Amelie woke up in the middle of last night, calling for her Mummy. Which was handy, as her Daddy didn't want to get out of bed. So I shoved Lisa out from under the duvet, and she duly headed off into Am's room to find out what all the fuss was about. When she got there, Amelie sat up in bed and said "Mummy, I need to talk to you about something".

Concerned that our daughter might be sick with worry about an important and troubling issue which was keeping her awake at 3am, Lisa asked what was on her mind. To which Amelie replied "Tigers. I don't know what they eat and drink".

Personally I'd have said "Toddlers who won't go to sleep", but as it transpired, there was no need to enter into detailed discussions in the middle of the night, because just eight hours later, she was solving the mystery for herself...


The answer's cake. And lots of it.

Amelie's due to start at the hospital nursery in January (three afternoons a week - we're not made of money), and they were holding a Christmas Fayre this morning, so with a month to go until her settling-in sessions, we decided to give the girl a head start by paying them a visit and having a nose around. It turned out to be well worth the trip. Amelie painted her own plaster of Paris Christmas tree decoration, had her face painted, acquired a temporary tattoo and won a prize in the tombola, while Lisa and I spoke to the staff, and checked out the facilities.

We were both very impressed, so frankly we can't wait for them to take Amelie off our hands next year. She feels much the same way. And I'm sure that excitement will continue... right up until she gets there in January and realises that the giant table full of cupcakes isn't a permanent fixture.