And a new school year begins...

Two years old with rings on her neck already

Tomorrow over 700 children will come streaming through the gates of the school. Some will be bursting with excitement and others a little sad that the Summer holidays are over again.

I, for one, will be glad to get back to a regular routine and I'm really excited to see all our Little Springers again. The holidays are a wonderful time - time to relax, refresh and perhaps discover new horizons. I spent a month in Thailand with my family. We traveled from the Burmese border to south Koh Lanta - 2500kms in a month. We did and saw the most wonderful things - spent a day with elephants in Chiang Mai, met the long necked Karen people in a hill top village near Chiang Rai, was pushed up a hill by a little Yao boy trying to earn a few Baht (that's him in the hat below), shopped in Bangkok's glitzy streets and traditional markets, sped around the islands of Railay in long-tailed boats and dived with the under sea creatures at Koh Haa. And we met some wonderful new friends, too.

I always love the kids wherever we go

We didn't want to come home!

There will be some little ones this week who won't want to be at school - it's hard to get up in the morning at the same time every day and rush around packing a bag and a lunch. It's hard to be at school with all the routines of eating and playing at certain times of the day. And some will be so tired by 3.00pm they will need a nap (some teachers will too!)



Getting back into a regular routine as quickly as possible is the best thing parents can do - it's a 'right, let's get up and go approach' which will help your children (and yourselves) stop pining for the holidays. After a week or so we will all be in the swing of 2013 - and before you know it, the holidays will be here again!