Tall ships at Gloucester docks

This has been a day of extremes. Started off in the market as ususl, but briefing CS because he was going to run my stall as well as his. At 10 the twins' Dad brought them to me for safekeeping, and we set off for Gloucester on the bus, via a few shops to waste time.

Gloucester was cold, and one twin complained quite rationally, while the other cried and said he wanted to go back to Stroud, to his house. I took them into the Quays (shopping centre) where the wonderful staff at Costa gave them free babyccinos, which revived them. Next stop National Waterways Museum, for the loos and the purchase of marbles. We thought it too cold to take a boat trip, so wandered outside where the boys were mesmerized by the sight of an ancient battleship and invented a new game in the square, that involved climbing on 'benches' and hiding and collecting handfuls of brick dust. I think there were sharks in the mix, too, though I didn't see any. This eventually turned into hide and seek/tag, so I had to do some running, too. They'd have stayed there all day, if I hadn't taken them round the corner to see the tall ships, which didn't interest them. They invented another game instead. Imaginative play is wonderful to observe in most four year olds.

From there we moved on to my former climbing club, the Warehouse, where I asked about climbing activities for little kids, and we had a little rest. The children had been moaning about how boring they thought the club would be if they could not climb there and then, but they seemed to like the displays and the picnic tables in a plastic cave. I had a great urge to start climbing again, or even to repeat the caving experience.

After that we caught a bus up to the centre, and from there another to Stroud, via Niagara Falls or somewhere...it took a dreadfully long time and was hot, but we did get to sit at the front of a double decker, upstairs, where we played Snap ("we both cheated, so that's fair").

By the time got back to Stroud, they were both asleep, so a kind man helped me carry one of them off the bus and into the cinema, while I carried the other. The magic of milk (it was the wrong kind of milk, they said) and loos and drinking water revived them and we were able to walk home slowly.

We still had an hour and a half left before the next carer came along. I do not envy private childminders! Fortunately the boys found plenty to play with and I only had to turn on Peppa Pig when the 'it's raining coins' game got out of hand (two of the boys collect coins, and the other makes weather effects with them).

When the relief arrived, I said goodbye to the boys for the last time. Of course, I'll see them again, Stroud is a small place, but I felt heavy of heart as I trudged up the hill to home. I will miss them, even though they tell me they hate me. They did not do that today, nor tell me they were glad I'm leaving.

When I got home I had to cash up today's takings and cook dinner, as well as putting away the remaining holiday laundry. Madeira and sundresses seem a long way away.