Desire over reality

I've been working a lot lately. Big big project, not enough time, a suddenly frequently absent au pair, a keyboard that stopped working and needed replacing, interviewing new nannies (none of them wanted to live with us - oh how we will miss the kitchen being cleaned after dinner!), a husband away this week and half of next week... it's all been a bit crazy.

So I've been working whenever I get a chance, and long hours whenever the au pair is here or C's grandparents can babysit.

Which means the kids are not seeing much of me. We haven't even had mornings together this week as they've been sleeping in until 8, which is when I start work.

Every day Téo asks me over and over when will you be finished your work mummy? I tell him what time, and he asks it's in how long? And has no idea what an hour, or three hours, or ten hours means. I keep saying I'll buy a clock so he can see the hands and know what I mean by the time, but I haven't had a chance.

Yesterday morning he asked again what time I'll be finished. I said 6 o'clock, and he said But I don't know what 6 o'clock means. So I thought a bit, and then said it will be when it's starting to get dark. That seemed to satisfy him, and off he went.

At 10.30am he came back into the office to tell me something, then looked outside at the blue sunny sky, and without a trace of guile said Mummy look! It's starting to be dark!