January

K: After Christmas we came back to our house, but almost immediately left again for an hotel, where we stayed for Joe and Briar's wedding. I took against the wedding and shouted my head off every time Mummy or Daddy tried to take me into the church, but I was better-behaved for the tea. Mummy and Daddy were therefore a bit worried about the night (especially as we were all 4 in the same room) but once I passed out it was fine - I actually slept the night through, so I believe Mummy and Daddy got to have some fun and I didn't even disturb Granny Mary, who was babysitting. 

The next day we went to Stephen and Natasha's for a New Year party, and we saw Richard and Sophie and Lucie and Oscar. Oscar is bigger than me and he can move around so I was very fascinated by him, and we had a lovely time. 

F: And I had my nap in a bunk bed, which was brilliant. I really liked seeing Lucie, and on the Monday we saw Richard and Sophie and Oscar and Lucie again. We went on the tube to the British Museum, and there they were! It was great. Then we went back to the flat they were staying in and had a picnic and got very excited.

 

 The following weekend we had more excitements. Cathy came to see us, which was very nice. I was hardly shy at all and Katy liked her too:

And the day after that was Catrin's party, which was amazing. There was a cake shaped like a ladybird, and jelly as well. It was brilliant! There were also a lot of people to play with. It reminded me about birthdays and I have been saying what I would like for my birthday, when I am three, ever since. My cake choices range widely - initially I was all of a ladybird cake of my own, but then I wanted a dragon cake, and then a castle cake, and then a knight cake, and recently I have been all in favour of square cake (Mummy doesn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed). 

What else? Well, my Uncle Peter and Cousin Emma came to see us, and we all went to Tate Modern together. There were a lot of ceramic sunflower seeds on the floor. I found this a bit hard to get my head round and asked Mummy to explain it approximately 2000 times. I am not totally convinced by modern art, me. Emma took me to see the gallery of surrealism, which the grown-ups explained was pictures a bit like dreams, but I didn't really think much of it. However, then we had lunch, which was very excellent. 

After that, the next exciting outing was to see Graunty Joy. Before we went, I carefully made a whole lot of biscuits in the shape of dogs and ducks to take with us, and I iced them very expertly. Then we forgot to take them. But we still had a lot of fun with Graunty Joy and Rajah the Dog. Granny Mary and I even took Rajah for a long walk to the park. 

K: After that, the next thing was Daddy's birthday. Big Sister Frances made a very splendid carrot cake (which is Daddy's favourite) and carefully lined up the carrots on the top. I watched carefully from my blue seat. I like my blue seat. In contravention of all safety advice, Mummy and Daddy balance it on the table so I can see what is going on. I am getting exceedingly good at picking up my toys, and even better at hurling them from the chair. I can throw really rather a long way for a tiny person. I am also watching everyone eating in a haunted, obsessive manner and hoping very much that I am allowed to munch some stuff soon. Mummy is holding out for five months at least, though, I hear. 

 What else is new? Well, I have started a new activity. It is called swimming, and I like it. It makes me laugh, even though the pool is pretty chilly and I am only little. I also like watching Frances doing her swimming lesson. She has moved up to the Big Boys and Girls Class, and she does Swimming All On Her Own, without Mummy or Daddy in the water. She was a bit apprehensive at first, but now she is so keen on it that she checks every week that she is still in the Big Girls Class with No Mummy Or Daddy and Just Jason. She does a lot of splashing and can swim all by herself with Just One Float. For myself, I am keeping the parents enslaved for the present.

 In other news, I continue to grow, and am developing an enormous repetoire of (really quite loud) noises. I take a lively interest in all Frances' playgroups and singing groups, and especially enjoy being sung to and bounced around in a crazy manner. For the first half of January I was an excellent sleeper (all through the night for two weeks) but sadly this wore off and I am currently going through a period of waking up twice or even three times a night, which makes the parents a bit grumpy. I had a week where I wasn't terribly happy (bit poorly) but am now hugely cheerful and smiley.

 F: I was a bit poorly too - possibly with what Katy had, though it's a bit hard to tell. I was a bit sick in the night. When I got up, I ate quite a bit of breakfast, and went upstairs to brush my teeth. After a bit, Mummy heard me calling 'Where's Bear?' She asked me why I was looking for bear (as he's a bedtime bear) and I said, as though she was a silly person for not understanding, 'I'm goin back to my bed now'.And I did - I just put myself straight back to bed. In the afternoon I got up again for a bit, but then spent most of a day lying on the sofa. 

There were compensations, though, as Daddy read me a lot of cat-poems (I have discovered TS Eliot) and I was also allowed to watch In the Night Garden on the wall, which was absolutely the best thing ever (actually a few days before I had watched Snow White AND had popcorn to eat, which was possibly even better). I am very fond of saying 'actually' and 'it's my best' at the moment, and quite often tell the parents 'well done, Daddy'. If I do something impressive while I'm with Mummy, and Daddy's not there, I say 'Daddy will be impessed'. If he's in the house, I call 'John, John, come and see diss!' Mummy then looks faintly guilty for being so predictable. 


My inventions are becoming better and better. I spend a lot of time getting married, sometimes to Mummy, and sometimes to Katy, and occasionally to my Tiger. I also got married to one of the girls at nursery. When I get married, I wear a 'Marryin dress'. I have one made out of bubble wrap which is particularly stylish: 

 What else? I made Mummy and Daddy laugh quite a lot by saying 'Get back in de kitchen, Daddy' very sternly when I was trying to go to the loo privately. I am good at this now, and quite often say 'I'm juss like Big Girl Ellen and Big Girl Lucie', because I don't need a special loo seat any more. I brush my own teeth in the mornings, too. 

Katy is getting to be able to do more things. Sometimes she is a bit naughty. I quite like this. She throws her toys. I quite often go and get something for her to play with (though sometimes I do snatch things from her, which Mummy and Daddy are a bit down on). I like changing her nappy, and often the house resounds with the cry 'I want to open her nappy! Wait for meee!'. I do it very gently. When she was poorly, I checked her all over with my doctor's set, very very gently. I also cuddle her in the bath quite often, which she likes, and when she is asleep I always check if she's in the Katy-room, and if she is, and I want something from Mummy and Daddy's room, I go in very, very quietly so I don't wake her up. If Mummy says I can, I will go and wake her in the mornings by saying good morning, and she gives me big smiles. Mummy says I am her favourite and she does seem to like me a lot - I can usually cheer her up if she isn't happy.