as my secret weapon. The threat of the Yellow Pages Rep having to sit through an appointment with both Sons present was enough to scare him away for another 12 months. However, the BT Rep was more persistent and insisted on scheduling an appointment post summer break. Other persistent callers included the Stationary Supplier and a man selling advertising in an unknown directory. Hell.
Wednesday was the day the hangover set in. When Youngest Son waved good bye in the morning I realised that he had grown into an independent, confident young person. There was a feeling of loss and a short burst of broodiness. Then there was realisation that I was now the mother of two High School children. This made me feel old – so very old. I spent the rest of the day floating around in a trance that must be very similar to an out of body experience. Weird.
Thursday was a day of madness. We had been invited to the Proms, which seemed like a good idea at the time. The logistics proved challenging – collect Sons from school, eat light dinner in the car, arrive at home, quick change, travel to station, catch train, catch taxi. I made two mistakes; forgot the light dinner and forgot the peak hour commuters that would greet us in London. Frantic.
Friday can best be described as a blur. The night at the Proms was brilliant but very late. The out of body experience had not dissipated over night. I prepared my infamous Friday List over breakfast, knowing too well that this particular Friday was going to be true to form. Scrap the List.
But this week, the sun is shining, my tomato crop has ripened, Youngest Son is loving secondary school, Oldest Son has started learning the electric guitar. I am the mother of two independent, happy young people. Life is buzzing.
