We went to see the fishing boats, had and ice cream and visited the lighthouse.

I told Arthur and Elliott about some very special Mary’s in their ancestry. Both their Great Grandmas were Mary so we decided that St Mary’s lighthouse was named after them.

We started the day with a dance session. We dance a lot first thing in the morning in our house. There is always music playing especially when Daddy is around.

They are so cool, Arthur has just figured out how to hop and Elliott can do a forward roll. This has been added to their dance repertoire. They also ask questions constantly. Really tricky ones like ‘what makes daddy so tall?’ ‘where does wheat come from?’ and ‘why am I a boy?’

I have tried my best to answer them. Thank goodness for the Internet that’s all I can say!

Last week it chucked it down all week. Jon cautiously raised the subject of the school run with me on Wednesday night as I peered out into the pouring skies.

You aren’t going to like this but…

Is never a good way to begin a conversation. It transpired that he had to be at work early so I had to do drop off in the morning. I reacted stoically, hell, I am really lucky I don’t have to do it every day. I wasn’t bothered to have to do it. Even in the rain.

To sweeten the deal with Elliott and Ari I fluenced a pair of panda umbrellas for them to carry down the hill. These went down well. At least until the INCIDENT.

Midway down the busy road near our house, Kells Lane. There was a Panda disaster. To cross the road I had to hold Arthur and Elliott’s hands. Elliott held his umbrella and my hand but Arthur didn’t want to hold his in one hand. So I took it and held it under my chin. This was fine until I looked to see if there were cars coming at the same time as a gust of wind whizzed the umbrella out and away.

The panda flew rolly polly down the middle of the main road with both boys screaming like they were witnessing a murder. Cars swerved out of the way and tooted. (I have no idea what tooting was achieving its not like the Panda was a sentient being)

I crossed the boys to the pavement and screamed DO NOT MOVE. DOO NOOOT MOOOOVE! Arthur and Elliott were rooted to the spot screaming anyway so no danger there. I sprinted after the umbrella that had now blown on to the pavement and was flying away from me as fast as I was running.

Then. My saviour appeared in the form of a canny 30 something taxi driver in a fuchsia pink tee shirt. He stopped his cab, dashed across the road and retrieved my umbrella. I don’t think I have ever been so grateful. I returned to the boys who had a nice pensioner chatting to them and another young mum who must have thought I was bonkers. My tots looked at me like a superhero who had rescued panda.

Later that day they recalled the incident with humour and bravado rather than terror so no scarring for life thankfully.

Here are some pictures of the panda in happier times.