familytastic!

This is one for you, Rachel. You've always been an early bird, and since you've been able to tip-toe down the stairs, we'd frequently wake to the sound of your TV programmes and find you comfy on the sofa enjoying some time to yourself.

During the week though, I'm always up ahead of you. But you have an uncanny knack of knowing when I'm awake and I'll hear 'Dad' whispered from the top of the stairs while I'm making toast. When I hear my name, I always put on a couple of extra slices just for you.

I was just about to head out the door this morning when I heard your whispered greeting from the top of the stairs. You emerged from the darkness, bleary eyed and fuzzy haired and we had a beautiful hug at the bottom of the stairs. There's nothing like getting a big hug from your little girl first thing in the morning to send you off in a good mood.

So, I went out into the rain and you came to the window to wave me off. Until you saw 'Swissy', your adopted cat that now seems to live under the car. He/she appeared as soon as I opened the front door, and as I drove off, you had your head out the living room window chatting to your new friend.

This one's for Rachel. I had a bad dream at the weekend. About you. And in the dream we'd lost you in a car crash.

It was one of those strange dreams - it lasted long enough for me to feel grief. And there was a bizarre amount of detail. For example, Jake was having trouble adjusting and I remember him having difficulty with suddenly being the eldest. And there only being two boys.

I woke up sad that Sunday morning, but you were up with the dawn as usual and probably didn't notice me being extra huggy around you. And at the moment, you probably don't notice that I'm trying to spend a bit more time talking to you, getting to know you and what's going on in your little life.

The dream may have been significant, because I've been feeling that you and I are drifting at the moment. You're busy with friends and school, and I'm wrapped up in a lot of things. Jake and Dan are about the house quite a bit, but you're a busy little scamp and rarely up for a chat during waking hours!

So, knowing that you hate going straight to sleep at night, I'm calling in for little chats after you go to bed. We'll sit high up on your bed and talk about what's going on. You'll tell me about stories you've read, and maybe I'll share some stories with you. If I can get a word in edgeways.

I'm enjoying watching you grow up. At the moment, you're funny, sociable and quick-witted. You enjoy teasing and being teased (but not by the boys). Sometimes you're volatile, and you're still a fickle eater. You're getting along unusually well with Aiden and Lucy right now, but your friendship with Lauren is becoming a bit strange as she's not keen to share you and wants to stay in her house a lot. We've noticed that this bothers you and you want to be in our house a little bit more.

Anyway, there's a little update for you. I just wanted to share this one in case I forgot it. Hopefully no more of those bad dreams for the foreseeable future.

Rachel's fascination with the iPod continues.

At the moment, the shuffle at the side of my bed has the new Dixie Chicks album and Carrie Underwood's debut. Because of the holidays, I've been letting Rachel lie in our bed and listen to some songs before she goes to sleep. When she gets tired, she switches off the iPod and puts it at the side of the bed. Still being careful with it.

Last night, I went into the room, and she was sitting there bopping along to the Dixie Chicks. She pulled out one of the headphones and said "Can you help me find my favourite song?" You have a favourite? Sure I'll help you, I want to find out about this favourite song.

So, we sat for a minute or two until we found the song she liked (described as sounding like an elephant - there were a few heavy piano chords at the beginning). The surprise was when the vocals came in and Rachel sang along! Wow, she's actually listening to the words...and remembering them!

What a powerful sensation to discover your daughter is developing musical tastes. As we sat on the bed, sharing headphones and being serenaded by Rachel, it was almost overwhelming. One of those lump in the throat parenting moments. Luckily, Lisa had the same experience this evening, so she didn't miss out.

Rachel seems to be having a ball at the moment. I think the music is something that's completely her own - not shared with the boys. It's also something she can talk to us about, and I think she enjoys that new way to bond with us.

It started a couple of nights ago. Rachel - who'd been put to bed numerous times that evening already - visited me in the attic and told me she'd stolen my iPod. I corrected her - "borrowed it, Rachel. I don't mind as long as you take care of it."

So she disappeared down the stairs and that was the last I heard of her. I couldn't understand why she wanted to listen to deafening rock music anyway, it's not normally her thing.

When it came my time for bed, I went looking for the iPod to listen to while I went to sleep. Bad habit, I know, but I usually need something to disengage my brain before I can get to sleep. Anyway, it was nowhere to be found. Not in Rachel's room. Not in the boys' room (where she'd ended up). And not in my room.

Strange, I half expected to discover the headphones tangled and protruding from a quilt somewhere, but there wasn't a trace of the iPod.

When I got home the next day, I asked her where my iPod was. I was completely expecting the thing to be in pieces, trampled underfoot by Rachel and her marauding gang of pals. Not so. She immediately led me to her bedroom and lifted a heart-shaped box off her shelf. She opened it up and there inside was my iPod, wound up as neatly as her five-year-old hands could manage. She'd even switched it off to save the battery.

As you can imagine, I was bowled over that she'd gone to such lengths to take care of the iPod. As you might expect, she was delighted to get so much positive attention for doing something so nice. The problem is, she's borrowed it a couple of times since and each time hidden it in a different place. In fact, tonight she was a little bit put-out when she couldn't find it. I had it upstairs charging.

I think we're going to have to agree on a timeshare arrangement for this, or I'll have to get her one of her own.

I am a very very bad mother. I sent my 5 year old daughter to school today without a lunch!

I had been unsure of whether or not to send her to school as she was performing in her tap dance show last night and didn't get home until 11pm.

I let her sleep for as long as she wanted, but when she rose at 8.30am, I decided that I would send her to school since she was already awake.

We hurriedly got dressed, washed and ate breakfast and I gave Rachel her lunchbox to take to the car.

We hurried to school and she was surprisingly only ten minute late. I hurriedly kissed her goodbye then rushed to do my weekly shopping before my younger son got out of nursery.

It was only when I got home and finished unpacking my food at 1pm that I noticed her little pink lunch box on the kitchen worktop. I felt terrible, yet her lunchtime was over, so there was no point in me taking it to the school. When I picked her up at 2pm, her teacher told me that she had tried to take Rachel to the canteen for a school lunch but she cried and wouldn't go, in the end another teacher gave her a banana and some other fruit that she didn't like.

I feel terrible, my poor daughter was hungry all day and all because I was too busy rushing to notice that she had left her lunch behind....I will have to be more vigilant!

When Rachel first began primary one, we were told that as her school were using the enriched curriculum method of teaching they would not be formally learning to read and write until at least primary two. However we were assured that if our children expressed an interest in ay of these skills they would be encouraged.

The enriched curriculum seems to focus very much on learning through play and on phonics as an introduction to early reading. I was surprised when Rachels teacher said that she was ready to start taking home reading books for herself and even more surprised when she quickly moved up to the next level. However this method of learning seems to work better than I could have ever hoped.

Rachel enjoys reading and makes a game out of sounding out the words. The songs and ryhmes which she learned for each letter have helped her to associate the letters with their sounds and now reading is beginning to come very naturally to her.

I was dubious when I first heard about the enriched curriculum method of teaching, but when I compare Rachel's progress with some others of her age, she is at the same if not a more advanced level, yet she hasn't had to learn dozens of spellings every week and actually has a real enthusiasm for school and for literacy.

Just got up with Rachel and Jake this morning (Lisa's had a wee night out on the rip).

After they had a bite to eat, I gave them both a big drink of juice each. It's funny to watch how different their drinking habits are.

Jake literally necks his drinks in one go. You hand him a glass, and one long glugging sound later it's empty.

Rachel has a slightly bizarre habit when drinking - she taps the bottom of the glass. Why? "To make the juice come down faster." she'll reply, perfectly seriously.

What weird/funny habits do your kids have?

Our good friend Wooftie - on his annual visit from The States - dropped a couple of small-but-expensive presents on Rachel and Jake: Nintendo DS Lites.

At the same time, Lisa's mum gave us a PlayStation 2 and donated a boxful of old games including the highly addictive Star Wars Lego.

The children instantly became transfixed by Super Mario and Star Wars Lego, and begged to play with them at all hours of the day and night. Lisa's best laid plans - to restrict usage to weekends only - fell by the wayside pretty quickly as the novelty of computer games overtook our self-discipline.

Jake became very adept at Super Mario World on the Nintendo, and would get lost in the game until he hit a tough spot and needed adult assistance. However, he's become adept with the DS Lite in a short space of time, and I've noticed that his concentration is phenomenal as he gets absorbed in the game. Almost to the point of being oblivious to everyone else. I walked into the house one day last week and he was busy playing his computer games, looked up, smiled at me, and went straight back to the game.

Rachel's just as good with the games, probably better since she has a couple of years up on Jake, but her biggest failing with computer games is her impatience. She's alright on her own, but when in a two-player game with Jake or her little friend Lauren, she quickly loses her temper when the game isn't going her way. Jake also can become very frustrated, and you know this because of the anguished animal howls that he makes. That's usually a sign that gaming time is over.....

We're trying to teach her more about teamwork and being understanding when Jake doesn't understand what to do. So far to limited success. What works best is when you restrict them to single-player games and let them do a level or 5 minutes each.

Having said that, there are a couple of the kids' friends who we can't allow to play computer games. Too many kids = major kiddie impatience, screaming, shouting and bad temper. When those folks come to the door, we kick everyone out. They get fresh air - we get a few minutes of peace before having to referee the next row!

Rachel's chatter has really come on in leaps and bounds recently and she's becoming such a confident and pretty little thing.

On Friday night, she sneaked out of her bedroom and came down to the living room to see us both. Knowing that she would be instantly returned to bed, she switched on the brightest, most cutest smile you've ever seen. With her purple pajamas, curly hair and toothless grin, she managed to bargain a few extra minutes down the stairs with us.

To give her a decision in how long she stayed up, I showed her my watch and asked her to point to where the big hand should be when she went to bed. She pointed to "7" (giving her about 15 minutes), and so we allowed her to sit and banter with us until time came. Because she'd chosen the time, she went to bed without an argument!

Which brings me to this morning. I had the morning off work because I had to drop in an all-important post-vasectomy sperm sample. (Possibly the most un-erotic moment in my life, but let's not get into that!) When I walked into the living room, she was all surprised to see me and asked me why I was home. I explained that I had to see the doctor after my operation to make sure everything was OK. She said - with a serene and genuine look on her face - "Well, I hope he tells you that you're well Daddy!"

I just love how Rachel's coming on at the moment, she's such a bright, outgoing and clever little girl and she's developing in the way I always imagined she would.

The latest phenomenon in our street is Bratz Club. We're not entirely sure what a Bratz Club is, but it can't be that bad, can it? Probably best not to ask.

Anyway Rachel and her friend Niamh are making invitations for their other Bratz Club buddies and Lisa has just overheard their planning session. As they cut up little hearts to paste on each card, Rachel comes up with their slogan - "We love you. If you love us too, come join our Bratz Club!"

Lisa's convinced she's heading for a career in advertising!