Ah. A splendid day of hanging out with the kids.

Swimming with Alice first-thing: she's like a little limpet, refusing point blank to let go and sometimes when she's absorbed in other thoughts I let her float free and then she freaks out and grabs back on. I wasn't so happy in the water as a child; maybe Alice is going to have a slow falling in love with the swimming thing.

Emperor Strikes Back - two weekends ago we had our first full weekend of the original Star Wars trilogy and by chance ITV are following up our intense viewings with one a weekend. Rudy is next door just now fighting the dark force. Last week I overheard him shouting/kind of asking for permission... "I'm just going to use the force to strangle Alice" Em. no you're not.

And painting with Ali-bee. She chose the colours, all sugary blues and pinks and yellows and flowers and hearts and cats and spots and loveliness. I reckon Alice's dark side is gonna make an appearance at some point soon. She did ask for black today, but changed her mind within a hair's breadth of uttering the request. And now she is standing just over from where I am sitting chatting away to herself. Totally content my wee girl.