1.  Message from a child

2.  Message from China

3.  New shoes

Son 2 aged 1 was in with me from the wee hours.  He woke up 8 or 9 times and cried every time my head was on the pillow, until I worked out that what he wanted was to snug his cheek/head next to my cheek.  When he dropped off straightaway.  Bit of a breastfeeding thing then. What does a warm, soft cheek feel like when you’re drowsy?  It’s so hard because I am so sure of what he needs and why… but I can’t deliver it.  In cave baby days Mummy could just curl up at the back with the baby, waited on by the female relatives and older children and sleep till Daddy came home with the roast sabre-toothed tiger.  But Mummy’s got to go to The Office and she’s really tired.  Son 1 aged 4 and I pushed Son 2 in The Pram down to the museum to see our friends.  Son 1 sang “Give yourself a pat on the front” as he walked along.  I don’t know whether he’s learned it at nursery, from telly, from Wonder Nanny or if he made it up.  But I am taking it as A Sign, so I think I will.

The Museum was great.  We were there more than three hours.  The Beijing Business Trip mother is back, with a glorious Dolce and Gabbana handbag and five pairs of   designer glasses which had a meteoric impact on the flagging spirits of those of us left behind to endure the collapse of imperialist paper tiger capitalism.  The boys played, the mums got coffee, Son 2 ate heartily.  A very good morning.

The Man rang.  Strolling past The Museum to buy a spanner, at the moment where Son 2 fell asleep in The Pram.  We went to Pizza Express for lunch.  Sat outside - I have a pash for sneaking outside lunches in autumn/winter - with Son 1 sitting in his huge parka complaining he was freezing and wanted to go home.  He was so tired after looping the loop in the Museum all morning that he could hardly walk.  So The Man carried him on his shoulders to the Shoe Shop, where we finally replaced his size 9 playshoes with a pair of size 10 1/2.  Son 1 chose hideous bright blue ones with toys in the heels and matching wellies.  They did, however, give him enough energy to walk the rest of the way home.  Nanna visited.  The boys went to bed.  Son 2 grizzled.  And The Man announced he needs another Business Trip on Sunday.