The peace and quiet is great, but not entirely relaxing. When the kids are quiet it usually means they are up to no good, or something is wrong.

Making chilli sans carne this morning. Kids are back at school tomorrow, so they are hanging out in the bedroom away from the smell.

This parking advice signpost is much more effective now.

A fallen street sign lies uprooted on the sidewalk, exposing the base and surrounding pavement.

Housing association sent someone round a couple of days ago to place this essential post-Grenfell fire safety sticker inside our communal front door.

Just now another guy came to do the same job.

No excuses now for not leaving the house.

A door with a metal handle and lock features a green sign indicating "Turn to open."

We always used the have a special meal to mark New Year’s Day, like Christmas and Easter Sunday, but yesterday, as big kid was away and I had to go and collect him, we ate leftover burgers, chips, rice, beans and salad.

A wet and wild white-knuckle ride home into driving wind and rain on the London Orbital.

Big kid went home with his Auntie and cousins on Monday night, so later I will go and collect him. Hopefully traffic will be a lot less than usual today.

This year I managed to put up bookshelves and bunk beds, fixed a cupboard door back on in the kitchen with new hinges, replaced the silicone seal around the kitchen sink, and unblocked the kitchen sink and the toilet (several times).

But I’m not your handyman.

…these ideas I’ll turn to gold dust later

3421 isn’t working. Surely he has to try something else?

Man Utd relegation 'a possibility' says Amorim bbc.com

Today we’re expecting our two nieces and their Mum. They’re at just the right ages to play with our boys, so it should be a fun day for them as usual, and a hectic one for me.