Happiness

R and I went to Cardiff today, where L was wrangling both boys on her own while their Daddy took some recharge time. We'd hoped to be able to go out to a farm park, but the weather was dreich - or whatever the equivalent Welsh term might be - so instead we played indoors, and then went to one of the local cafés for lunch. Often when we see her L is rushing around, juggling multiple strands of work, family, and domestic stuff, so it was great to see her looking so relaxed as she listened to the Boy Wonder explaining something to his Granddad.

Back at the house after lunch, the Boy asked to watch Paddington 2 - a request I might have ducked if I'd realised how many times it was going to entail me answering the question "Why?":

''Why is it just Paddington who comes to London?"
"But why doesn't his aunt come?"
"Why have the family adopted Paddington?"
"What does adopted mean?"
''Why is that a bad man?"
"Why does he want the book?"
"Why did Paddington tell him about it?"
"Why though?"
"Why is that man angry with Paddington?"
"Why do the prisoners look happy now?"
"Why doesn't Paddington want to escape?"

...and so on, and so on, and so on. "It's a whole new way of watching films," said L cheerfully - presumably relieved that it was me suffering the interrogation this time, rather than her. My own cheerfulness lasted right to the scene at the end of the film in which Paddington's aunt shows up, at which point the Boy - realising that for reasons he didn't understand all three adults in the room were now in tears - became especially demanding.

"Why has Aunt Lucy come to see Paddington?"

"Because the Brown family arranged it."

"Why did they?"

"Because they knew she wanted to come to London, and she and Paddington wanted to see each other."

"Why did they do it now?"

"Because today is her birthday."

"Why did they do it on her birthday?"

"Because that makes it extra-special for Paddington."

"Why?"

At which point I gave the answer I should probably have tried an hour or so earlier, and said, "Why do you think it would be special for Paddington to see Aunt Lucy on her birthday?" There was a long pause while the Boy pondered deeply on this, and then he pronounced, "Because he loves her." "YES!" I said, giving him a hug. "That's exactly right. Well done."

On the way home in the car we listened to the audio book of A Killing in November by Simon Mason, an offbeat police procedural which I'd read some time ago and had recommended to R. Luckily he managed not to ask the question "Why?" at any point, or he'd have found himself turfed out and abandoned on the hard shoulder of the M5. This evening we closed a hectic day by watching the first two episodes of Virdee on the BBC iPlayer - also recommended - and drinking rather a large quantity of red wine.