Lauren is back from camp safe and sound, with amazing tales of rock-climbing, abseiling and high-rope courses. It seems she took to being up in the air like a trainee trapeze-artist. “I loved being up high,” she said. “When I had to wait my turn for the next part of the course I’d swing around in my harness and go, ‘Wheeeeee!’ It was really cool!” I’m just grateful she got home in one piece and plaster-free. With memories of her last broken arm being painfully fresh, I am still jumpy when it comes to potential bone-crunching pastimes. Which is why, when Max told me about his latest adventure on the way home from school with his mates, I was a little anxious...

Lauren is on school camp, and it feels weird not having her around. She’s been on camps before, but this one is different. It’s a combined camp with kids from lots of different schools, and it lasts for nine days. Nine whole days! It’s a long time...

I was having a discussion with some teenagers the other day, who were wondering whether all parents say they love their children more than anything else in the world simply because they have to. “It’s part of the job description,” was the general consensus...

Within these four walls, a battle is raging. In one corner are me and my willpower, and in the other… Easter chocolate. I’ve been fighting the good fight for days now, but it’s getting tougher. Those Red Tulip Elegant Rabbits are enticing me – mocking me – with their shiny coloured foil and the seductive promise of chocolatey delights...

Max doesn’t swear – at least not in front of his parents – so when he yelled “Oh, SH*T!!” and put his head in his hands, I thought the situation might be serious. When I gazed at the hole that had just appeared in a car’s back windscreen, my fears were confirmed. Yep, that’s serious alright...