A TRIP TO SPAIN?

If you've been around here long enough, you'll know that every year the boys get to go away with my parents to Spain. They have a villa out there and it really is a home away from home, but of course, Covid seems to have other plans at this point and with the trip just over a month away, it's really in the balance of whether they'll still get to go or not. It's such a shame because I think we all know the only country that can't seem to get a full grasp on the outbreak is England, so to see travel restrictions being placed on countries with lower cases, but here we are and it's all a little frustrating. Ordinarily it wouldn't be much of an issue as the break is during half term, but because of the quarantine period upon return, it would result in both boys missing five days of school - something that we naturally would want to avoid.

CONFIDENCE BOO(S)T WITH BOOTS #AD

I think it goes without saying that 2020 hasn't really been the year any of us mapped it out to be in our heads, has it? I'm sure back in December when we thought of those New Year resolutions and the year ahead of us, we didn't think that we'd be here in August with not very much to show for it. It's been hard, even for the best of us, I myself would be lying if I said it hasn't been a struggle at times. Before lock down, I'd never truly placed much emphasis on self care and if I'm honest I didn't understand the importance of it, surely we're always caring for ourselves as a natural part of day to day life? Wrong. Being forced to stay inside your house 23 hours a day for the best part of two months really makes you regain focus and pretty quickly I realised how important making time for yourself really was. It doesn't matter in what shape or form that may be.

PREPARING PATRICK FOR SCHOOL

It's coming round so fast and thanks to Covid we have a few extra days before he begins full time, but nevertheless, his first day will be here soon. I think everyone with a child starting school this year will be a little apprehensive, there has been so much going on and even still now nobody knows fully if the academic year will begin how we've all been told in our letters and emails. Everything is still very much up in the air and being played by ear, which you can understand, given the circumstances. So, I haven't placed too much of an emphasis on 'ten sleeps to go', something Patrick loves to do when any big event is coming up, just because we simply don't know if that will be the case. The town in which the boys go to school is teetering on the edge of a local lockdown, so it's very much a 'we shall see' vibe. But, that doesn't mean I haven't been doing all I can in the way of other things to prepare my little boy, for big school.