It's 23 minutes past three on Monday afternoon, and I'm about to go on leave. Didn't quite make Friday lunchtime and break-up day, but didn't do too badly. The last email has been sent and the last program has been tested and checked. Once it's gone through, I can leave.

It's been a very hectic month. Since I don't blog when I'm either depressed or stressed, blogging over the last few weeks went totally out of the window.

In fact stress seems to kick-start depression, and stress comes more easily than when I was younger. Sometimes I find myself see-sawing between the two - a few days in stress camp, a few days over in depressionville.

We must have been to a dozen birthday parties this term, and I think I attended about 8 end -of-term parent things at the various schools. I've also been pushing myself hard wrapping things up at work for my leave. Not absolutely everything is absolutely wrapped up. Some are more loosely draped over, but they'll keep.

The kids have a written list of holiday activities they want to do that is, literally, as long as my arm. I can't wait. No stress of driving and rushing to work, school, extra-murals, and meetings. Lots of sun and lots of water and lots of friends and lots of fun. I feel a little stunned by the fact that it will be me and the kids for 6 weeks solid. They have such high expectations for the holidays - probably impossible high and hard to meet in reality.