My partner Ben and I spend all week working or running around after the kids . . . Sam (11) and Amy (3) . . . and Saturday is taken up chauffeuring them to hockey and basketball and parties so we try and stop on Sunday. There are no scheduled activities and we make it a family day.

If the weather's nice I'll potter around the garden for a few hours. I've been promised breakfast in bed and a trip to the garden centre for Mother's Day. I'd like a few new plants. We'll probably go to the one at Powerscourt. I'm not an expert, I've only had a garden for the last three years so I'm still learning, trying not to kill anything.

Amy 'helps' by digging up all the bulbs that I've planted, Sam will usually shoot a few hoops in the garden and keep us company. I like the quiet time and I do use it to think about characters and plotting as I work.

My parents live in Dalkey and my sisters, Kate and Emma, are nearby too so we usually congregate for lunch at my parents' house . . . they have the biggest table and garden so they tend to be the hosts. We all share the cooking, it's a team effort. We have something traditional . . . roast chicken is a favourite although I don't have much interest in big meals at the moment. I don't seem to have any room. My children and my nephews Charlie and Luan chase around the garden and wear themselves out while we linger around the table.

After lunch there's a family trek up Killiney Hill.

I tend to cry sick these days, I'm not up to the interesting climb up around the quarry but the kids love it. If it's raining we might go for a swim instead. We go to a pool in the IFSC at the Clarion Hotel. We usually have the place to ourselves except for the odd lonely businessman. It's underground so it feels a bit weird but we like that it's not busy. Once we've swum off a few calories we head into Milano for a pizza and load them back on.

I'd usually read in the evenings, I have a rake of books on the go at the same time. At the moment I'm reading one on water-births . . . Amy was born in a 'paddling pool' at home and we're hoping to do the same again . . . and another on plotting, as well as a couple of novels. I have a short attention span so it's good to have a selection of reading material to dip into.

I'm not much of a one for TV . . . the last thing I followed was Sex in The City.

I know that sounds sad. Ben and Sam watch Top Gear though. I'm in bed early, in readiness for Amy and her early morning wake up call.