Now that Lyla is at school I am relishing the time spent with Theo. It’s wonderful to have him to myself and rediscover activities I used to do with only one at home. The experience of going from one to two children is quite something. With the second you have no grace period of watching This Morning during naptime, or taking a soak as they bounce about in a baby chair. On the other hand, first time round I did feel more vulnerable, particularly when a health visitor asked why I’d called my daughter LaaLaa.

Lyla’s patience for her brother has never diminished, even when he hits her over the head with a weapon of choice. Of the two, Theo has always been the force to be reckoned with- just ask my recently broken nose. Fairly surprising then that he met his match in a toddler chum who is the younger sister of one of Lyla’s best friends. Thrown together with no choice due to a pair of mothers in need of chocolate and a cuppa, Theo and Alessia offer each other mutual craziness.

Alessia mainly likes to put Mr T through his paces with a series of SAS-style demonstrations. Last week’s session included a course in how to choke the enemy, i.e a child at playgroup attempting to steal your toy.

Next lesson apparently is all about the most effective way to correct anyone who gets your sister’s name wrong. That’s my girl.

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