I had to stay in London for the night a couple of weeks ago, which necessitated a raft of childcare arrangements as my husband was working. I called my mother from the hotel room to see how things were. ‘Oh yes, we’re alright now,’ she said. There was a short pause while I digested the […]
The rocket ship
The park we go to has a wooden playhouse into which my children love to drag me for make-believe tea parties. Despite living in the glorious Cotswolds, we are sadly not immune to the effects of the disaffected youth, and the interior of the cabin is regularly adorned with graffiti. Usually this is relatively harmless […]
Just the one
The twins have gone to stay with grandparents for the weekend and the house is blissfully, eerily, quiet. Is this what it’s like – having an only child? Getting ready for school without distraction, without cries of ‘that’s my toothbrush!’ and ‘get out of my room!’ Would it always be this quiet with one? Or […]
Surviving half-term by being French
Yesterday I spent a fair proportion of the day hiding in the downstairs loo, while pygmy warriors masquerading as children hurled themselves at the locked door. The Jubilee extravaganza has caused an overdose of sugar and late nights, and with half-term running helpfully on from the four-day weekend, by 10am my wits’ ends were far […]
Spectacular entertainment
For some time my husband was convinced that daughter number two had a squint. ‘Look!’ he’d say urgently, and I’d whip round in an attempt to catch her eyes crossing. I always missed it. Eventually, when we were sitting round the table for supper one day, I realised Georgie was looking at her fish fingers […]
Wine-tasting with the Women's Institute
Last night’s wine-tasting at the WI proved to be our most popular event yet. This is perhaps no surprise when you consider that the tea-tray at our monthly meetings generally sulks forlornly in the corner. Our thirty or so members tend instead to opt for wine to lubricate the evening. The ‘Oxford Butler’ coped admirably […]