We know. Before you even think it, we know, but there's no time for recriminations now. Let's start the new year with some better intentions and see how that actually pans out.

For now, have a fantastic Christmas everyone.

Here's a selection of snaps from my phone from the last few months. Quality is pretty deplorable, I'm afraid. Sorry!

The first is Liv posing with one of the lions at Harlaxton Manor (see main post here). Harlaxton is owned by the University of Evansville, so is normally full of American students, but every so often, they open it up to the hoi polloi, and we enjoyed roaming the grounds and making friends with the local swan.


Liv has been pestering us to let her take Teddy to the park in the buggy my mother bought for her. Normally, Teddy wears PJs, as he pretty much stays in Liv's bed, but he had to get dressed for the overcast weather. Liv was quite good about pushing him, which was a nice change from how she is with her bike, where she normally rides it for a grand total of a hundred yards or so, then says, "Daddy, you carry it."

A few weeks ago, I had both girls with me. Liv brought her bike and Grace was strapped to my front in a Baby Bjorn carrier). Predictably enough, Liv demanded I carry her bike after just enough to make it really inconvenient to take it back home. Hey ho - we got to the park and everything was fine for three quarters of an hour, when I noticed that Liv was flagging and that it was time we went back for lunch anyway.

After Olivia threw a massive screaming fit in the playground when I said we were going home, I ended up carrying a kicking and screaming child in one hand, a bike in the other and poor Grace still stuck on my front. It was an extremely uncomfortable journey, not made any better by the looks from the people we passed. Most rolled their eyes as if to say, "Terrible Twos, huh?" but a few seemed to be looking at me suspiciously as though I must have done something awful to my distraught child, doubtless not helped by the fact that having been punched, gouged and kicked repeatedly by the demon slung over my shoulder, I lost my rag and bawled her out in the street, which didn't exactly make me look like a candidate for parent of the year. In my defence, testicles are extremely delicate and having a child rake its fingernails down your cheek really fucking hurts. I would also like to add this is unusual behaviour for Liv, lest anyone be too concerned.

Teddy seemed to command more respect, and she dutifully pushed him most of the way to and from the park. Maybe he should come every time...



Here's a picture of Liv and Grace on the fire engine in the park (Teddy out of shot) Mummy's hand in shot). Grace can't really join in too much apart from the swings yet, but she does like to try. I think she was operating the gear stick....


Here's Liv in her new motor, a beautiful yellow and red number, powered by a V6 Flintstone-style engine.Mummy picked it up for a few quid on eBay (we try not to buy plastic toys new if we can avoid it). She loves pushing it round and round the stone circle outside the French windows. She'll be a natural at roundabouts when she's older.


Finally, a shot of Grace with her Auntie A__, demonstrating that she can stand completely unaided for about thirty seconds, as long as she doesn't realise she's doing it...