Christmas come early - by Theo

Tomorrow we're heading to Cirencester for Christmas Day with my parents - Kate's mum is also joining us - and we're hoping to get away reasonably early. Realising that presenting Rosie with a full stocking from Santa, then demanding she abandon her new (or newish - Santa's big on second hand) possessions to get into the car for an hour was just begging for a tantrum. So we decided to go all European and arrange for Saint Nick to come a day early, after Rosie's nap.

Rosie woke up from her nap a good 40 minutes earlier than usual, catching us a bit unawares (Santa hadn't even begun putting Daddy's stocking out), and the sight of a big pile of brown paper parcels outside her door freaked her out a bit.

When she finally calmed down, she became engrossed by the first present she unwrapped - a squeezed ball-globe - to the extent that she didn't unwrap another for a good half-hour and barely went on her new (£3.20 on eBay) trampoline except to retrieve said ball.

That soon changed when she discovered the joy of chocolate money, and then the hunt was on to find more. Luckily, as there wasn't any, she was soon engrossed by some new books. Predictably, and rather depressingly, the four Spanish books weren't as popular as the single English one - a 'Little Princess' title.

As Mummy's mango bodycream threatened to become a point of contention (Rosie wanted to open it and, probably, eat it - "I like mango!"), we wheeled in the big package which grabbed her attention. "It's Thomas!"

I think she's going to be hugely disappointed when she discovers that it's merely "a" Thomas. Still, plenty of fun to be had in the meantime.

30 years - by Theo

I am, of course, a smug married, and a very proud parent to boot. If I wasn't I doubt I would have faced getting up at 6am on the day of my 30th birthday to cycle through driving wind and rain to my school placement with such equanimity.


As it was, there was no way I couldn't have a big smile on my face when I arrived home to find both my girls dressed up to the nines, a modest pile of cards and presents, and a table laid with homemade cupcakes decorated by my daughter. It was very touching and made me feel even more smug than usual!

Rosie got me a water bottle to take into class, my sister Hermione got me a cookbook and some posh new cake tins, while my parents splashed out on a scanner/printer combo to replace our old Spanish one which broke. There were also lovely home-made cards from Kate and Rosie, plus biscuits and an "In the Thick of it" box set from my darling wife. Plus, not forgetting my birthday bike, which my lovely mother-in-law Cathy had contributed to. So, all in all an impressive haul.

However, it was a work night, so there was no way I couldn't do some work. So, after Rosie had gone to bed, Kate and I snuggled down to watch the DVD of Skellig, one of the set texts from school. It was pretty good and I even managed at times to NOT think about how it might be used in class.

Gifts Galore - by Theo

On a visit to meet Rosie's future-best-friend Emily, she was presented with "Rosie's Walk", a beautiful book, though it be a while before our DD - that's dear daughter in Mumsnet slang - will be appreciating the thought that went into its selection. It joins such classics as "Peepo", "Splosh Splosh" and "Crime & Punishment" on the shelf for her later enjoyment, along with several charming stuffed toys, including a safari skittle set from some Senegalese friends, which Daddy will probably have more fun playing with!

We - or rather Rosie - have been showered with gifts. It's overwhelming. We feel extremely grateful and not a little embarrassed, not least because our past record of generosity towards friends' newborns has been rather less abundant! But the packages and cards keep coming from England, Spain, France and even Ireland.

Several friends have raided their nieces' wardrobes to present us with bags overflowing with beautiful clothes. We probably aren't going to need to buy Rosie any clothes until she's 4, though for the moment only a very beautiful top from an American expat friend actually fits her (she's still on the small side), so she often looks lost inside floppy-legged baby grows.


We feel very fortunate to have such thoughtful and generous friends. Indeed it's wonderful how many people have been over to visit, helping prevent cabin fever from setting in. Rosie is one very lucky little girl.