It's 19.49.

I have exactly 11 minutes before BBC2 covers today's events at the Chelsea Flower Show. I've had a busy day. Uh oh, now it's 19.55 and there is even less time until the BBC coverage of the Chelsea Flower Show, but merci beaucoup enfant deux called from the kitchen to announce, "Fish is done." She cooks a mean fish. And steamed broccoli with a lemony vinaigrette to make your soul pucker, never mind your mouth!

It's 19.57.

I'm quickly flicking between my favourite blogs; gastropunk n maths chicks' first*, then april's, then three cooking-based blogs from the colonies, then heather's then, hang on a minute... April recounts a tale of parenthood worth missing Chelsea for.

It's 20.04. And as the mother of two teenagers all I can say is this --> you'll remember this moment all the days of your life. Toddler taming is hell on earth. And then you experience the miseries of their first days at school and their developing love affair with their first teacher. And then they leave primary school to go up to "Big School" at 11. And you have lost them forever. Ofc you don't realise this except in reflection, because time suddenly takes on a new dimension, a new speed of light, calculated only by mothers and only in retrospect. No more invitations to "Nativities," "Easters" or fund-raisers for the new sports hall...

And suddenly you are clapping your way through Prize Day and your eldest is already away at university. And you wonder to yourself, where did seven years just go? Where did the last 18 years just go?

"Oh Lord, you are hard on mothers. We suffer in their coming and their going. But my sons were faithful, and they fought."

These fleeting days we are lent by the Creator, are really to build up our strength and abilities as parents, ready for the most challenging test of all... their leaving of us.

Oh flip. It's 20.19 and I've missed a third of Chelsea...

* Virgo's organise their favs by blog-symbol...