She gave him some nice stuff for Christmas, though.

Like many full-time mums, k. has been known on occasion to get a little sick and tired of her offspring.

"Take it outside and bury it," was one instruction I heard her give to d. regarding their small boy.

Today on the phone she was relating to me an imaginary conversation with her son in which, in answer to his constant asking of "why, why, why", she told him, "Because I don't like you."

Then she said, "Oh, I am a bad mother. And by that I mean in a nurturing sense, not that I'm riding a Harley and wearing a bandanna on my head."

But this morning it was quite cool on the beach and k. did come down wearing a jacket with a hood covering her head. So, you know, she could mean it both ways.