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.

MY BABY STARTS SCHOOL

I can't actually believe that my little Pip will be starting school in just a month. It always felt so far away and as if we had forever together, now it's pretty clear as his uniform hangs in his wardrobe, that we don't. I don't know if things will be delayed due to Covid, or if his start to school will be a far cry away from what we've all envisioned for the last four years, but I do know that come the end of this month, I'm going to be far more nervous than he will be. I don't think it would matter how many children you have, their first day of school is always a huge milestone, however this just feels so heightened not only because of everything we've been through this year, but because he's my last baby and still very much a baby he feels.