Do you know where your children are?

You know that moment when you're still having your lunch and the kids have already finished theirs and resumed playing and you glance around just to check on where they are. It's a habit rather than anything else and only really registers if you don't see what you expect - a bit like when you glance at the clock and it only registers if you suddenly realise you're late.

So there was the boy.

Yup on top of a big pole.

But where's the girl? No sign.

Oh yeah there she is bouncing.

All the way over there.

My friend says it's only with my children that she ever worries whether she should be stepping in or not as every other parent she knows is more of a hoverer than she is but I'm as hands off as she is - only she knows her own children's limits better than she knows mine.

Isabel has new words this week.

Where's Daddy? Dere.

What do you want? Dis.