Have now got my new work laptop so I am working towards working from a mobile office based on the bike. I've played this game before with a car when I used to do site work, but there you have lots more space for drawings, reports etc. as well as heating and the ability to nip off to the supermarket or cafe when you feel like it.

The current bike is the office folding one, a Brompton. When I arrive at meetings the first impression is partly made by my appearance and what I say, but also to the cycling fraternity by the bike I arrive on, and the cycling accesories I choose. Is it a 5 gear model? I was asked today. Must find out the answer to that one.

So over the next few months I'll be building up my cycling work image. I need clothes that cope with cycling a few miles and then don't look too scruffy in a meeting. Bags that unhitch from the bike easily and can carry relevant papers and the computer as well as lunch. I need greater fitness so I don't let the side down on site visits, and better skill at going up escalators, folding my bike smoothly and leaping onto trains at the last minute. Lycra is out, this is about the anyone can do this, casually effortless urban look. Watch this space!

Am loving my new job so far. Why didn't I change earlier? (apart from the stress and it's better to get a redundancy package ...) Much more in tune with what I want to be doing with such skills as I have. Sure there'll be ups and downs along the way but for now it's great. Get cycling and walking everyone!

Charlie's at that stage where he's gaining loads of words every day. Very rewarding. It sort of began around Easter but now he's got a big enough vocabulary to be able to say something vaguely relevant in most situations. Animals and attempts at colours (best established by reference to the Bob the Builder characters), "naughty", "no dark yet", recognising his favourite numbers (3 and 8) all come out and sometimes jumble together. It'll be his 2nd birthday next month.

Philip absolutely loves nursery school. It's all so exciting he needs lots of space to wind down through playing at home at the weekends. Which is a bit tricky to juggle with Charlie wanting to be on the go all the time, but makes for relaxing Saturday mornings when Ed takes C shopping while I "look after" Philip. He just gets on and entertains himself. And would probably do so for most of the weekend if it weren't for his little brother crashing into his train of thought.