THERE'S not too many more sleeps until the youngest starts school.
I'm threatening to break open the bottle of Veuve Clicquot that has been gathering dust, waiting for an extra special event.
But how early is too early to pop the celebratory cork?
Parents have been told to leave the preppie room by 9.15am to avoid teary scenes - which on past performances are more likely to come from mums than kids.
It's not that I am eager to get rid of her. But after 10 years of juggling childcare and kinder with part-time and shift work, it's going to be bliss to have three children in one spot for two years.
I'm not going to miss the constant challenge of keeping a busy preschooler occupied. I'm done with beading. collage, montage, playdough, painting, bubbles, playing Barbies and watching Playschool - and that's just one afternoon.
I'm looking forward to having some ``me'' time and, given the thousands I've spent on their swimming lessons, to learn how to swim.
When my eldest started school I spent up big at the uniform shop. This time it's bare basics.
A near new bag and bomber jacket are hand-me-downs, and a new skort and two polo shirts, and a dress pretty much complete the outfit. The size 8 dress is a bit tent-like but the hem's been taken up and she's not looking so swamped by all that blue check material.
The two hats were bought at the supermarket.
But the big expense has been the school lunches - that's before we even think about the food.
The school has a long-standing ``rubbish-free'' lunch policy. Grades compete to see who has the least amount of rubbish and any rubbish goes back into the lunch box and home.
My son gets stroppy when I use cling wrap. But have you ever tried to keep a pita bread wrap in place without it?
Magazine stylists might come up with pictures of dinky sandwiches and wraps, held together by wax paper tied with string, but have they got kids?
We use zip lock bags which are washed and hung on the line for re-use but after a few uses they get a bit grotty.
But the real bugbear has been the plastic containers that just don't come home. Or make that the lids. Somewhere there is a graveyard of lids, alongside all those lost socks.
Early on I discovered that it wasn't wise to send Tupperware because it wasn't going to come home. Last week, on a shopping expedition the eldest spotted a cylinder that looked like a pencil case. Three parts stacked on top of each other - one for chopped fruit, one for sultanas and one for a treat. We bought three of them and three sandwich keepers.
I'm wondering how the Cheesestiks I agreed the preppie could have as a one-off for her first week, fit into the picture.
Do I have to unwrap them and chop them to go into the containers?
I've warned her that once they are gone we can use the tiny star shaped cutter to make our own cheese shapes.
Then it was on to ordering vinyl and fabric labels to name the booty. But don't get me started on that. I am just hoping I remember to put the Post-it note on the fridge to remind me to chill the champers.
Either way, there's likely to be tears when the baby goes off to school.
