Bliss

Those first few moments after putting your children to bed at night are bliss. You feel almost drunk and giddy with the prospect of having two hours to yourself.

-C x

Shivery frog rescue

Today was the second day I stumbled across a frog in our garden. (We have no pond and no neighbours with ponds). I go all shivery when I see a frog unexpectedly. Or even expectedly. That slimey pulsating wee torso. Beautiful, yet repulsive too.

So, both times I managed to coax the frogs into a bucket (shiver, shiver) and then took them to Bingham's pond and set them free.

Bingham's pond is not as romantic as it sounds. It is beside a petrol station (with an M&S) and 'The Pond Hotel' (concrete travelodge stylee). However the pond itself is large with many bull rushes, ducks and general pond life. I'm hoping the Kermit guys are happier there. When I take Hugh back there he asks me to 'find f'og' again. Needle in a haystack now, mate.

-C

The compound noun

Today has been the day of the compound noun for Hugh. He was walking round the garden, randomly saying 'bin bag' and 'man cub'.

-C

My brother: Mange Tout to Tom Jones

There's a programme on BBC1 tonight (Imagine, 10.35pm) featuring the career of Tom Jones. I will probably be in bed, as 10.35pm is way too late for a 5-times-a-night breast feeder (cheers, Tess). I may seem blasé about trying to catch it later on i-player. Will I find the time? I should find the time, as I'm very proud of my brother who directed it.

In childhood, my sister and I used to tease our brother remorselessly. In teenage years, we mainly ignored him (unless we wanted to borrow his Wrangler denim jacket). During his first job, as a kitchen help in a fancy restaurant, he tried to shell the Mange Tout. Our eyes widened. He what?! We witches of Macbeth.

Now, even if I don't catch all his programmes, I still feel proud of him in a warm way. There's a hero-ism in always doing your best. I still remember the boy who went off crab fishing, for whole days (with just a few limpets and some fishing line). I recently found a map of Islay with his child's hand-writing on the sea surrounding the island - 'good', 'okay' and 'very good'. The crab fishing guide for nine year olds.

-C