We had barely returned from our relaxing holiday and it was full throttle back to reality with the husband glued to his computer bringing home the bacon and me up to my armpits in laundry and restocking the larder for teenagers with bottomless stomachs.

My teenage niece joined us for a few days last weekend, so at least I had an excuse to unchain myself from the kitchen sink and get out into the fresh air on a few outings. It was nice to have a female influence and some girly laughter in the house and she proved very adept at dragging our middle son away from his computer and out of his shell.

We had visits to the coast, the Broads, took in a film at the cinema, enjoyed a meal out and indulged in a bit of sightseeing and retail therapy.

The youngest also had a friend to stay for a few nights. The pair discovered a Who Wants To Be A Millionaire board game in the depths of the toy cupboard and played it non-stop, both doing wonderful impressions of TV host Chris Tarrant. Their general knowledge astounded me and if ITV ever launches a junior version of the quiz I will be on the phone to sign them up for it.

We also had cause for celebration last week when our eldest collected his AS level results from the school office. Much to his surprise and our great joy, he achieved superb grades which should now give him the confidence to crack on towards his A-levels next year and think about applying to university.

It's a huge relief to his dad and I that he has at last rediscovered the brain we knew he had all along.

We don't consider ourselves to be pushy parents, but we've always known he was capable of much more than he was giving. He had convinced himself he did not have the ability and would have to settle for less, so this will be just the boost he needs.

With just one and a half weeks of summer holiday left, all three boys will soon be back at their books, so the next few days will be spent sorting out school uniform and sports kit. As I said, family life is relentless.