Monday June 6th 2005

In a flush of new project enthusiasm here goes ... Today I gave away a hauntingly beautiful ornamental cherry tree. It was burgundy coloured, leaves, bark, everything. It's one of very few presents I have given in my life which I so treasured I shall miss it. Luckily I have learnt that such things give more lasting joy if you can think of them giving joy to a person you value. In its place we planted a fruiting cherry, 'sweetheart', a Canadian import on a dwarf rootstock. Dwarf, yey, an 8 foot fruit tree that one can actually pick the fruits off!

Jennifer continues in her strike against food. Breastfeed exclusively for six months, the Word Of Woman said. Yes, but once they get that old how are you to convince them to change their ways? She closes her mouth firmly, she's even taught herself to cry with her mouth shut, or else she blows as the spoon approaches. I can see her turning over with her tongue the spoonfuls which do get in, thinking, "Who is this woman trying to kid? I know this isn't food!"

I am assured it has nothing to do with the six months thing - well, I didn't do it really, I started the baby rice at five and a half months so I suppose I can't blame that - she's just a baby who won't eat. And she'll get it eventually, I am sweetly assured by unconcerned mothers for whom this stage is now long ago. Meanwhile she fails to get a stomachful of stuff which will last the night, she spends most of the night awake breastfeeding and I'm wearing away to a wraith. Last night I exiled myself to the settee. She woke once more, then slept till morning. Right, that's it, girl, broke or not you're getting a cot, and we can start a no co-sleeping battle instead. I think of sleep as I used to think of sex when I wasn't in a relationship.