After a hectic Christmas entertaining family and celebrating Older Daughter’s 20th birthday on 30th December life is slowly returning to normal.  Because OD was working on New Years Eve (bar, pot washer, waitress etc at the golf club for the dinner dance) we had our big new year’s eve feast on her birthday instead.  Meaning that on New Years Eve we had loads of snacky things (euphemistically called “party food” in most of the supermarkets) which meant a lot less washing up than usual!  After being the designated driver a couple of times during the Christmas period I volunteered partner to remain sober enough to pick OD up at the end of her shift but he soon made up for it later.  Somehow I ended up watching Glastonbury highlights on telly until 3.00 in the morning.  not sure how that happened, I wasn’t that sozzled but I just completely lost track of time.  Good fun though.

I still managed to get up on New Years Day and take down all the Christmas decorations and tree so that OD could go up into the attic to put them away.  I re-bagged and labelled them in bold black and yellow this time so that they are immediately obvious when we send QT2 up there next year,  this time he claimed not to be able to find anything and OD had to do a second wet cold look when she arrived back for the hols (loft not in a particularly healthy state of repair).

Anyway OD went back to Uni on Sunday and the rest of us are back at work/school with a vengeance.  Once again (having got more or less up to date during the Christmas break) I am sitting surrounded by files, printed out emails and phone notes which need typing up/dealing with and trying to keep all the clients (and the bosses) happy whilst still meeting all the Court and procedural deadlines.  I have no idea why I didn’t buy a lotto ticket for tonight.  14 times roll over and £50m jackpot.  Oh well,  the most I have won in all these years was £100 on one of those New Year ones where you had a year on your ticket instead of numbers.  And that was a very long time ago.

This term is important for QT2 who has had his “trial” (mock) exams before Christmas and now needs to knuckle down so that he gets suitable GCSEs to get him into his 6th Form of choice where he can get a second chance at being spotted for the Academy of a local well known Rugby team (having failed to win a place through the age group training).  That’s why he wants to go there,  I am not sure he is that bothered about what exams he does or what he will do if he doesn’t become a rugby player.  Times are very difficult at his school because most of the teachers have left (after the head resigned/was pushed) and there are a number of substitute teachers or new bods meaning very little continuity.  Fingers crossed he seems to still be engaging with school although after only 2 days he is exhausted having not yet sussed that his holiday behaviour – sit up on Xbox or phone until 2 in morning and get out of bed at 12 or so before sitting in front of telly or Xbox all day – doesn’t work when you have to get up at 7 and be out of the house before 8 for a hard day’s school!

QT1 is also settling into her A levels and starting to understand my pleas (never quite accepted by OD) to “think and write like an adult” in the Eng. Lit. essays.  But she spent ages on one essay recently and made a really good fist of it then the teacher hasn’t bothered to collect it to mark it.  Frankly I sometimes wonder what teachers think they should be doing for their money?  But hush my mouth since OD is training to be a secondary PE teacher.  However it is truly OD’s vocation and I know she will never quibble at running the hockey or cricket team after school or even at the weekend because I really believe it was what she was born to do.  Lucky her.

I think I must make a belated New Years resolution to make more time to blog because it’s very cathartic! What was your favourite thing about Christmas this year?