Three Beautiful Things

1. When I prop Bettany up on the sofa she doesn't loll over sideways. 2. An aunt and a cousin come to play with Alec and cuddle Bettany on a day when I feel frazzled -- that breathing space was so needed. 3. I end up nursing both children at once because Bettany is grizzling and Alec is tired. Alec wriggles and scriggles until he is holding Bettany's hand. After a time, he takes himself off (he couldn't get into his getting to sleep usual position), snuggles up beside me and falls asleep.

1. I love the idea of Alec joining in the spell poses that "send the magic" to Tree Fu Tom on TV because it's supposed to have all sorts of developmental benefits, plus he always needs to burn off some energy -- but he's never willing. Today he confides that he would like to try, but he thinks it's too difficult. We talk about practising things that are hard; and we talk about how difficult I found copying a sequence of moves (it's still hard, but I find it easier now because of years of yoga classes and a brief craze for salsa). I promise that I'll try, too, so we can do it together. This is how we both end up on all fours in front of TV summoning a magic ant. When Nick comes home I tell him all about it. Alec looks so proud and goes through the sequence to show him. 2. It is very gratifying to be asked twice to re-tell a silly story "about the time I left you in the park and the wind blew your clothes off and you ran around nudey until the squi...

1. When the wind has died down Nick and Alec go out to inspect the house for damage. For the rest of the day Alec tells anyone who will listen that he and Daddy are going up on the roof to fix it (this is not going to happen). 2. When the ginger cake is in the oven I let Alec lick the bowl. "Pick it up," he tells me. Without really thinking about it I do -- and discover that it's because he wants to put his face in and lick it. 3. The nurse apologises several times for running so late. I don't mind at all -- it meant we had time for a feed before we went in.

1. To go upstairs and discover that Nick has put away the laundry and made the bed. 2. Alec has set up as a firestation in the front room. He takes calls on a phone made playdough. "Hallo, what seems to be the problem?" "The railway bridge has fallen down," says Uncle Robert giving the Brio layout a nudge with his foot. "The diesel has crashed into Henry." "I'm on my way. Naw-nee naw-nee naw-nee... Dad! I want to do a poo!" 3. At the end of the day to clear the front room by stuffing all Alec's den building cushions and blankets into a large bag.

1. Watching Alec using all the different techniques as he does a jigsaw puzzle -- copying the picture on the box, putting together just the tractor bit, finding all the corner pieces... I feel very proud. 2. Godmother Jo cuddling Bettany in the sling -- it's great to have a rest from the carrying. 3. To pick up a couple of butter yellow ginkgo leaves. I can never look at one of those strange fan shaped leaves without remembering my mother telling me that ginkgo is an incredibly ancient species.

1. Further down the hill there are two children carrying great bouquets of the plane tree leaves that everyone else is walking over. 2. On a whim our father buys two wicker hampers as storage in his study. We carry them down through town and in the music shop a man says: "Either you're going on a picnic or..." he tails off, not quite sure what he thinks we might be doing. "...or we're going on two picnics," says Rosey. 3. Rosey's boyfriend gives us a strange look as we complain about russet apples -- just horrid, like fingernails on a blackboard, until they are peeled (after that we can't get enough of them).

1. As we hurry away from Jane's with a  bag of gleaming sweet chestnuts from her garden we overtake an older Chinese couple picking up similar treasures from the pavement. 2. Bettany grabs Meredith's bracelet and tries very hard, despite her disobedient arms, to put it in her mouth. When we take it away from her she protests loudly and tries to manoeuvre herself so that it is within reach. I've seen her manipulating toys that I've handed her, but it's the first time I've seen her grab something of her own accord. 3. Tempers fray at snack time. "Why did you throw your cereal across the table?" "Because I want a biscuit."* "If you don't want something you say 'no thank you' and put it to one side. If you'd done that I would have given you a biscuit." "I did it because I a naughty boy." "No, you're a good boy, which is why it was a naughty thing to do, and that's why I feel cross." ...