DENIAL: The Sequel - Stuff Happens Whether You're Ready or Not!!

It's been a strange last few weeks - that odd mix of happy, sad and plain old nostalgic - seeing out the end of John's primary schooling. Year 6 Activity Week outings, leavers' assembly, Splash Day, and yesterday his eleventh birthday. It just does not seem like 6 years since we nervously sent our first-born off to school! In part the nervousness was because this was a child who, at the age of four, had climbed over the five foot high "child-proof" fence at kindy and hived off down a very busy road ... and school was nothing like as well fenced at that point! At least, it doesn't seem like 6 years until I look at the height of John and his peers (and in some cases I'm looking up) and realise how much they've grown. Vertically anyway. John simply does not grow sideways and still wears the same shorts he wore at age 5, they just reach his knees instead of hovering just above his ankles!

The best advice Ross and I received as we approached our wedding day was "pay attention". Otherwise the whole thing goes by in a blur and all you've got are photo's to remind you of what happened and who was there. Can't for the life of me remember who actually said it to us in the first place! But it strikes me as being rather good advice for life in general. The kids are growing up so fast, but thankfully they are both still very much kids. John will still hurtle up to me in public and give me a big hug. Walking with the other Year 6s between the railway station and the rock-climbing venue he took my hand and held it, just because he wanted to. And a little voice in my heart said "pay attention, this is special".

Maybe he won't grow out of it entirely. Maybe, like Ross, he'll still love giving his mum cuddles long after he's passed her in height. But, just in case, I'd better pay attention.

I've decided not to actively pursue additional employment next year. I only work half a day a week during school term doing "mainly music" at the moment and had been contemplating looking for further nannying or possibly kindy relief work. Goodness knows the extra income would be useful, but Amy only has a couple of years left at primary school and that time will fly past, and most importantly I've got Ross's support for the idea, so my plan is to volunteer as much as I realistically (i.e. while maintaining sanity!) can at school. If God has something else in mind, personal past history tells me He's quite capable of letting me know ...