I'm lucky to have a job where occasionally I can sit and blog while actually doing my real job. In this case, babysitting an AccessGrid meeting. Let's just say that if the technology breaks, I have to fix it quickly but at the moment it is stumbling along just fine.

Yesterday was my daughter's 4th birthday. DW congratulated me for having been a daddy for four years and said I should congratulate her for being a mummy for eight years. We have been married for eight years. She has no other children so I can only assume she means the dog. I'll ask her when she finishes checking my homework.

It has been an amazing four years watching someone who quite literally doesn't know poop fom apple sauce (quote from Stuart Little 2) grow into someone who does. I think she is ready for more difficult concepts but we don't want to rush her. Being a kid is about discovering little things like viscosity and texture. Like how far can one spread a small quantity of apple sauce and why it tastes better before it has passed through a human body. Actually, the "why" isn't even important in that case, just knowing that simple truth.

My little girl is growing up rapidly. If I've given anyone the idea that she may not be the sharpest tool in the box then let me set the record straight. She is not a tool. In recent scientific experiments conducted on a random sample of two children, she was the only one who was successfully able to complete all the activities involving memory, fine and gross motor skills and problem solving. She remembered where the chololate frogs were, she dragged a chair over to the pantry, opened the little packets, ate all the frogs, put everything back and managed to convince DW that I had eaten them. Now that's bright... and cunning.

The other kid fell over from a sitting position. He also doesn't know poop from apple sauce.

So what about the party? Well, the first thing I would suggest when having a party for a four year old on their birthday is to prepare yourself physically and mentally. It will be a busy day so go to bed early and get lots of sleep. DON'T sit up until 2am drinking red wine and playing Celebrity Nudity with your brother-in-law. I know I wouldn't. Also, remember that daylight isn't technically required for the day to start so an early rise is assured. The rest is a blur. If your have prepared well, then you just have to make it until bedtime that night. If you haven't prepared well, the same is true. Remember, its a blur either way.

I gave my little princess one of those el cheapo mini digital cameras because she just loves taking pictures. These things are great because they cost so little and can run on rechargeable batteries. You have to download the pictures to computer before you can see them and we now have 80 pictures of my daughter's eye. She has worked out which way to hold the camera and has already starting to express herself through her picture choices. Mostly she is saying that she has had too much red cordial and is looking for blackmail material. She can take 80 shots in about three seconds which means I don't have to bother buying her a video camera.

I mustn't be too hard on her. She managed to get several presents that were a little frustrating. She has a very pretty umbrella but it was raining too hard and she wasn't allowed to open it inside. Also her brand new totem tennis set is still in its wrapper. She got some other stuff but I can't remember it all. She had lots of lollies and cake and so did I, I'm told. She says she had a good day and I've chosen to believe her. Besides, the ACTUAL birthday party with her friends is in two days and that means more presents, and more cake, and more lollies. Fortunately DW's brother isn't coming over the night before.

Ciao!

If you are ever told to "knock yourself out", don't.