Valentine's Day

Belgian chocolates are lovely aren't they, and half a kilo came by special delivery this lunchtime. How galling it must be for Nicole to have paid for her own present, but UK credit cards don't work here over the internet!

We went out for a romantic walk over to the brook. The baby bike is out of order due to a puncture, which may or may not be related to the pressure to which the tyre had been pumped...

After beans on toast Nicole went to work and Eloise and I went for a walk as Squeaky was most insistent. We wandered over in the direction of the library, Eloise nappy-free. I decided to take a chance and get a book and hope that there weren't any sanitary accidents; book-browsing under pressure! It sounds hairy but it was only half an hour since her last excretion... OK, it sounds hairy.

Thankfully Eloise held herself well and we went to the playground and swung a bit before toddling home. It was 2 o'clock by the time she went reluctantly to bed (protected).

Puncture was repaired. Washing was done. Watched some parliament TV. They're just the same as in the UK, except they only get half a sentence of berating the opposition out over the interruptions and shouts of "order order" before being told by the speaker to sit down so that he can sling someone out of the chamber.

Tea was Vegetable Dahl. I feel fat.

I was starting to fret a little by ten o'clock when Nicole still hadn't phoned home so I occupied myself emptying bins for bin day and then relented and phoned the hospital - would you believe they aren't in the Yellow Pages - at ten thirty when N was an hour overdue. She was over at intensive care, and things had taken considerably longer than they should have - but I was relieved she is safe!