Miracle of miracles, we dried Emily's phone off and it came back to life! Imagine the horror if she'd been out of contact with her friends when we were away!

The girls and I had an absolutely wonderful few days with my folks, meandering round various botanical gardens (including a maze!), and visiting museums and castles where the girls got to do cool things like etch graffiti into castle walls, go on a virtual chariot race and play Viking board games.

Sophie is always so into any kind of learning activity; how I wish I could homeschool her full-time! As it is, we just have to make the most of the school holidays.





It was so soothing to be in my parents' house. Everything is so calm and orderly and comfortable and welcoming, and the tranquil atmosphere brings out the best in all of us. I wish I could get our house to stay like that. We have moments where we achieve it but for the most part we don't quite get there. The girls picked up on it too, interestingly enough.

So, a lovely break for the three of us.

But oh, the guilt.

Because, while the three of us were enjoying ourselves, poor Bobby was utterly miserable back home. He developed a vicious tooth-ache the day we left; managed to get an emergency appointment with the dentist, and walked out £190 later (!!! for an x-ray and a consult !!! ) with an appointment for a root canal next week.

And then yesterday, he woke up sick. Sick enough that he actually went to the doctor - which is almost unheard of for him. The doctor seems to think that it could either be the tooth, or some kind of flu, or - because he's also been having strange muscle aches for a while - it could be glandular fever (which I knew as mononucleosis).

He's still sick today. Sore throat, sore glands, sore tooth, sore body.

Freakishly bad timing, that he should pick the one time that I go away to fall apart.

So I'm worried about him.

Also worried about the world in general. Can only hope that this alleged terror plot isn't another Jean Charles de Menenzes or Forestgate fiasco. I was depressed by the mindless rhetoric that Bush gave us ... the "Islamic facists" who "hate freedom"; doubtless Tony Blair will be parroting the same line. Totally unhelpful. I think the Archbishop of York's reaction is more realistic and potentially useful.