I have never spent a night away from Ava. There's never been a need. I've preferred to be the last person she sees at night and the first person she sees in the morning.

In just over three years, we've managed that with minimal ease. For consistency and security, it's really suited Ava. Then when our friends Max and Mark announced their wedding plans - a fabulously stylish evening ceremony yesterday at Vale Royal Abbey, I called on the most fabulous, trustworthy, loving babysitter I know.

Enter Nicky B.

Nicky and her eleven year old daughter Lois have known Ava since she was a baby. Ava adores them both in equal measures; she follows Lo like she's her shadow and is utterly besotted with Nicky. So Team B picked up Ava yesterday lunchtime, along with her overnight bag and backpack (packed with the essentials: lipbalm, 'Charlotte's Web' and a pack of tissues). Within five minutes, the house was far too quiet: getting ready for the wedding was uninterrupted by offers of cups of 'air-tea' and our dogs wandered around aimlessly, no doubt wondering where their best friend was.

Any thoughts that Ava would be unsettled evaporated with the receipt of this texted picture:

She'd only gone and plonked herself down herself down behind Lo's Christmas drums!

The girls went swimming, which Ava loved - pretending she was a fish while Lo was the shark. I can imagine the squeals!

When they got back to Nicky's house, Ava got a lesson in i-pad use:

Ava played with Lo's Silvercross prams, complete with Lo's Annabel doll (and I hear Louis the kitten also snuck in for a ride!):

Swiftly followed by some obligatory colouring in...how cosy does this scene look?

After a nap and a lush-sounding dinner of homemade lasagne and salad which Ava tucked into with gusto, she was treated to an indulgent manicure:

But not just any ordinary manicure.
Setting the style gauntlet for Spring/Summer '12 - 'The Ladybird'

The evening was rounded off with yet another viewing of 'Elf' (which she only got on the 22nd - we're now into double digit viewings), before being tucked up in Nicky's bed with Lo for the night...trusty new Hatley wellies by her side...


As Dave and I pulled up Chez Nicky this morning, we could hear Lo and Ava charging round. I'd missed my little lady loads.

Nick, you are our diamond. Big love to you and your infamous Lo. XXX

Our Christmas this year was fabulous. Considering that last year, Ava was ill with an ear infection and found the whole day totally underwhelming, this year made up for it. She's been so aware of the count-down: Santa, reindeer, learning Christmas carols - it's been wonderful. Dave and I love Christmas anyway, but seeing it through a child's eyes - our daughter's eyes - is priceless. And it was our last Christmas as a three - we'll have Baby Lea with us in 2012!

Christmas Eve saw us walking into town with Mark and Max. Ava took her scooter, a third birthday present from them and received her early Christmas present from them: an amazing pair of beaded glittery high tops.


Christmas Day, Ava woke at 8am. Bliss! she 'pings' awake and when I stirred her to ask if she thought Santa had visited. The girl is like a coiled spring! We woke Dave and Ava squealed her way downstairs: if she could have slid down the banister, she would. Look at the main present Santa brought her! Of course, she hust HAD to road-test it in the afternoon, she took to it really quickly:



Other top presents included Top Trumps and additions to her tea / baking set, which are expanding:

I was so lucky to be able to see Ava in her second Christmas nativity at nursery this year - the same afternoon I finished work for the holidays. Dave and I walked across to Nunu and waited for Ava to make her appearance: we'd all been singing the songs for weeks!

I made the classic mistake (how was I to know at the time?) of waving to Ava as she and the other children from the 2-3's room filed outside into the crisp air. She stood with the others (pink coat, bobble hat) and ... froze during the first song - looking out at all the parents, pausing only briefly to stick her tongue out at Dave! Cheeky minx, bless her.


By the end of the song, however, Ava had started crying and ran across to us in the audience. No amount of coaxing could get her back to where she should have been; the only thing which placated her was a Love Heart while being helf by Dave.


The funniest thing was how loudly, confidently and well she sang when the children from the 3-5's room started singing. Ava's had regular visits with Sid and Fin for when she moves up to her last room at Nunu in the new year (sob) and the parents all turned round in surprise to see Ava atop Dave's shoulders, belting out the songs! My little understudy. X

December 10th: how is our little girl already three? How did that happen so quickly? I did as I've done each year and crept into her room at the moment she was born - 01:52am and whispered 'Happy Birthday!'

Ava opened her presents and cards in our room - hobby horse, story books, the obligatory pens and markers, Play Doh (the smell reminded me of when I played with it as a child), tea set, clothes...all that, and a party to look forward to in the afternoon with her friends from nursery. Dave also surprised Ava with two goldfish, who she promptly named David and Petra!





Cafe Symphony hosted her party and Jen Maybury of My Little Picasso led the kids in a fabulous range of Christmas-themed craft activities: making glittery porridge oats for Rudolph, tree decorations and the like: everyone loved it.




There was a buffet to tuck into, homemade cupcakes and a disco to indulge in - it was wonderful to see Fin kissing the birthday girl, a reunion between Ava and Aaliyah - her beloved friend who left nursery in August and lots of general merriment. Thanks to Max and Mark who brought balloons for the little ones - they were such a hit!




At home, presents of scooters, roller skates, tutus and jigsaws awaited - what a very lucky girl to have had such a great day with such lovely friends.

"We three Leas..." Our last Christmas as a three.

We picked up our Christmas tree today at Keele Christmas Tree Farm; it's Ava's fourth. We noticed a definite change in Ava's understanding of all things festive at 6 days off turning three. Last year at Christmas she was ill with an ear infection and definitely seemed underwhelmed at the whole scene on Christmas Day morning. Today, she merrily sang Christmas carols on the drive over to Keele, was jumping up and down as we looked for just the right tree (gotta be real, Nordman Spruce with wonderfully bushy silvery-green long needles) and then whooping as she saw Nicky & Lois.

Decorating the tree was wonderful - the moment when Dave snips the netting is always one that we hold our breaths for - very National Lampoon when the branches spring out, hopefully not releasing numerous squirrels burrowing in the deepest corners of the branches!


Ava chose where the lighter weight decorations went, hung her nursery decorations including the two we have for our dogs Jessie & Indi. She then treated us to a 'piano acoustic' rendition of 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' ... on her keyboard!