1. At the end of the downpour the people caught in the playground emerge. Three teenage girls who were sheltering under the climbing frame shake their hair and come back to the swings. A large boy comes out of the little house and his mother who was left outside with an umbrella leads him away towards Grove Hill Road. The dogwalkers caught under the turkey oak have moved on by the time we start our third circuit. The sun comes out and Bettany finally falls silent. She is asleep when we get home.
2. I did say he could go outside, but now there is a thunder storm. He is ready to go, dressed as his latest hero, the zoologist Nigel Marven, with his backpack and wellies, Nick's sunhat and a pair of my old sunglasses. There is even a time portal set up across the back door. He is so furious that tears are rolling down his face. "But I LIKE thunderstorms!" I address him as Nigel and remind him that zoologists never, ever go out when there's lightning and then he calms down.
2b. As you can see, today was tough and I am so grateful that my aunt was here.
3. Bettany taking tiny sips of orange juice -- she has been raging with fits of colic and juice is supposed to get things moving. She is over the other side of the kitchen hugging Nick's knees but when she sees the box and the straw she comes over as fast as her drunken sailor gait will allow. She takes a little sip and then scampers back. By this time Nick is eating yoghurt. She asks for a lick off his spoon and then comes back to me for more juice.
