Two and two makes it an early school start for Labane twins – on the double!
Getting back to school is a welcome return to routine after the summer holidays but the first week of term can be hectic in most households....not to mention the ones with twins or even triplets to get ready in the mornings!
Like the Mullins family in Ardrahan who have five primary school children to get up and ready for action every morning – including two sets of twins!
Four year old Zach and Saoirse started in Junior Infants at Labane N.S. on Monday and their older siblings, six year old twins Joshua and Caoimhe went into First Class, while older brother, Dylan (9) started Fourth Class. Parents, Mark and Jacqui, at one stage had five children under the age of five but they are a dab hand at being organised now. They both worked in the army though Jacqui gave up work when she gave birth to the second set of twins.
“It used to be mayhem certainly but we have got used to it and maybe our army training helped us cope! But honestly, we couldn’t have coped without Dylan who really helped me when the younger twins were born,” said Jacqui.
And of course the back to school bills in the Mullins household are astronomical, as it is two of everything for the two twins. “The expense is nearly as bad as Christmas,” she says.
On Sunday evening, Joshua broke his arm falling from the treehouse at his home so he arrived back into school with a cast – but it’s all part and parcel of growing up, says a philosophical Jacqui. Little Saoirse was nervous, she said but her slightly younger brother (by just seven minutes) is very protective of her and promised to look out for her!
See full story and loads of ‘first day at school’ photos in this week’s Connacht Tribune.