When I woke up this morning I was still feeling a little knackered. My nights without sleep continued, due to Isis climbing into my bed at about 1.00 and having some weird 5 year old nightmare thing. For almost all the night, she kept shouting in her sleep and writhing around, flailing her arms in my direction.

Oh for a good night sleep. I can remember the last time I slept really well - November 2011 - I was on a trip to New York for a few days and managed to get some really good sleeping in. I think I need to go back.

Toni took Eve to her dance class in the morning and I took Olias and Isis to buy something for Mother's day tomorrow - the weather was grim, winter has come back with a vengeance and this morning was blighted with driving, freezing rain and general miserableness. When I got home I decided I wasn't going out again - but the thought of spending all day entertaining the kids wasn't too tempting - it was all too much.

Call for help. It's the only way.

So I phoned up my friend Ian and asked if he wanted us to look after his daughter Madison for the afternoon. It may seem like madness; in order to make looking after your own children easier you get more children over, but it always works. So Ian brought over Madison and instead of pestering me to entertain them all day, Isis and Eve ran off and played dressing up and whatever else 3-5 year old girls do for fun. I also got them painting, we did some play-doh and they made some aqua bead pictures. Easy.

As Madison had been so well behaved, I decided to make something she'd really love for dinner - one should always reward good behaviour. Curry, don't all five year old girls love curry? No, oh well, I must have been mistaken.

Of course the curry wasn't too much of a hit with the kids, but the poppadoms, chicken, rice and naan bread were, so nobody went hungry. Plus there was kulfi afterwards and gulab jamun as well. At least somebody was happy - me - and isn't that what really matters?

Early to bed tonight. If I am lucky, the car alarm that has been going off every night for over a week won't wake me up, otherwise I think I'll book into Guantanamo Bay for a rest.