A phone call from the Conservatoire, to apologetically inform me that Dash’s digital photography course has been cancelled, had the happy side-effect of reminding me that Katie’s Art-venture classes start today. Realising that this meant I would be away at crucial ‘getting-dinner-on-the-table’ time, I whipped up a big batch of pasta sauce so that Nick could just boil up some penne when he wanted to eat.

Delivering Katie to the Art-venture studio very slightly late (having had a two week break from having to do anything to a timetable, the children have slipped back into the mode of feeling that the whereabouts of their coats, scarves, gloves and shoes is a mystical and mysterious matter – and certainly not one for which any responsibility could possibly rest with them) we found the tutor with a bunch of 7 to 12 year olds clustered around a life-sized skeleton, discussing proportion. Collecting her at 6:15, parents were invited in to look at the children’s work. Katie pointed out a rough sketch she had done but my eyes immediately went to a drawing which I would, if given the chance, buy and hang on the wall. While dutifully admiring the sketch she had indicated, I was covertly looking at the pastel figure, thinking ‘Why couldn’t my child have done that one?’ (I hope I’m not the only parent who does this?), when Katie suddenly gestured casually to the object of my admiration and said ‘Oh, and I did that one too.’ The tutor then came over and picked up the pastel, pointing out in technical terms how nicely proportioned it was and what a lovely sense of movement. [SFX Beams]. We couldn’t bring it home as, being pastel, it apparently needs some fixative process. I will look forward to getting it safely home and on the wall.