Daniel's Third Birthday

The Chocolate Game

The Green-Eyed Monster

We've just spent a lovely weekend up in Norfolk with Auntie Gill and Uncle Peter. After a fabulous roast dinner on Saturday, baby Jacob was still in his highchair and Gill was playing a little game with him, passing a Tupperware lid backwards and forwards and saying "Thank you very much!"

Jacob was smiling and laughing, but Daniel watched them both through gimlet eyes. Eventually Daniel could stand it no longer and he piped up: "Jacob is my brother. You can't have him!"

Auntie Gill, rather taken aback, replied, "Yes, of course he's your brother, Daniel. That's right." But Daniel was not to be mollified.

Giving Gill a piercing look, he added: "And you can't have that lid either."

The Evidence

He's off!

Facepainting for Bonfire Night

A pirate (of course) + "Harry Potter" scar


Caroline was missing Fluff...


That's "blood", not lipstick


Flutterby

Halloween

Brave Soldier

Daniel had a fall at nursery. He cut his face on the corner of a wooden step, and it required suturing under general anaesthetic.

Here he is before the operation.

And after, you can just see the row of neat little stitches underneath the steri-strips.

He also had a cannula in the back of his hand, but in our house we have the coolest plasters going!

Magic Chocolate

Last weekend, we were sharing some chocolate after dinner. By sleight of hand, I pretended to Daniel that it had all gone and then made one more piece appear, as if by magic.

With a two-year-old you often say the first thing that comes into your head, and I found myself saying to him, 'Now, are you sure you want to eat this? It isn't just ordinary chocolate, after all. It's magic chocolate and anything could happen. You might turn blue, you could grow feathers, your head might explode! Are you brave enough to eat it?'

Daniel nodded furiously, so I handed it over and with a trembling hand he put it into his mouth. As he chewed, he was inspecting himself to see if anything was happening ... and he suddenly noticed a blue vein in the crook of his elbow. He gasped, looked up at us with great big eyes and with complete conviction exclaimed: IT'S STARTING!

Pics Round Up

Jacob aged six months - taken by Auntie Joan.


Free Gary McKinnon! http://tinyurl.com/ne3juq


Daniel at the Get Loaded festival in Clapham.


Daniel and Merlin (and Spot the Snake) in Harrogate.


Daniel and Chantal in the park.

Spot the Snake

We visited the Eureka Children's Museum in Halifax on Monday and Daniel got a cuddly toy snake from the gift shop. We called him Spot the Snake, but Daniel often doesn't pronounce the letter s...

Daniel: I love you, Pot.

Daddy: Daniel?

Daniel: Yes?

Daddy: His name is Spot. Can you say Spot?

Daniel: Pot.

Daddy: No. Listen ... Spot.

Daniel: Pot.

Daddy: Say sssss.

Daniel: Sssss.

Daddy: Say pot.

Daniel: Pot.

Daddy: Now say Sssss-pot.

Daniel: Sssss-pot.

Daddy: That's brilliant! Spot.

Daniel: Spot!

Daddy: Well done, matey.

Daniel: (delightedly) He a nake!

Garden Party, 18th July

Daniel filled his reward chart for remembering to say please and thank you, and the reward he asked for was: pirate tattoos! Arrr!


Jacob, Mark and Martin


Heather, Guy, David, Gillian


Earle


The giant football balloon didn't last very long after it met one of our rose bushes.

Billy just chilling out in the baby gym.


The punch-ball balloons didn't last too long either!


Earle and Baby Bernard (taken by James)


Afternoon snacks for Billy ...


... and Daniel.


The fireworks were the highlight of the party for Daniel. He's been trying very, very hard to persuade me to buy some more ever since. "Fireworks go bang, Daddy! GO BANG! WOW!!!"

(You'll notice I carefully put my beer in a safe place during the pyrotechnics...)

Patricia, Gillian, Heather, Richard


Special Guest: Rik Mayall


Thomas


Fiona and bump


Toodle-oo!

Zzzz...

Finding his feet

Jacob's first time in the door bouncer.