Valentine's Day

You don't get the chance to let any celebration pass by in a house with small children. The excitement is far too much, especially for six year olds. I hadn't realised, for example, that I needed to be woken up on Tuesday with a request for pancakes at 6am.

Valentine's Day is of course no different.

Tilly came in this morning with breakfast in bed for us. This happens periodically and we are grateful, truly we are, but we just wish there was a small sign of improvement in the culinary department. Although I suppose I should just be pleased that she hadn't tried to use the microwave.

I came out of the bathroom and Paul was sitting up with a tray of food on his lap. "Tilly's made us breakfast in bed" he said smiling.

"I've made it for you too mummy but you were in the shower" she said. "I didn't think breakfast in the shower was a good idea."

I'm grateful for small mercies.

Paul had a bowl of crunchy nut cornflakes. Well less of the crunchy. She makes these first so by the time they reach him twenty-five minutes later they are a little more like cold honey nut soup with bits in.

My breakfast is often trickier. This morning she said:

"I struggled a bit breaking up the French stick."

"Okaaay"

"That bit has butter on" (I glanced at the pile of butter with some bread crumbs underneath), "and the rest is hummus".

Now we try to eat it when it's delivered. It would be rude not to. But I'm afraid I had to explain even I cannot face hummus for breakfast. Paul valiantly tried to eat a few spoonfuls of cereal before asking me to put it down for a minute on a high shelf.

I cannot express how much we love her. But her breakfasts are a challenge to say the least.

A few minutes later we understood the full card making process that had happened the day before. I was given cards with hearts and flowers on. Phoebe had hidden the one she made for Daddy in the shoe drawer with the muddy boots.


My favourite by far was the card Phoebe had made which contained a picture of a giant, a person, and angel and a castle. It was addressed "To Jack".

"Why does it say 'To Jack' Phoebe?"

"I didn't want Tilly to know it was for her".

I love Phoebe to the moon and back too.


So Happy Valentine's Day. Have a lovely day. May all your breakfasts be crunchy and hummus free. xx