A day at the races

We are in the midst of the Spring Racing Carnival here in Melbourne. Its the season of hats and fascinators, fragrant track-side roses and with some luck, a pretty blue sky and warm sunshine. I used to love getting out a fancy frock and big hat and clip-clopping off to the races in blister-inducing, lawn-aerating footwear. I liked having a little flutter at the bookies, sipping a few mouthfuls of bubbly and eating food that looked like it had been styled for a doll's house.

The high point of the racing carnival - the legendary Melbourne Cup - was run today.

The boys and I tipped our hats to the occasion by making some gingerbread jockeys this morning. But at the moment of the grand race itself we were sitting outside in the sunshine. I turned on the telly a little too late, missing the finish by a few minutes and still don't know the name of the horse that won.

Ah, how the meaning of everything changes when you have children.

The new guide to race terminology

• Box trifecta - finding three empty cartons to play with


• Favourite - a food that was consumed voraciously yesterday, but will be rejected on a whim tomorrow


• Filly - perfectly valid solitary sandwich filling


• Grand stand - something a three-year does in the middle of the supermarket to embarrass his mother


• Horse - probably a horse, but might be a cow (the term is apparently interchangeable)


• Each way bet - having two dinners prepared in case the first one is rejected


• Photo finish - something that happens when a 2-year-old lays his hands on the holiday snaps


• Scratching - an accident that occurs between a favourite CD and a Matchbox car