As a paid up member of the 'entitled to mother's day card' club - I was very happy indeed this morning to have breakfast in bed (slightly marred by Charlie waking me at 4am to tell me what he was going to cook for me but never mind) and thrilled with flowers, a dvd and a book. Actually it felt a bit like a birthday.

Charlie started to manage my expectations yesterday around his 'special present'

'I don't think you'll like it. I'm pretty rubbish at clay work'

'Charlie I'm sure I'll love it - now don't say anymore let's keep it as a surprise'

'Yes but it's so rubbish you might not be able to tell what it is'

'If it's anything like as good as the helicopter you made from clay then of course I will.'

''Nah - you won't like it but it doesn't matter'

'Charlie - I will love it'

'What did you do with the cakes henry made for you?'

Er, er, er well the truth is that first of all didn't find them in his bag, and when I did they were a bit, er, stale so I sort of threw them to the birds.

'MMM! Mummy ate them all up!'

Henry looked delighted about this - and I felt like a lousy mother but that's a feeling I get on average 48 times a day so why worry just because the card makers decide it's a special day?

So this morning, two eager little boys stumbled in to our room helping Mr PR to carry the tray and I held my breath anticipating a breakfast massacre on my white bedding.

But all was well. And then - then came the moment Charlie was waiting for. I opened my present.

And you know what? Had Picasso made clay teddy bears he wouldn't have done as good or as precious a job. This particular clay teddy bear may well resemble a highly polished and half eaten oyster, but it's already been placed with my little collection of ' noone would ever understand why these things are more precious to me than anything'

Right next to the helicopter. And the grand piano I fashioned from clay when I was 5, and painted black and white, that my own mother kept for as long as she lived and now lives with me. Come to think of it, if Dali had made clay pianos he might have done worse than come up with what I made in 1973 for mother's day...

And then I went out and bought a new iron and new kettle. I'm actuallly very pleased with these items...good god I'll be joining the PTA next.