Birthday magic

I was going to write up a post about Lily's sixth birthday party on Saturday. I was going to go into some detail on the preparation, the effort we went to, the face painting, Anne creating a cake which would bring Lily a little joy, my buying props and learning magic tricks mixed with some whizzy chemical reactions. Fortunately though Lily received a journal as a gift, and was keen to write about her party in the first entry, so I'll just recreate that entry here and you can get the skinny on the party from her...

Saturday 14th January


I had a birthday party. Daddy did a magic show. It was okay. I knew some of the tricks.


Nice for her to have that day saved for posterity.

Great 2011 Things

Happy new year etc. In the Kent-Taylor house now that Christmas is done we're approaching Birthday Season, with both the kids' birthdays coming up in the next month and a half. As if they haven't had enough excitement.

In the past I've marked these occasions with videos of their years or something else special, but this year I've made a single video of the last year for all of us.

We did lots of Great Things in 2011 (which is the name of the song on the video; I am clever) and the girls are growing up at an alarming rate. Lily turns six (six!) next week, and Bella will soon be four (four!) They're at a great stage, where they can generally play together really nicely. Until one of the feels the least bit slighted and then all hell may break loose. Bella's discovering tantrums, which we're hoping we've put the kybosh on with some firm parenting. I suspect we still have some way to go.

Lily and Isabel's 2011 Christmas message to the nation

Lily and Bella have recorded a message, which says a lot about them and their attitudes to life and Christmas. Happy Christmas Everyone.

Mistletoe and Bathwater

I covertly filmed Lily and Bella for six minutes yesterday as Lily tried to teach Bella a song. Bella saw me, Lily was oblivious. I edited down to one and a half minutes of their (mainly Lily's) weirdness.

In days gone by this would be creepy and frowned upon. It probably still is.

Lily seems rather keen on Mistletoe and Wine.

Ambitions

Lily asked me about university this evening as she and Bella ate tea. I explained that it's somewhere you go when you're 18 if you want to continue studying, and you can choose what you want to learn.
Lily: "I want to learn about the elements."
Me: "Well, that's Chemistry. Mummy did some of that. She did Biochemistry and Genetics. Genetics is about DNA."
Lily: "That's what I want to do. Biochemistry and Genetics."
Bella: "What's easiest?"