"There might be a pony in there!"

The following has been lifted from the Mothers Day card written by my nine-year-old son Jon. "Roses are red. Violets are blue. I love you a lot, and you know it is true. I'm always, always loving you, even when I'm feeling blue. I will always love helping you, even when there's extra poo."

The last line is a reference to Jon helping his mother rake up manure, which he does, whenever asked. As Ronald Reagan said, "You never know; if the manure pile is high enough, there might be a pony in there!"

The Mothers Day card also featured several hundred smiley faces and hearts.

Jon also painted a hotplate for his mother. It features a tree laden with bright fruit, and a caterpillar eating an apple from the tree.