Once upon a time, Mummy took the princess-fairy-ballerina to Staines

I've never driven to Staines (alone) before. I've never taken the kids to a shopping centre before. Today I achieved two firsts... mostly because I needed to acquire a new watch battery before my interview (Monday).

It was a very successful visit. We bought a watch battery (and the assistants in Samuels loved the duo - mad fools). We bought some photo albums and, the crowning glory, we got a toffee Thornton's cake (along with requisite chocolatey twin-bribes - magic roundabout chocolate lollies - and a truffle bar each for me and bateleur) reduced to a mere £1.45. And I was back at the car park ticket machine within the hour.

The afternoon was Ryan's speech therapy session/up-date. At the end of the session she said she would write to his school and get them to give him extra help and have him for group speech therapy sessions again (from when she gets another staff member - they're short staffed at the moment). He's improving, but still behind. The speech therapist was surprised that the hospital hadn't been in touch about his brain scan; which is supposed to be taking place at the Central Middlesex Hospital. As my last (and only) visit to that hospital was after chrestomancy's many hour wait following his motor bike accident, I don't have a high opinion of the place. Although, no-one is really expecting the brain scan to show anything - it's just a precaution.

And as for Beatrice, her story telling is progressing fast and furious. Yesterday I was treated to The Waterman and The Splash. Composed in the bath, if you hadn't guessed.