Reason No. 257

I love Seth more than I did yesterday because we were watching The Sound of Music on TV (typical New Year's Eve fare) and afterwards he sang the songs all through tea (with his own words!).

I love Amelie more than I did yesterday because she was very good during the day despite being stuck in the house all day in the rain - she had no trouble keeping herself occupied and not complaining!

Reason No. 256

I love Amelie and Seth more than I did the day before yesterday because they were really fantastic on the journey to Grandma's house watching their iPads and playing games, and the words "are we nearly there yet?" were only uttered once in 4 hours.

Reason No. 255

I love Seth more than I did yesterday because he clung onto my hand throughout "Rise of the Guardians" at the cinema today - but clearly loved every minute (as did I!).

I love Amelie more than I did yesterday because she is such a sweet kind girl - she's now realised that it's not very nice for Daddy to always want to sit next to Mummy and hold Mummy's hand so she prides herself on wanting to sit next to Daddy.

Reason No. 254

I love Amelie more than I did yesterday because today, over tea, she said to Seth "you're behaving like a complete lunatic" which sounds a little bit like Mummy.....

I love Seth more than I did yesterday because today, when playing Angry Birds, he said "blast it" repeatedly, which also sounds a little bit like Mummy.....(but is a very bad habit which we must both get out of otherwise he'll get in trouble at school).

Reason No. 253

I love Seth more than I did yesterday because he was very excited about seeing his godmother today and then even more excited to play with her cute puppy (which means chasing it round the room saying "Hello Doggy" a lot!).

I love Amelie more than I did yesterday because all day we played a kissing game where she tried to kiss me  before I kissed her, and giggled madly every time I beat her!

Reason No. 252

I live Amelie and Seth more than I did yesterday because we got back into the painting routine today and they got back into playing really nicely with each other all day - their creative role-playing is wonderful to listen to when you're half way through sanding down 14 doors!

Reason No. 251

I love Seth more than I did yesterday because he sat down with his Lego dinosaur hunters and made it all by himself in about an hour. He was so focused on it and so quick and then spent the rest of the day playing with it - no interest in TV or his iPad for a change!

I love Amelie more than I did yesterday because she was entranced by her video message from Father Christmas, nodding and answering questions when he asked them and was really pleased to be on his 'nice' list!

Reason No. 250

I love Amelie and Seth more than I did yesterday because they have been fab today- inside all day because of the nasty weather but just getting on with it, playing angry birds on their new iPads, playing board games, watching TV and generally getting very excited!

Reason No. 249

I love Seth more than I did yesterday because he was great playing duets on the piano with Grandpa and singing Christmas carols along with the radio.

I love Amelie more than I did yesterday because she sat down and made a stuffed cat which she was given for her birthday - it involved a lot of sewing and concentration but she sat and did it all herself.

Reason No. 248

I love Amelie and Seth more than I did the day before yesterday because they were totally fantastic today, entertaining Grandpa and Nannie Carol and playing with Matthew and Max who came for lunch.  We all had a fab day and it was mostly down to Amelie and Seth.

Reason No. 247

I love Seth more than I did the day before the day before yesterday because the excitement of the birthday didn't wear off all day, and he careered around the house clinging to his ipad, playing with his apps and watching his films.

I love Amelie more than I did the day before the day before yesterday because she was still excited but also much calmer than Seth is and feeling very grown up at 6.

Reason No. 246

I love Amelie and Seth more than I did yesterday because they were pretty fantastic throughout their birthday today - from the moment when they got up and opened all their presents in great excitement, through to the moment they went to bed in great excitement!  Thank goodness it's only once a year!

Reason No. 245

I love Seth and Amelie more than I did yesterday because they spent their first proper day of school holiday, helping TWBD making their own birthday cake - can't wait to eat it tomorrow!

Reason No. 244

I love Amelie more than I did the day before yesterday because she wasn't 100% sure about going to school as she was still feeling ill, but stuck it out for the whole day and didn't even complain when TWBD and Seth turned up late to pick her up as they'd got the time wrong.

I love Seth more than I did the day before yesterday because he stayed at home and looked after TWBD - sort of!

Reason No. 243

I love Seth more than I did yesterday because he has started reading spontaneously including today wanting to read all the magnetic words on the fridge.

I love Amelie more than I did yesterday because she faced the day with fortitude despite feeling really ill including making her own laptop to play on and not being unhappy about Seth going on a play date without her.

Reason No. 242

I love Amelie more than I did yesterday because she has been a very cuddly girl today because she's been so full of cold and not feeling well.  So all she's wanted to do is to have cuddles and although I wish she wasn't ill, it's nice having lots of cuddles all day.

I love Seth more than I did yesterday because while Amelie has been ill and cuddly, he's spent the whole day getting on with making lego.  He's obsessed and when he sets his mind to it, he persists until he's finished.  Definitely something to channel into the the rest of his life!

Reason No. 241

I love Seth more than I did yesterday because we went to Endcliffe Park while Amelie was at a birthday party and we had great fun watching ducks ice skating on the ponds - Seth found it all hilarious!

I love Amelie more than I did yesterday because she was really not very well today - having been better yesterday - but was still insistent on going to a birthday party and grinned her way through it, then got more poorly as the afternoon went on.  Hopefully she'll feel better in the morning!

Reason No. 240

I love Amelie more than I did yesterday because we went to her 'Toy Museum' display at school today and she was thrilled to show us around, like a real curator, and read out all the labels for all the toys and explain what they did.

I love Seth more than I did yesterday because he finished school at lunchtime and then, instead of watching TV or driving us mad, he spent the whole afternoon making a new Lego toy -  he did it all by himself and was so proud of himself at the end.

Reason No. 239

I love Seth more than I did yesterday because he sung and danced beautifully in his big number at his nativity today - but only in his big number and didn't seem to want to sing at all during the remainder of the nativity!

I love Amelie more than I did yesterday because she's full of cold and a bit feverish but still soldiering on! When I arrived to pick her up from yoga she was looking very sorry for herself and went to bed very early, but I'm sure she'll be fine in the morning.

Reason No. 238

I love Amelie more than I did yesterday because she was totally fantastic in her school nativity play.  She knew all the words and moves, and she kept smiling constantly which is what they had been told to do (although many of her classmates yawned, looked around or looked grumpy!). She's my little star and my little angel!

I live Seth more than I did yesterday because he was very good about the fact that we didn't go to his nativity play today - we're going tomorrow instead - and he was very happy anyway. I don't think we were the only ones but I know he would have liked us to be there.

Reason No. 237

I love Seth and Amelie because they have both, very diligently, written their thank you and Xmas cards today both before and after school.  They had to do lots of them but both recognised that this was the price they pay for getting lovely presents from lots of people so they got on with it, without too much complaining.

Reason No. 236

I love Amelie and Seth more than I did yesterday because they picked me up from work and insisting on singing 'Away in a Manger' all the way home, all evening and it was lovely (if a bit repetitive!).

Reason No. 235

I love Seth and Amelie more than I did yesterday because they were fantastic at their birthday party this afternoon. They were so excited about everything - the bowling, being with their friends, their cupcake stacks and all the presents they got. It's amazing that they've gone to bed and haven't caused any fuss at all!

Reason No. 234

I love Amelie more than I did yesterday because while Seth and TWBD were at a party, she found a book about the human body Andreas beautifully to me while I was painting. I was a bit perplexed by all the 'musicals' in the body, including in the arms and legs, and a very important one in the heart! West Side Story maybe?

I love Seth more than I did yesterday because, for the first time ever, he found a book and read it to me while I was painting. This was before Amelie read her book to me so he clearly inspired her!

Reason No. 233

I love Seth more than I did yesterday because he came home from the pantomime today buzzing - there was lots of shouting, lots of singing, two men dressed as ladies who had funny dresses on and they said "behind you" a lot!

I love Amelie more than I did yesterday because when I picked her up from ballet she was doing proper ballet jumps and waving a sparkly wand around so looked like a little angel.

Reason No. 232

I love Amelie more than I did yesterday because every morning at the moment is great excitement as we open all our advent calendars. Amelie is particularly taken by our computer one so we have to watch each day's entry several times.

I love Seth more than I did yesterday because at bedtime he sang his nativity song to me and it was word perfect and in tune and lovely.

Reason No. 231

I love Seth more than I did yesterday because after school, TWBD took him and Amelie to the Botanical Gardens cafe for a cake and he was really grown up including getting a napkin and putting it on without any prompting.

I love Amelie more than I did yesterday because she is so keen to do her reading now that even on nights when she doesn't have homework , she still volunteers to read other books to us. Maybe it will rub off on Seth!

Reason No. 230

I love Amelie more than I did yesterday because she has got all her nativity songs perfect now - fingers crossed she remembers them next week!

I love Seth more than I did yesterday because he recognised the word 'extraordinary' in his reading tonight - a great leap forward!

Reason No. 229

I love Seth more than I did yesterday because sometimes he is completely oblivious to everything around him, and sometimes he notices even the smallest things, like today when he noticed that all the trees around his school had been pruned. Small but important steps!

I love Amelie more than I did yesterday because she came home from school saying "Did you know that every year Norwhere gives a Christmas tree for Chafalgar Square" which is near enough I guess!

Reason No. 228

I love Amelie and Seth more than I did yesterday because when we went out for lunch today, they held hands and chatted to each other all the way there - we were quite unimportant as they were having such a nice time with each other!

Reason No. 227

I love Seth more than I did yesterday because he had a good night with no wees and no waking us up - which isn't always the case!

I love Amelie more than I did yesterday because when she and Seth are doing their homework and she knows the answer to his homework, she puts her hand up, sometimes in that desperate 'pick me pick me' way which is so cute.  But we never let us because Seth has to learn for himself.