Week Five – Day 3 I am beginning to get into the routine of the WFH week, but am starting to feel increasingly guilty at not having enough on to keep me working at full capacity, however I am making great steps forward with my Inbox tidying project. I made a cake at lunchtime rather than my usual lunchtime wander, didn’t set the timer and so overcooked it – slightly dry banana & chocolate cake. The daily wander was postponed until after work and although lovely, a whole day infront of the screen meant I ended the day with the beginnings of a headache. The seasons are moving on, we’ve gone from daffodils to bluebells, and perhaps someone can tell me if whitebells are a thing, as I spotted these on the walk today.

Week Five – Day 4 Very cross to wake up with the same headache I went to bed with. I think it might have something to do with working at the dining room table and my laptop being lower than my eye level, but not much I can do about that, apart from daily stretching exercises to ease the neck and shoulder strain. To mix up the exercise routine a little, I dusted off my bike (actually Robert dusted off my bike and pumped up the tyres) and went for a lunchtime spin down the Hambleden Valley, which I had always assumed was flat – it’s not! I managed however to stay on the bike (funnily enough it’s just like riding a bike) and returned home very pleased with myself. This will become a regular part of my week (weather permitting). Only slight irritation was being passd by a number of what I believe are referred to a MAMILs, who whizzed past me in a slightly humiliating way. Alcohol free evening on account of the very persistant headache.

Week Five – Day 5 It’s Friday! Hurray and I feel dreadful, headache still in situ and worse, to the point that I contact my boss and tell him I can’t face looking at a screen today. Decide to spoil myself, take a heavy dose of paracetamol and go back to bed for an hour. Would you credit it, I feel much better when I re-emerge, possibly prompted by the excitement of Nick telling me that the ducklings have arrived. There is a little head poking out from under Mummy Duck’s wing.

Week Five – Day 6 It’s the weekend and finally no headache. Ducklings everywhere (13 in total), adorable and very distracting. Waiting for Mummy Duck to move them, but she seems happy in the courtyard. We are on high alert in case she attempts to get to the river and needs us to stop the traffic, but they seem happy in the sun and the water tray we set up for them.

Week Five – Day 7 Another glorious sunny day and to top it all Alex arrives home. Nick terribly excited as it’s another head of hair to cut, unfortunately he does not cover himself in glory and tests Alex’s patience with a something of a scalping.

Not the first, and I fear unlikely to be the last, time Alex verbally abuses the Smalles Boy and threatens him with physical violence.

In a fit of enthusiasm Robert procured a turkey from Tom Copas in celebration of Alex’s return, a variation on the return of the prodigal son. He has been itching to cook a turkey on the Egg, but didn’t want the first attempt to be at Christmas – way too much pressure. He was sceptical that it would only take 2 hours, but he followed instructions and hey presto.

This will definitely take the pressure off oven space on Christmas Day. Good to have Alex back – it will be interesting to see how the dynamic in the house changes with the introduction of a fourth person.

Duckling update – Mummy Duck keeps coming back to the nest at night, probably prompted by the fact that we are feeding them in the morning. They disappear during the day and then re-appear overnight. We are down to 7 (sad face).