I started blogging just after Toby turned one, so it seems hardly possible, but my little chap is off to big school for the first time this week. He is joining his sisters at the little school in the village.

We are as ready as we will ever be in terms of the stuff we need for school, and having a boy after two girls, there is a lot of stuff. We bought school shoes at the end of December, well before the back to school rush, and I have his little shorts, shirts, and jackets all ready. He made a library bag with Nan when we visited the mountains, and he has a bag which looks way too big for him, though of course it’s just that he is still small. I spent an hour on Monday labeling everything. With two weeks of swimming lessons to start the year, even his undies needed labeling.

So far as school goes, Toby is not that interested. To him the farm is far more important and exciting, and who is going to run the farm properly once he goes to school? What will Dad and Pa do without him? It is a legitimate concern. Having said that, I know that he is ready for some more formal education. He writes his name on his books and papers (though some times he writes Ybot – he doesn’t believe that the letters have to be in particular order), and loves stories and art, and tries to count to 100 (though the 70s-90s get a little hazy). Yep, he is ready. On Sunday he wrote his name with a permanent marker on his toy guitar after seeing a clip of Colin Buchanan signing a guitar.

It’s going to be quite a shift for our whole family having all the kids at school. Country Boy will have a little more time on his hands, but as the farm takes all hours as you want, his “spare” time will certainly be taken up. 2016 is our only year with all three kids at one school. Hannah is in Year 6, Meg in Year 3.  Suddenly the years are flying past. I no longer have little ones, and though we are in the golden times (no toddlers, no teens), I want it all to slow down.

Toby might be ready for school, but I’m not sure I am ready for him to go.

Do you have a little one starting school this year? Any advice for us as we transition to having no little ones at home?