Sunshine but no sangria...hopefully.

I dropped my 'babies' off at school at 5am today and by now they're thousands of miles away soaking up the Mediterranean sun on their first trip abroad without us.

As Nick and Alex loaded up their suitcases in the hold and hopped on the coach it brought home to me just what a big part of my life they will always be...and how they will always be my little boys.

Nick, the 14-year-old, tried to look cool, his hair gelled to perfection despite the early hour, as he turned and gave me a manly hug.

Alex, the self contained 12-year-old, dumped his bag and went to climb on the coach without so much as a backward glance, forcing me to shout after him and force a hug from him. Brothers yet so different.

My wife spent much of the morning checking the airport website to make sure they'd landed safely and then they texted to let us know they were in customs - good lads.

But then came the evening - I got home from work and Jess was at a friend's house, leaving this awful silence in the house as my wife and I were thrown together without the glue that binds the family.

Normally I moan about the noise, the bickering and the sniping - now I can't wait to hear the first full blown row again when they return on Tuesday.