Malt loaf, fish pie and surrender.

1. A slice of home-made malt loaf dotted with tender raisins.

2. To take a mouthful of your own fish pie and feel that the compliments you are receiving are not just polite dinner table talk.

3. Alec is not himself at all and we're not sure what to do. Hold him this way, hold him that way, give him this, give him that. He is all round red mouth and noise, back arched and arms waving. At last I surrender and stay at home with him for the afternoon. We sit on the sofa, playing and cuddling and feeding, and it seems to be all that is needed. Perhaps I'd been thinking too much about my fish pie and not enough about him.