Well we finally got there. After nearly 6 months off school, last week Toby and Gabe both went back to school full time. I’m so proud of how well they have coped with all the time at home and everything that has gone on since March but I think it was a relief to all of us when they walked back through their classroom doors on Wednesday.

I was prepared for some upset on Wednesday morning. As much as the boys were looking forward to going back to school and seeing their friends again, they both have a history of tears and complaining on school mornings.

I needn’t have worried though. They were both great, and in an effort to start as we mean to go on we even managed to walk to school too. Things are a bit different at school with staggered start times and a one way route around the yard to drop them off but it hasn’t really caused any problems so far.

Both boys seem to have settled back in well. Gabe is absolutely loving being back at school. Toby is taking a bit longer to get used to being in Year 3 and his new teacher but he’s doing well too. And I have to admit I’ve loved having a bit of time to myself again!

Anyway, of course this week’s pictures had to be from the first day back at school and in the tradition I started on Toby’s first day in Reception, I made them little signs to hold while they had their pictures taken.

The same as last year, Gabe still wants to be a gardener when he grows up. He’s been enjoying helping his daddy in the garden in the last few weeks so I think that’s where that came from.

And this year Toby’s sign said he wants to be game developer – he’s been enjoying doing a bit of programming with Barry, and designing games on Purple Mash which is an online platform they use at school. When I first asked him what he wanted to be though, he said ‘a parent, because they don’t do anything’. Cheeky so and so!

I hope your children settled back at school if they were back last week, or good luck if they are going back this week. I’m just hoping week 2 is as successful for us as the first few days were!

This is my ninth year taking part in this linky celebrating childhood, based on a poem by Kahlil Gibran, “You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth” .

If you’d like to see the rest of my Living Arrows posts you can find them all here.