“In the town, where I was born, lived a man, who sailed the seas …”

The day started well.

We managed to all get dressed without fuss, ate our breakfast without incident and got in the car in plenty of time to drive to school (it was raining heavily – couldn’t be bothered to walk). Arrived at miniscule car park (first come, first to get-a-space) and open doors for offspring to disembark.

Me: “erm …… where are your school bags?”

Joseph and Annabel looked at each other mildly comically before looking back at me in unison as if it were a trick question.

Me again: “Right, get back in your seats, do your seat belt back up Joseph”.

Key in ignition, wheel spin slightly during annoyed 3-point turn and depart car park. As always, Joseph pre-empts my impending mood by demanding, “don’t be grumpy Dad”.

Of course, I couldn’t be grumpy with them because it’s me who is responsible for their bags so I tilted my rear view mirror (I’m glad I did) just enough to see them both and replied, “no no, it’s not your fault. I’m in charge of the bags so it’s not your fault at all. It’s my fault, I’m the silly one”.

I glanced momentarily in the mirror to see them both staring blankly back at me, looked back at the road to see Joseph (in my peripheral vision), turn to Annabel, remove his thumb and say, “well there’s something you don’t see every day!”

It is possible that the slight error of him using ‘see’ instead of ‘hear’ made this statement, delivered completely deadpan, even funnier than if he’d got it exactly right and I nearly had to stop the car due to my helpless laughter. It’s always nice to be made laugh like this because the children realise pretty quickly that it was them that made you laugh and they join in with you, pleased to have been responsible for your helpless mirth.

In fact, my grin didn’t leave my face until we got back to school (for the second time that morning) before realising that Annabel had removed her seat belt AT SOME POINT during the journey down (she still won’t say when), and to top it all, the school caretaker had a moan at me for parking in a place that didn’t suit him.

Thankfully, the day got better again after that.

Ooh, Annabel had one of many ‘themed’ days in her nursery and today was “yellow rectangle” day so she did two paintings; one abstract (she was undecided as to whether it was portrait or landscape), and one of a rocket taking off.

I think they’re both pretty special.

Don't you?