ALEC!!!

I CAN keep a secret...I knew that Alec was popping over to see us, help us move, see Sarah and generally be about for a couple weeks. I was so proud of myself for not telling anyone. However, the surprise was somewhat lessened by Alec sending a text message that read

'Just landed - you better not have told Sarah that I am coming' as soon as he touched down at Heathrow. But he didn't send it to me....oh no...you guessed it, he sent it right to Sarah.

Anyway, Sarah had a day to get ready and tell the entire Law Department at Leeds Uni what a fabulous boyfriend she had.

The surprise wasn't totally destroyed. Mum got the shock of her life as she opened the door to him - she didn't even recognise him for half a beat by all accounts, just stared at him. Then again, we were all doped up to the tens with anti-cold stuff, so she can be forgiven.

The day that Maia saw him (a couple days after he got into the country, after he zoomed up to Leeds and came back down again...) she refused to let him out of her sight, and spent most of her time being limpet-like, forcing him to wear her like a rather large and wriggly necklace.

I hope 9 months lugging tanks has given him good upper body strength... He is coming to live in Sheffield in March, and I don't think Maia is going to let him put her down for a moment.