I like this computer. I am sitting on the verandah while the kids swim. Lauren just missed her 1pm swimming lesson because the clock chose to stop exactly at 12.15, while we were having lunch and I was starting to wonder why it was not getting late.

So the kids are swimming now instead. Robyn's a bit unsure about this new computer. She has just accused me of 'turning into Dad'.

We had rather an unpleasant two hours just now. I was finishing off the vacuuming when I heard the kids yelling from the garden. They had found a hurt thrush - mawled by Sammy I think. We rescued it and shut Sammy away in the bathroom. I put the bird in a bucket while I tried to think what to do about it. It was fluttering quite strongly but had a nasty bloody wound on its shoulder and a hurt-looking wing. I just wasn't certain quite how badly hurt it was. Finally I took it to our vet to ask his opinion. It turned out to have a very badly broken wing, and he advised putting it down. So all I could do was leave it with him. He kindly said he would deal with it for me - and did not charge me for anything.

I think there may be one or two gaps in Lauren's knowledge of biology. She was very concerned when I brought the bird inside. She thought that it could only breathe outside - you know, like fish can only breathe in water.