Today, Imogen's issues were...

Imogen, the philosopher-scientist, asked today: "Where did the very first people come from?" And also "If the world is round, why do people not fall off when they are in Antartica?"

These may be common questions from a nearly 5 year old, but everyone should try explaining evolution and gravity to this age group. And if you can't do it, then the loss of respect could well manifest in a comment somewhat similar to this at teatime today:

Me: "Charlotte, I can't understand what you're saying when your mouth is full of food. Tell me when you've finished that mouthful."
Imogen: "She'll learn from you, daddy. You're talking to her with your mouth full." She then exhibited a perfect demonstration of a proud, slightly cheeky victorious look.

Yesterday, Jo and I went out for a meal, just the two of us. As there's really only one decent restaurant here (Gab Titui, the cultural centre) a romantic meal for two, becomes a meal for 4, no, 5 or 6, as you always turn out to know several other people there. A midwife babysat for us, and the children were delightful to her, but are now telling us "Jeanette did this last night. Can you...?"

This morning, Emily and Charlotte were awake fairly early again, but it always seems so much better when you try to find the birds screeching outside your balcony and discover they are a flock of beautiful red-green-yellow-blue parrots. That kept Emily and Charlotte interested - more so than their weetabix did, anyway.

Emily is very fond of telling me that Santa is "a friendly man" but this doesn't stop here screaming when she meets him. They were at the library yesterday, and the photograph of me sat smiling next to Santa with Emily and Charlotte on my knee hiding from Santa and the camera will be one to cherish, I'm sure. Imogen, on the other hand, was sat smiling with Santa and his wife (Mary Christmas, I think) while I was still calling out "Imi, where are you?"

Tomorrow there's a doctors breakfast, carols on the ward (as opposed to Carol's on the ward - I'm sure tomorrow is her day off), a Primary Health Care party serving up Dugong and Turtle and a little bit of work in between.