Chilly Monday

Crisp, clear and cold this morning as I put out the recycling, took the milk cartons to Morrison and filled the car with petrol. What is going on with petrol prices recently? We're now over £1 a litre. Considering there were strikes around the time of our wedding over prices reaching the 80p mark, you wonder where we're headed over the next few decades. Time to get a sail for my Audi...

I took Finn swimming on Saturday and he did very well, compared to recent efforts. We were at Loanhead, in the wee pool, and I persuaded him to put his hands down on the step and do some floating and kicking. Then, of his own volition, he lifted his hands and floated himself. His confidence grew and he started pushing himself back and doing a bit of paddling with his arms and kicking too. He may still be wearing armbands but that's a big leap forward from him clinging on to me for dear life and throwing a fit if I tried to even hold him in a floating position. Afterwards I took him to Rosslyn Inn for lunch. It was good to get the time to ourselves: it's a rarity these days to be able to do something one-to-one with any of the boys.

Later on Saturday Stuart and Lesley fed the boys and put them to bed while Sharon and I enjoyed Christmas drinks at my friend Geena's new house in Davidsons Mains. The Browns were there too so Sharon finally got a hold of baby Luke, now five weeks old. We also managed a quick tasty bite in Thaisanuk before heading home.

Sunday morning was family life at its best, with us all lounging about in jammies and dressing gowns and the boys playing in the sitting room in front of the Christmas tree. Rowan was making his way from couch to couch and jumping on the lads and the big Santa and we were all in a good humour, having slept well for once. These are the hours we need to remember rather than getting up at 5.25 this morning because Finn had wet the bed again...