Milestones

William is nearly 3. In 5 days' time, we'll be celebrating. The last couple of months have seen him make the transition away from nappies to toilet independence. Apart from a minor diarrhoea episode a few weeks ago, the nappies are now sitting quietly in a box next to the sofa untouched. This has eased the task of laundry considerably. I think he enjoys this new ability, especially when it involves watching the cistern refill itself and trying to figure out where the water goes. As is customary in our family, he has also developed an unabashed sense of toilet humour.

I visited London this week, as part of my Foundation year, to visit the General Dental Council and to see a major dental trade exhibition yesterday. As this trip involved an overnight stay, I had originally planned to bring William and Sylwia, our au pair, with me, however booking the hotel room became so complicated and expensive, I took the decision to go alone. I prepared William for my absence over a few days, and the family pitched in to help out and provide some inducements and distractions: William was going to have dinner in the 'downstairs kitchen' on Thursday AND Friday with grandma and grandad, and grandma was going to sleep upstairs in our bed so he would not be alone. William has been used to me putting him to bed, although once or twice recently, grandma has been able to do this without fuss, so I felt relatively confident that things were going to be ok. The only potential drawback was Raj's absence, as I had originally envisaged that he would be there for William's first night without mummy, however, this did not seem to matter in the end. I think, as is probably often the case, I was more worried than William was.

My trip, in the end, was fantastic, I enjoyed it all, learned a lot, saw a lot at the exhibition and had a smooth and stress-free journey. The brief time away gave me a little bit of independence - I think this was what I appreciated above all else. The complete contrast of London to our present situation and the objectives of my journey gave me everything I needed to distract myself and reach a significant milestone in myself.

Country pursuits

Living in Devon is giving me many new experiences that city life just doesn't muster. Last weekend, for example, was my first attempt at clay pigeon shooting. Now, prior to this experience, I was not really a fan of guns, so this came as an eye-opener for me: firstly, I really enjoyed it, and then found I was quite good at it. Something definitely exciting about the crack of a shotgun, the recoil leaving a smart bruise on the inside of my right arm and the satisfaction of watching the clays disintegrate mid-air.

Of course, this experience led me on to thinking about how I would feel about killing a real animal. I enjoy eating meat, though as a family, we have made the conscious decision to eat meat only at weekends. I am painfully aware that there is a gross overconsumption of meat and in the western world, at significant cost to the environment. Part of my dream to live a self-sustainable way of life must then include either the production of meat or harvesting from a plentiful local supply if we are to continue eating it. I suppose also the satisfaction of providing a delicious meal for the family put together from vegetables and herbs grown in the garden or collected wild, and game caught by one's own hand fulfills a deeper human need, that connection with our food. Strangely, I now feel more ready to take that step than ever before.

For the present however, I shall content myself with eating fresh eggs laid by soon-to-be hens in our own back garden. Today's experience of an Exmoor farming auction was not one I shall soon forget. With the purpose of buying a hen house, my father-in-law, William and I went along and milled around outside among the lots with wizened, wiry-bearded, dusty farm folk. I couldn't help but notice the poor dental health of many of them. The hightlight has to have been the auctioneer, who, barely stopping for breath between his fast rhythmic chant, willed the bidders on with a gentle insistence like the commentator at a horse race. I have never seen so many flat caps and Land Rover Defenders in one place.

The hen house arrives tomorrow! ...and next week... HENS!