Well, I've been simmering gently for long enough, so I suppose I should add a pinch of pepper just to keep the flavour going...

My daughter has now started primary school, which is a Momentous Event and has thrown our carefully-crafted daily routines into chaos. She herself loves being at school, although the morning drop-offs are still a bit of a nightmare as she's quite clingy - it's rather upsetting sometimes. Still, it's improving, and once she's in the classroom she has a whale of a time. We've already been invaded by her classmates; our house is regularly overrun by small girls chatting loudly about the relative merits of Dora the Explorer and the Wonderpets, and engaging in a neverending competition to see who can wear the greatest number of pink fashion accessories. At such times, the sensible male must retreat gracefully, so my two year-old son and I generally disappear into the conservatory to play with his trains (he gets to play with the green train, which is apparently better than the other trains, because "those trains are smelly").

The weather is waxing Baltic again, so I've just spent the monthly small fortune on bottled propane, only to discover that our boiler has packed up and consequently we have no central heating. Aargh. I foresee a call to the local repair extortionists. With Christmas coming up and a service due on both cars, this is no laughing matter. All donations to the usual Swiss bank account, please (note that we no longer accept cowrie shells, shiny stones, chickens or she-goats as legal tender).