There's nothing more terrifying than a thug in a hoodie coming towards you down a dimly lit alleyway...


Although when he keeps doing impressions of The Fonz, it does takes the edge off the terror.

Anyhoo, that's Toby showing off his fancy footwork in the hallway this evening by walking on his hind legs. Which is a phrase Lisa used the other day. The encouragement comes courtesy of Amelie, who's been even more trying than usual today...

I'm not sure why the symbol of a 'nice job' is the see-no-evil monkey, but it's a church school, so they're clearly big on holy primates. The fact remains, however, that while Toby's been stringing a few steps together, Amelie's been joining up her writing. Or at least trying hard to do so. They're both such high achievers. Give them a few months and they'll be sprinting and churning out novels.

On the subject of Amelie's educational achievements, she's had a couple of rehearsals this week for next month's nativity, and whilst the rest of the class appear to be playing houses, oceans and mountains (Faith gives a moving performance in that role), Amelie's being pushed to the very limits of her thespian endurance. She's currently complaining that her arms are aching from holding the baby Jesus. He's clearly a strapping lad, and she needs God to give her strength. Or possibly a buggy.

Anyhoo, all of that aside, the biggest news of the day is that Lisa and I have now been together for exactly 9½ years. So another six months, and we'll be eligible for parole. By happy coincidence, I've taken Monday off work so that we can celebrate with a long weekend and a meal/concert combo on Sunday. It's officially my birthday present from Lisa, but I'd rather focus on our relationship than my age, so I'm letting her share it with me. And frankly I can't wait. It's been a decade to remember, and I love her very, very much.