Declan and Ruby

Dexie sidles up to me while I'm working on the computer.

"Guess what Mummy!" he says, "I have some good news for you."

"Oh, goody, what is it?" I ask.

"I'm going to sit next to you! You love me to sit next to you, don't you?"

I love the way my kids really believe that a huge part of my happiness comes from them being near me. Which is mostly true, apart from the times when I fantasize about getting in my car and driving far, far away.

So Dexie pulls up a chair and perches on the edge of it, watching me type.

"Are you doing berry hard werk?"

"Yes...(type type) I am."

"Oh... you love me helping you, don't you Mummy."

"Hmm...yes, it's great."

"Mummy, do you love me to touch that shiny red light there?"

Declan is like the opposite of all those self help books that tell you to take responsibilty and own your feelings. He cleverly puts everything back on me, so that when he does click the shiny red mouse button and deletes all my work, it was only because I obviously love him to do so.



As for Miss Ruby, her sleeping is still good. One day I won't obsessively remember the exact times she slept, but right now it's still foremost in my mind. My one regret with that girl is that she truly does not like to sleep in my bed. It may sound crazy, but I miss her, and I see how fast she is growing up and away from me. I don't mind having my kids sleep with me, as long as they sleep. But Ruby appears to hate it. On Saturday morning she woke up very early, like before 5am. It was rainy and windy and freezing and I thought that surely she would like to snuggle up with Brett and me for a while. But no! Apparently that was akin to imprisoning her in a concentration camp. She screamed and howled and then draped herself across the foot of the bed like a small sobbing dressing gown. After about half an hour she finally, resignedly, dragged herself back up the bed and collapsed against me. Immediately snoring, she slumbered peacefully until 7.30 and then woke up as bright as a button. What a loony!