Z went on the Motorway!!(!)

113 miles, door to door, in 2 1/2 hours. All went well and on our return we bought the paint and I left Phil and his dad ready for an evening of painting ceilings. I hadn't taken suitable clothes to be bespattered so came home, promising to return promptly the following morning.

The bees have had a cheerfully busy day exploring their new territory. I only looked at them briefly, as I'd been with the children for a couple of hours. I went in at 8 o'clock, bearing breakfast, make-up and contact lens. Dilly asked if I could pop into the shop quickly, as Al had gone off with her car keys in his pocket. I stuck the lens in the general direction of my eye, it lodged in an appropriate place and a few minutes I returned - as I drove slowly past the shop, Al chucked the keys through the window; couldn't have been quicker.

Children were adorable of course. Pugsley is just starting to string words together on the way to sentences; a new thing in the last two or three weeks. It had been one word sentences, even if connected. "Elephant. Huge. Huge. Enormous. Elephant." has given way to "Where Squiffany gone? Daddy? Not bed. Where?" - he had woken up to find that his sister had absconded to their parents' bed, but Al's head was under the bedclothes so he was not visible.

Off again early, more suitably dressed, to help with painting.