LESS than three weeks after hospital trip, husband enters for his first ever ten-mile run around Chedworth Roman Villa.

Acquits himself well although seems to walk with a permanent pained expression a few days later.

We are impressed with glass trophy and he is inspired to enter for the Westonbirt run, although not too happy when he has to tick the MV40 box (Male Veteran aged 40 plus).

Surely I am not old enough to be married to a "veteran"?

I still cannot muster up the enthusiasm to go for a run but do manage to get my potatoes (Charlotte and Cara) into the ground.

At least I am getting some exercise by digging trenches. My reward will come in a few months time when we scrape back the earth to reveal the first potatoes - "panning for gold" we call it.

Children are on school holidays and home life is full of family outings to farms and, of course, Easter Egg Hunts.

Home is also full of fighting (children getting used to spending all day together) and sore tummies (daughter unable to resist eating all her eggs in one sitting).

Still new to part-time working, so for the first time in many years I need to arrange childcare for two days of the holidays.

I do what many working mothers do - call upon the grandparents to step into the breach.

Never take for granted how lucky we are in having grandparents who want to play an active part in grandchildren's lives.

It's a situation where everyone wins.

Grandparents enjoy getting time alone with the children; parents who could otherwise not work are able to do so and children enjoy freedom from a mother who will says no when they ask for more sweets.

Everyone knows that it is an unwritten rule of good grand-parenting that sweets are never off-limits.