Well that was it. Christmas 2015 done and dusted. 
Crept up from behind with no warning, then bam, there I was in December and christmas cards still hadn’t been written let alone mailed.
I’m anti-christmas not on religious grounds, quite the opposite in fact.
As a working mother I never seem to get enough time to actually plan, analyse and execute my christmas master plan.
Oh yes, I had mine all mapped out in September but guess what I didn’t stick to the plan.
The christmas puds were done and put to rest in a quiet and cool place ready to be called upon on christmas day but aside of that NOTHING!
I got some of the christmas presents done when I passed through 
Bicester village on my way back from a business trip in November and very proud of myself I was too.
And we had such a nice christmas 2015, it went so smoothly, parents well behaved, family all got on well with no in fights and for once in god knows how many years I had the most relaxing christmas ever.
No inbox full of emails, no customers screaming at me having left something to the last minute. It was a surprisingly quiet and wonderful christmas with normal, well behaved children and husband.
Then without a bye or leave, christmas and new year over, you had your chance my left brain said to me, whilst the right is still reeling with where did three weeks go?
First week back on the familiar treadmill and I’m scratching my head, did I miss something or was that christmas 2015 over and done with?
Fast forward one week and we are head long into 2016.
‘Can we get into some good habits this year boys’, I proclaim on the first day back to school. ‘What’s that they both say in unison’.
‘No earphones in ears or playing games on phones just good conversation on the way to school, let’s talk’, I say.
‘What is the point in that they retort’, er, ‘wouldn’t it be nice to talk rather than stare at a small screen’ I say.
Can we leave the house and by that I mean get into the car and depart at 7:20am each day rather than me constantly screaming reminder time checks and to get a move on.
We always leave on time Mum, er, no we don’t not once last year did we ever, ever leave on time we managed 7:22, 7:25, 7:35 but never ever 7:20.
Well what’s wrong with a few minutes either way says my eldest son.
I sigh, because my dear when you get to university or the big world of work and boss says I need that done by 10am tomorrow morning, 10:02, 10:22 won’t cut it, unless you can start to manage your time now, you will never manage it.
You can find bags of time to play on your playstation in your weekend schedule but can’t seem to find time to write a book review that you’ve had three weeks to read and write ready for the start of school.
And so the usual treadmill of work, school runs, extra-curricular after school activities, nagging, reminding, shouting starts all over and I’m left breathless.
Saturday afternoon is spent aimlessly, whilst my youngest is cricket training, followed by an equally mind numbing Sunday with my eldest at school play rehearsals.
No rest for the wicked they say, they are right.
No weekend to speak of and a blinding row with Mr M on Sunday morning is not a good sign for the rest of what remains of Sunday or the start of a new week.
Finally Sunday evening and I’m tired already,
Still I am refusing to get down or sucked into the January misery even though my birthday was last Sunday I am remaining upbeat and confident 2016 will be a damn good year.
I rely on Pinterest for my quotes of inspiration to get me through like “the best is yet to come”, the past is a place of reference, not a place of residence” and my favourite “it is what it is and it was what it was. Fuck the past. Life is in front of you. Fucking own it”
“There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.” ~ C.S. Lewis
And on that note Happy New Year.
