This was Adrian’s first full week at nursery. It is going better and better: he has found a carer that he trusts and has bonded with, takes proper naps, is pretty happy during the day, and usually eats at least a sandwich or two. But his mood starts veering towards unhappy after their mid-afternoon snack, which takes place at about 2 o’clock, so I’ve been picking him up before 3.

Ingrid on the other hand is not interested in going home at 3 o’clock: all her friends are still there and she’s always in the middle of something important. So I can either: (a) take Adrian home, nurse and cuddle for a short while, and then get us bundled up again to return to nursery, (b) argue with Ingrid to make her go home with me, or (c) let Ingrid take her time and just hang around for an hour or so. None of the alternatives is much fun.

And since I leave work so early, and have totally unproductive afternoons that revolve around nursery pickups, I’m struggling to get things done both at work and at home. I’ve been getting in to the office extra early on some days, and occasionally catching up in the evenings, too, but stuff is still piling up.

Yay for weekends, when I can catch up on sleep (because of those early mornings) and make a dent in the piles waiting for my attention on my desk at home.