The good news is that we made it! The end of Term 3. But only thanks to an awful lot of help to see us over the line.

Both Hubby and I missed Miss Eight’s Book Week Parade, but thanks to the amazing network of school parents, we were sent lots of photos and videos. My beautiful best friend took time out of her busy day and attended the Open Classroom and stayed for the parade. And Miss 13 and I both started late on Friday so as to attend the presentation assembly. Like all busy parents, we juggled, struggled, were grateful for the help we got, and we tried not to let the guilt eat us alive.

Good enough is good enough. Now it’s time to relax and sleep in…

“So I’m opening a smoothie bar today!” Miss Eight announces centimetres from my face at 6.39am on the first day of the holidays.

“I’ve written a list of the ingredients I need before breakfast. I open both eyes while cursing the Australian education system and the seemingly endless holidays.

Upon further investigation, I realise her list includes a block of Caramilk chocolate, Caramilk ice creams, whipped cream and thickened caramel topping. When asked about it, she wanders past me with the 1kg weight set doing bicep curls. “Yeah, I’m on a bit of a health kick Mum,” she explains. “I start with resistance training, then I move on to the gymnastics mat and finish with a nourishing, healthy smoothie.”

 Torn between wanting to explain that blending a block of Caramilk with a Caramilk ice cream isn’t exactly nutritious, but also not wanting to give her any food issues, I choose to deflect. “Gymnastics mat?” I ask, hoping she means the trampoline.

She looks at me like I’m an idiot and backflips onto my bed.

After a quick trip to IGA (where I also accidentally tried to drop the kids to school), we are home and the smoothie shop is open. They are delicious and I chose to ignore my quick calculation of 519 calories for each “smoothie”.

“What’s next in our fitness journey?” I ask. Unfortunately, flooded roads mean a trip to the ninja warrior playground in Forbes is off, so we head to Somerset Park, along the wetlands loop, for some playground fitness.

As I drink strong black coffee to try and get the caramel taste out of my mouth, Miss Eight masters the monkey bars for the first time and doesn’t break a single bone! Even Miss 13 seems to be having fun (if I ignore the fact that “checking my heart rate on my Apple watch” means “sneakily texting my boyfriend during a screen-free portion of the day”).

We stop in at the library on the way home because, during last week’s clean-out, I found a book called “Stories for Eight-Year-Old Girls” and (I’d really love to just end this sentence here, but my commitment to honesty compels me to explain) I found it in Miss 13’s room. I’m now returning the book five years late.

But now we’re here Miss Eight and I snuggle up to read together while Miss 13 heads off to the teen (romance) section. Once again I’m reminded of how grateful I am for the parks, activities, library, art gallery, museum, and shopping centre activities available to us in the holidays in Orange. A quick roll down the museum roof and we’re good to go home, ready for tomorrow’s adventure.