Off and on

Well, I fell spectacularly off the wagon at the weekend and am currently nursing a red wine, curry and cider hangover so the detox is officially over. Perhaps I didn't need it as much this year? Or perhaps I am fantastically weak-willed? Either way, I had a damn fine weekend of family meet-ups, partying and force-feeding my precious Valium supply to the unsuspecting public.

Last night we went out to celebrate my brother-in-law's birthday. Eliott dressed as a cyberman but looked more like Vince Noir. People keep telling me what a stunner he is all of a sudden. It's funny, because when he was a baby he wasn't an angelic little cherub and was largely ignored by the adoring public (apart from when he was bawling his bonce off). I always remember Minks saying that she expected El to pop out looking like a proper mini-man, and he did exactly that. Now he's growing into those mini-rock star looks and we can't go anywhere it seems without people fawning and telling me (and him - read on) what a looker he is.

The downside to all this is that Eliott is already becoming vain. I can't talk - it must be in the genes. I caught him yesterday, in said cyber-dress, admiring himself in the mirror whilst reciting the list of guests thus: 'Nanny will think I look cool, Uncle Andrew will think I look cool, Auntie B will think I look cool...' and on receiving his first compliment of the evening he turned round to me cooly and whispered, 'see, mummy, I do look cool'. On Monday he told me that, according to his girlfriend, he's 'pretty' (he's THREE gashdannit), and apparently, the best thing about his costumes and nail polish is: 'Everyone looks at me mummy!' I see a future of being chased by dribbling teenage girls (and boys?) as Eliott struts his stuff in outrageously camp high fashion and platform boots. Can't wait.