School has been in for a few weeks now. Abigail, Imogen, Samuel and now Georgiana are all in school. Abigail started in year 7 this year - a big move up to secondary school, Hinchingbrooke. She cycles to school every day, which is 2 miles from our house, so she's getting some good exercise. So far she's been very happy with school. She likes her teachers for the most part, and her subjects, which include English, Math, Science, French and History, where they are learning about ancient Rome! Yea! Abigail has been reading the Roman Mystery books by Caroline Lawrance, so she knows quite a bit about ancient Rome and has been able to participate to a great extent in class discussions. The school has good systems in place to make sure the children are responsible with parent communication and with homework, and so far we're pleased with the school.

Imogen started year 5 this year, and has two teachers, Mrs. Kommerfield and Mrs. Driss. She's made an excellent start by being very punctual in her work and making sure she's got what homework she needs, etc. She has lots of friends at school and seems very happy there.

Samuel is now in year 2, and also has two teachers, Mrs. Leach and Ms. Vass. He has a really good attitude about school and seems to be enjoying it. He has a good attitude about getting himself ready for school and doing all the things he needs to do before school, like his practicing and his job.

Georgiana has started big school this year, and has been going full days to reception for just over a week now. So far she loves going to school and is excited to share with me what she has learned. Her teacher is called Mrs. Cole.

Eleanor and Verity are at home with me. Eleanor hates going to anyone but me or Tim, and screams whenever either one of us leave, so she's very much at home with me these days. I just take her with me whereever I go - it's just easier that way. But it's not that bad, not like I remember taking Abigail and Imogen places when they were 2. Eleanor doesn't tend to run away from me, and she's pretty quiet when she's with me, so I can get a few things done. The point is that we have fun at home while the kids are at school.

Today we went shopping for shoes for the new school year. Five kids surrounding a pram holding a baby, marching the streets and mallways on a mission to find four pairs of the most practical, comfortable and stylish shoes. All the kids were really good for the most part, except for Eleanor, but that's just because she's two. She refused to get in the pram, insisted on walking and on pushing the pram on her own, climbed all over the benches where the children needed to sit to be fitted for their shoes, ran around the shoe stores, seemed to be perpetually climbing on those stools that they use when they are measuring your feet. Anyway, we survived.

I am beginning finally to fulfill my many-year ambition of teaching my children ancient Greek and Latin. For the past few weeks this summer we have been working in the Cambridge Latin Course I book, and even Georgiana is paying attention and enjoying it. We're also reading the Caroline Lawrence books together as a family, which educates the children in all sorts of ways on the world of ancient Rome.