Family - the week after the week before

So we flew home last week. Another long haul flight and whilst I was clearly hoping for another miracle on the flight and well behaved children I wasn't holding out much hope. This time I had help and I was amazed but the flight pretty much went without a hitch. A few wobbles and a few short lived tears but we all settled down and chilled out. I should have more faith. I managed to watch a film, The Hunger Games and had a quick drink too! No sleep even though it was a night flight. When flying with another person always remember to use them as a barrier between you (as the parent) and the kids.... Saves on the angst on your part and they don't get told off so much. If you can't do that invest in some noise blocking headphones and give phenergan liberally!

Why is it that within a few hours of stepping over the threshold of home that you feel like there has been no holiday and it all feels a bit rubbish and well, normal? It doesn't help that the UK has been covered in rain for weeks and we've just come home from sunshine and 100 degrees each day. But it just feels so depressing.

Now we face one last week of preschool before the summer holidays and the beginning of what I like to think of as a productive time for all the family. The reality will be so different. More like wind up central punctuated by brief spells of family activity with the usual nonsense that goes with it. I need a project. The problem is that I used to be so organised, that was my job. Now I am more inclined to let some stuff go. I 'd like to say it was my way of not sweating the small stuff but it is more likely to be down to laziness than a guru led life plan.

Take the summer holidays, I'd like to think that we'll float into London each week on some educational mission but with the Olympics looming and my high aspirations for everyone to have a good time this is extremely unlikely. I always start off with great intentions, much like my diet and exercise programmes but end up having the cake, chocolate and the easy option of letting my 4 year run around like crazy with me punctuating his life with the odd "no running in the house" or "close your mouth when eating". Why does my 4 year not understand the possibility that I am doing important adult things like surfing the Internet for shoes I'll never buy or watching The Biggest Loser USA (guilty pleasure) whilst he has to fully re-enact Tree Fu Tom or Superheros right there. Does he not understand the delicate balance that I achieve each day of actually looking like I did some house work as opposed to the reality of stuffing stuff into cupboards and pretending I cleaned the whole kitchen floor. We do work well together when we bake, but that's only because there's something in it for him.

Therefore I am working on my own escape plan.