family - where did all the time go?

I am seriously time deficient or rather I have simply failed to notice the passing of time. Is that normal when your Oldest starts school? It's now half term and I seriously cannot work out where all the time has gone. I had great visions of being able to do all sorts of things when the Oldest One was at school and being able to achieve so much.

Has that happened - in a word  - NO.

Why has time stopped and suddenly shunted me forward to half term?

On the one hand, thank G the first part of term is over - a few blips here and there with the Oldest One getting used to school and being in a class of 30 - usual stuff and the Youngest One and myself struggling to find a routine that works, particularly with sleep. But overall we're happy that Oldest One seems settled and raring to go each school day morning. Did I just say raring to go - maybe that was a bit ambitious.

Here are things I have learnt about the school thing (given I am now a veteran of 6 weeks)

1. I still don't know the names of some of the parents I say hello to

2. My child has learnt so much in his first half term - mainly "no one likes me", "I don't like you", "so-and-so doesn't like me" (notice a theme here) and "where's my snack?"

3. Talking of snacks - always give your child something to eat on the way home - gives you something to talk about - i.e. hyper screechy child - "where's my snack?" Parent - "Here it is - a lovely hummus wrap" or something similar. Sometimes I give Oldest One some sugar infused snack such as choc biscuits or flapjack and then other times in a fit of must be more healthy give Oldest One rice cakes. They smell foul but go down a treat especially as the far more sensible Youngest One dislikes them.

4. I don't expect Oldest One to wave goodbye at the door - which is a relief really as some children haven't made it into the classroom without some serious encouragement. I did feel offended at first and then had a serious talk with myself and realised this was a good thing.

5. I now do not ask about how the school day went as there was no point. Here's an example - me - "what did you do today?" Oldest One - "dunno" me - "did you enjoy PE?" Oldest One - "can't remember" and so the painful conversation went on till Oldest One screeched a lot. And that was before we reached the school gate. So lesson learnt.

6. Big realisation that our family has fundamentally changed for the next 16 years or so - what have we let ourselves in for.

So time has passed with no real achievement on my part other than the ability to roll out of bed, drag us all to school - we walk every day, including a nice hill before the school gates - roll home, try to entertain Youngest One, realised I have not written blog or done anything useful. Feed Youngest One then do lots of bits n pieces, then go back on school run and try to entertain 2 increasingly screechy children.

Is this what they mean that life stops when you have children?