It's another jab day for Gemma, just to add to the two year old woes resting on her shoulders. Turns out being two has its traumas, the source of which is usually hard to detect to the trained eye, but easy to see and hear the effects. Overcoming the stress can be quite easy... a plane flying overhead is often enough to quell the cries. Getting some food in is also good, but not always the self-select option.

Kristin is in town from Toronto, spending her time helping to raise the average household alcohol consumption, doing a little shopping, a little emailing and general hanging about. On the weekend we all bundled off to see Kingsley, Clare, Fred and Harry. Cruelly, Kingsley did not get us down in time to help reconstruct the brinkwork in the backyard. Boys were in good form, putting up with nuisance questions from the guests (how are school/summer/brother/friends/swimming lessons/video collection/etc.) with a maximum of patience.

Gemma's got a few new friends to play with, at least in a couple of years. Cyndi and Fred had Rio in July, and hot off the press... Jenn and Paul had a baby boy - Isaac - yesterday afternoon.

The heat has finally broken, much to everyone's relief. Lucy and family bombed over yesterday for a little fun and frolick in the backyard and around the house. This morning we were out at Felix's second birthday with a sizable portion of the Canadian ex-pat community - lots of kiddie action in pretty nice surroundings.