The almost pansy thief; urgent notification to tooth fairy

Littlest has decided she wants to be a "gardenist" when she grows up, especially if that means she can be an artist, too.

So here is her recipe for a trough of winter-flowering pansies:

First, put on mum's fleece - it's warm; keeps your own clothes clean; and has sleeves long enough to pinch up and use as gardening gloves

Next, place crocks in base of pot. Make face and jump backwards, startling Four-legged-friend, every time a beetle, fly or spider has the impudence to trespass into the pot.

Use elbows, bottom and mum's sleeves to push, shove and slap Four-legged-friend out of the way.

Ask for help when Four-legged-friend decides that compost is second breakfast and eats it as fast as little handfuls can transfer it to the pot.

Then relax into routine of compost filling; hot chocolate; colour based placing of pansies in pot (stripey pattern); scooping out hollows for each plant; hot chocolate; and bedding in with more compost - calm gardenist activity (Four-legged-friend locked inside, after showing too much interest in pansy as salad garnish to have with with compost).

Finally, subject pot to a monsoon. Note fleece changed - "This one matches the plants better."

P.S. Urgent notification to tooth fairy!

Hanging by a thread.

Have hidden recent article in papers about the discrepancies in tooth fairy payments for teeth in the UK. But perhaps she would like to explain herself; after all, Littlest is absolutely convinced she exists. Why are teeth worth an average of £5 per tooth not that far from here and only 5p per tooth in Hull? Littlest's tooth fairy is either very generous, if you are from Hull, or exceedingly mean if compared with more local children.

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