Diary of a Gay Dad. I am a full time dad to five young children.

Well Sunday night ended with a ‘Mock Chicken Roast’ That is pre-Roast Chicken heated in gravy, deep fried potatoes (not roast in the oven), glazed carrots, broccoli and petite pois a la Franchise. The children loved it. Things are getting much better at the dinner table for sure. Their slightly heightened table manners might have had something to do with a slice of the home made Birthday cake I baked to celebrate daddy’s birthday that afternoon. We ate half of the cake yesterday and saved the second half for this evening. His birthday is actually tomorrow, so we’re going to meet up in London after John finishes work (In the West End) and dine at J Sheeky’s. Table booked for 8pm and Sindy our nanny is doing a sleepover with the children.

It’s late and the little ones have only just now fallen silent. John is working late and I am sat with the dogs watching Netflix. Potatoes boiling and I’m extending that chicken for just one more night – mashed potatoes with plenty of butter, seasoning and double cream (the only way) and the remnants of last nights peas and French beans with butter and garlic. Just how they used to serve them the the old ‘Conran restaurants’, Quaglinos, Blue Bird, etc. We used to dine out in the early days a lot. But that seems like a lifetime ago now, once a fortnight is our regular gastro gorge nowadays. Well I have to head to the kitchen as those spuds need tending to and John will be home shortly. Looking forward to tomorrow though, when I can be waited on! Best not forget my credit card…

Thor and I cant stop laughing 😂 whilst Aaliyah is looking on, frowning at us… lol

Hmmmm! So what’s been going on in our lives of recent? Caleb has been constantly spilling his drink at the dinner table. Aaliyah has by and large been well behaved (no biting or screaming) and Thor has been extremely naughty at preschool. The all day one he attends on a Thursday almost called us to ask us to bring him home! Lucky they did not and allowed him to continue until 3pm, but to almost be excluded from preschool, come on Thor, you gotta buck up to the challenges of life and do some growing up! You know, there has never once been a day without some shouting and screaming. Not a single day without some major incident happening. I keep telling him that now that he is four years old, he has to settle down a little, but he doesn’t like to listen to anything. Let alone analyse what is being asked of him. He is shouting a lot more at the moment. He is mostly talking sense, but he has to talk as loud as he possibly can. The iPad (kindle fire) he got for his birthday has hardly been looked at. Aaliyah on the other hand was given Amritsar’s old one and asks for it more often. She engages with the games with relatively little assistance from Amritsar. Good for her – figuring things out for herself. Caleb’s diction is slowly improving. A long way to go before he is up to speed though. No ‘poop’ incidents of recent, but never say never! He’s tried to communicate ‘potty’ a few times, he gets the implication of what to do, but just sits there and if there was a small wee wee from Aaliyah or Thor (that we didn’t flush immediately) sitting in there, he tries to claim it as his own. But I know better! Thor and Aaliyah seldom have an accident now which is great. Though occasionally screamy and badly behaved, they are definitely on course for big school in September. Amritsar and Tara have both just enrolled in extra curricular on a Wednesday after school. This term choosing different pursuits! Tara enrolled in ‘Film Club’ and Amritsar in ‘Craft Club’. Amritsar loves being arty and a little crafty too (in the nice way). She has been persevering with sequin art since Christmas. Small pins and sequins you have to pin to a picture of sea animals. It’s very complex, even for an adult, she’s doing really well. They both also made paw patrol bead characters that needed ironing to fix the beads together. Oh my goodness, Marshall the Dalmatian character I ironed into a smudged and squished smear, much to the disapproval of Tara. I did help her remake it, but asked Sindy our nanny to do the ironing. She did so very tentatively. All are playing nicely downstairs now. Daddy has just left them for ten minutes and is sitting on the terrace, contemplating putting up a shelf for the pans in the kitchen, I just had my copper set re-tinned and they arrived on Thursday. I’m not opening the box until the shelf is up and then, as they will look so shiny and sparkly, I am not sure I will ever use them again. The old nannies started using metal utensils in them and completely ruined them – perhaps I should send them the invoice for £140 re-tinning cost! Anyhow, I’m heading back downstairs to join in the chaos that is the weekend norm. The girls are invited to yet another party at four o’clock. Every hour they are both saying – can we go to the party now… I’ll maybe update you later on today. The dogs Are chilling on the chaise staring at me as I lie here on the bed writing this (Checkout today’s image above). It’s nice when they are settled, but the moment I get up they will liven up like a couple of dervishes and ballistically follow me down the stairs. Not always a safe place as Remus loves to run between my legs – not so safe on the stairs. We’re always shouting down Remus or down Gracie if the children are descending the stairs (the dogs are always beckoned down first. But me and Remus are fine – for him walking 2 steps ahead is a game he thinks we are playing a game! Soppy dog…

What with the girls back to school and the little ones at preschool, all is back to normal. That is as normal as things can be. Very sadly the preschool the little ones attend four days a week is suffering financially and might not make it through this coming term. The head person, Amanda gave two days notice just before the beginning of the Christmas break saying that she was jumping the sinking ship. Okay, the reduction of wages may have been her ultimate realisation, but the three left ‘Holding the Fort’ are in potentially volatile times. This is a reminder that life is static – there is always change, in order to rectify imbalance. We wish them luck. So our ‘Little Ones’ continue their daily routine, however there is change upon their horizon. Today however they attend another preschool that operates from 9am until 3pm, much in line with regular schooling. It’s great that on a Thursday I really do get the day off. So today I went out to a local town Hungerford, to search for a couple of birthday gifts for Johns big day next Tuesday (yes, his birthday). A friend Richard came over for lunch and we then fled the crazy hounds and checked out the antiques shops in the centre of town. I returned home at 3.30pm and they were all home. Our nanny was feeling unwell and went off to the doctors, I hope she is in tomorrow. We then all enjoyed pizza for dinner. And got into our Jim Jams for a 7pm nite nite. All has been quite thus far. Most unlike last night where Thor tormented Daddy (John) three times with outbursts insisting there was something further (a hoop to jump through) he wanted him to do. John and I had words, he thinks that I am being cold when I say for to him ‘let him scream it out for a while’. He wants to be the best ever dad, but as you have previously heard me comment, there has to be a good cop and a bad cop and sadly John never elevates himself to take on the mantle of bad cop, so no sympathy from me when John exulted that he was tired from running up and down the stairs to ‘Entertain Thor’ and his various whims. If you’re a parent, you know how the kids will play you, you’ve just have to try to out manoeuvre them. I know there is a certain wisdom to being four years old (so Thor imagines), but come on! Parenthood can be exhausting if you let them triumph and pride themselves on having the upper hand, time after time, you’re just setting yourself up for despair. Just something to ponder on. Anyhow it is now time for bed now, so nite nite all.

This is a story of ‘Two Blokes’ really isn’t it. Two blokes at the start of it, that is! Why fatherhood you may ask? What prompted it and what changed in order to make it happen? John and I had been together for years and never considered the idea of having children. Well, we were ‘Two Blokes’ weren’t we! On the other hand, female couples have been having children for years thanks to sperm banks or a casual encounter with an understanding male friend. But come on, ‘Two Blokes’… Why? Back in the day when there was such inequality with the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) and wider communities, we didn’t even have the opportunity of marriage. When we finally tied the knot officially, there was no such thing as gay marriage, only the newly introduced ‘Civil Partnership’. That would have to do for us! We have since considered the difference of this legal union opposed to an actual marriage and to be frank, it is sufficient in our eyes that we are a couple in the eyes of the law. But this new found equality (that was long overdue) had other spin offs I guess. The law is no longer bigoted, so it is not (or should not be) frowned upon that ‘Two Blokes’, if they so wish, wanted to start a family. This is the outcome of equality isn’t it? And so we went on to achieve just that. I have previously brought up this subject in my diary, but it is a theme that is intrinsic to the ultimate outcome and why we are now a full and happy household of ten, if you include our two dogs and full time nanny. Who’d have thought that just a few years ago. Our neighbour in London, Karen thought that I hated children. This was probably brought on by the fact that she had two rug rats and I don’t remember ever really chatting ‘children’ with her. I smiled and said hello to her two little ones, but that was that. I guess she presumed we were annoyed with the constant buggy situation in the shared landing, but we never said anything. One year her brother couldn’t make it to hers to dress as Santa on Christmas Eve and walk down the road with a sack on his back whilst her then four and five year olds looked down from the balcony screaming ‘Santa, it’s Santa’. She asked me to step in and I reluctantly did so with just a little personal embarrassment. Very good training for my little elf story I guess. In hindsight it did make me smile, though even at that point, John and I had not discussed having our own children. That all happened a short while later after seeing a documentary called ‘Made in India’. I have mentioned this for sure, but I am just reiterating that a few small prompts set us out on our journey to fatherhood. We found a common ground and progressed forward as a couple. What we did and how we went about making things happen weren’t simple things, but we believed that ‘Our Journey’ was well worth the complexity and dare I say anxiety of it all. So here we have it! Just ‘Two Blokes’ and a household full of happiness (and quite a few screams).

Well, all off to school like clockwork and the girls just back from school coveting A5 puzzle books for colouring in and full of stickers – oh joy! I have been in the kitchen, pretty much all day. After yesterday’s puttanesca and Bakewell tart, I made a regular bolognese sauce from scratch (using ground pork), turkey and ham pie with Sunday’s remnants of the final Christmas meats (my own pastry), a deep filled beef pie, stuffed with 3 hour braised beef, Jumbo red shrimp Thermidor, two cauliflower cheeses and I am now marinating four skinless chicken thighs in the holy trinity of spices (garlic, ginger, chilli) and a madras spice combo. Rice and gravy (pre made curry sauce) defrosting, I think we’re all set for this weeks menu.

If there is anything better than cooking your own food from scratch – it’s eating it!

Okay – last year (or rather the year before) John and I were asked to be the Xmas Elves at Santa’s Grotto at the girls school. We were accompanied by another parent, Anthea whose son is in the same year – she was brilliant, as were all of the other parents that made last years Grotto (or rather the year before’s) festivity’s and fund raising such a success. One year and a bit belated, a big pat on the back to everyone who gave selflessly. And a round of applause to all of Santa’s Elves who raised money for the schools coffers this year – sorry, now last year!

I am now going to move on! And so begins new adventures and a completely new year to unravel. Did any of that make a modicum of sense – back to a more general diary tomorrow.

Well, with twelfth Night upon us and the Christmas decorations down, I have chosen to begin my diary entries again. To be honest, holidays are holidays aren’t they? For you and for us, I thought it only right to take a few days out and await the Epiphany, the official end of the Christmas holidays. I believe this point represents the arrival of the Wise Men at the birthplace of JC in Bethlehem. I also did not want to preach to you about any New Year resolutions as to be quite honest, there aren’t any this year. That is unless I mention that we’ve all got room for improvement don’t we? And that is something that we should be working on constantly throughout each and every day, year on year, throughout our lives.

The decorations now replaced in the cupboard at the top of the stairs, our living room looks less ornate, but back to its familiar, comforting warmth. With school restarting tomorrow, things are well and truly feeling back to normal. I am sure that traditions shouldn’t always be enacted to the word, but the feast we are looking forward to this evening is our ‘Feast of the Epiphany’ and I have salvaged the remaining turkey breast, ham and last of the Brussel sprouts from the freezer. Bon appetite and Happy New Year to all on this, the ‘Twelfth Night’ of Christmas.

An appropriate heading for this, the final day of this year. How was yours? What was good? What happened that you would you like to change? What is worth persevering with? What would you like to do that is new? And what would you like to stop doing altogether? These are age old questions at a time of reflection. All of that aside, today’s diary entry is all about (and I’m being selfish here), this is about what I am proud of and what’s been accomplished for me in 2018!

This time last year, my life was very much more, a private affair. Who would have thought that by the end of the year, I would be three months in to writing an online diary, pretty much showing openly, a little slice of my family life, here in The Shires. Back then my (historical) memoir was written and I was organising the timeline into a readable novel. But the book was something that I was reflecting on. My present day life seemed to be separate to what the history was of how two guys set about making a family and about the choices they made and how they were committed to seeing things through, even when the ending or endings came with a certain toll. I realise now, that like all books and stories, the life I am living comes with a beginning, a middle and an end. The novel is merely the beginning of ‘This Story’. I completed the novel in August, so for me, this year has been fruitful. Rather than eighteen months of memories spanning three and a half years, I had something tangible, a chronological order to the things that had happened over that period of time. At the present moment, having moved on, I am just considering the last twelve months. Only three of these months recorded in this diary, but I can assure you that I am proud of each and every single month over the last year. The end of my story will always be tomorrow – thankfully another day, one yet to come. I realise that it’s the middle of a story where you find the real backbone. As a family, these last twelve months have had their accomplishments and setbacks, but we have all moved forward. And moving forward is achievement. So tonight at midnight, I will raise my glass to moving forward… will you toast the same with me?

Okay, it’s been a long holiday and quite honestly, exhausting, yet invigorating. Today we had another late night invasion of the living room (5 nights running now), but the reason was not Caleb removing his nappy and smearing the contents over his bed, rather Thor had removed his and rubbed his little smear of poo over the ‘Paw Patroller’ (you need to have little ones who watch paw patrol to understand what that is)! I went up and managed to clear up a little of the mayhem (with baby wipes), that had kept them up until after 9pm. But I had to scorn them when Aaliyah simply threw her empty nappy at me and marched off to her bed! Well there’s gratitude. Tara and Amritsar should also know better at their age.

Enough said, all is quite upstairs now. I will now recount last night and why they were justified in staying up late. We had our babysitter Nikki booked in for 8pm and though we were going to watch fireworks over the neighbours hedge from 8pm. Our table at our relatively local, favourite Michelin started restaurant was booked for 8.45pm. Nikki arrived, as did one of our neighbours, back from Christmas in France, as we all stood, all five children in their Jim Jams, slippers and dressing gowns at the front door, a mass of hysteria happened on the lawn in front of the house and our not so famous five ended up covered in mud, well dressing gowns and slippers at least. The fireworks didn’t happen and we had to flee in order to get to the restaurant for our allotted time. Thank you Nikki for getting them up to bed. The meal was great, though yet again I chose the rib eye steak and triple cooked chips. I always frown at a menu when you end up ordering the steak option. Their menu certainly deserves the Michelin star, but the butternut squash risotto simply didn’t appeal. You know what it’s like!

Talking of food – WOW! Tonight’s dinner of spaghetti and meatballs using 50% pork and 50% finely diced brown turkey meat was sublime. Only breadcrumbs, fresh herbs and seasoning added. Please reassess turkey leftovers and consider meatballs (or meatloaf) as a real option? Maybe next year at least. On Christmas Day I immediately froze the two turkey legs, simply because that way, you get to choose what to do with them considerately at a later date. And today my regular meatball recipe just slightly tweaked, as I realised the perfect ‘turkey leftovers’ dilemma we are all faced with year after year. Just make sure you roll the meatballs as small as a chocolate truffle? Time well spent and practice makes perfect. The taste (opposed to using pork alone) was amplified and I didn’t even think I was consuming turkey leftovers as the texture was soft and tender. Job well done. Off to bed now, signing off.

The time is now 9.45am and the children are still in their rooms! Not so silent as Tara and Amritsar are shouting and the magnitude of Thor’s mighty thunder can be heard from all the way down here in the living room. I guess they will be down soon enough, to toasted raisin and cinnamon bagels, but this I have noted is the latest time ever that they have remained, self amusing in their bedrooms. Remus is besides himself whimpering and whining, in preparation for their arrival and Gracie is sitting beside me looking very chilled out. I promised John a toasted cheese sandwich, butter side out and toasted on a hot skillet. He’s getting more insistent that we forget about their arrival and I just make the promised Cheese toasties without them. I’ll fill you in on why they are no doubt up so late a little later and get ‘Toasting in the Kitchen’.

9.55 and the girls have arrived, Amritsar saying ‘oooh oooh aaah aaah’, clutching her soft toy monkey from babyhood and Tara clutching Kit Koala, her favourite soft toy who sleeps with her every night. A gift also from babyhood from her Auntie Kylie and Uncle Paul, who live in Australia. Aaliyah has dropped her new soft Dalmatian toy in favour of hugging Gracie, the real McCoy, who is lying down bedside them.

This years cutest moment has to be last Friday as we drove home from Wimbledon, after dinner with Liz. Every house that was externally adorned with Christmas lights, was duly commented on from the back seat by Caleb. A softly spoken ‘Kimmah Ligh’ would resonate every time we passed a festively Illuminated building. Every few minutes that passed, ‘Kimmah Ligh’, ’Kimmah Ligh’, ‘Kimmah Ligh’. In the end we were all playing the game, not just Caleb. So now I think of ‘Kimmah Ligh’ and smile to myself.

Along side the homemade Xmas rated (pear, rum and raisin) Jam (a neighbour Sandra grabbed the last three jars before heading to be with family in France for the holidays), a few of these festive, visual or gastronomic delights seem to be a bit naughty as well! The slurry of Christmas movies we have subjected ourselves to, let alone the slightly boozy puds and exotic meats, well I will say again, I am truly Christmassed out. Mind you, Laura Linney’s looking good in ‘Love Actually’! Remember ‘The tales of the City’? A classic from channel fours past, best not forgotten… This year our pigs in blankets were actually chickens in blankets – don’t tell anyone. Our turkey actually had a name, Kelly (bronze) and the bird arrived with exact cooking instructions plus a thermometer and a box of maldon sea salt. I shared a video of Xmas lunch, so you might remember that it was in the whole, a straightforward affair. However we continued to feast on Kelly and the large joint of ham with a second ‘Mock Roasty’ on Boxing Day. Why go with the cold cuts and pickles when for the sake of deep frying some cooked, peeled potatoes (microwaved) and as I always do, heat pre blanched vegetables, glaze the pre cooked carrots in sugar, a splash of water, butter and a pinch of salt and microwave blanched green beans, cauliflower or whatever. Peas easily cooked from frozen. A second ‘Mock Roasty’ is so easy at this point. Slice the meat cold and reheat in the gravy. Save the cold cuts for the 27th as we did. Turkey breast, gammon ham, cheddar, Stilton, branston (or home made pickle), cornichons / gherkins, baby beets and buttered baguette, the only word for it is ‘Wow’. Okay the slurry comes in the choices of Xmas movies, certainly not the food. We’ve had chitty chitty bang bang, which the children loved (hated it last year), Charlie and the chocolate factory, The Wizard of Oz and for us grown ups we’ve entertained ‘The Holiday’, ‘New Years Eve’, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ and most recently, ‘Love Actually’. At this very moment we are enjoying the BBC’s new rendition of ‘Poirot’ – isn’t John Malcovich a rare talent?

One small ‘Q and A’. What did I do with the rest of Kelly the turkey and the ham joint? The freezer of course, as it won’t last until New Year’s Day. Nestling besides the frozen turkey gravy and the last of the blanched sprouts! Carrots don’t freeze well, so we’ll steam and glaze them on the day.

Moral dilemma tonight as we had veal escalopes. I last enjoyed veal many years ago when minced veal was just £1.00 per lb. the purchase was mostly based on price back then, the ethics of cost I guess, not about the age of animal at slaughter. But tonight’s indulgence was just shy of £30 per kilo. Wow – have we stopped selling the entire male population of male calf births (in the U.K. and Ireland) to our French cousins? I hope that Veal is back on the menu here at home, as so many livestock farmers benefit from the less discounted sales price with a real market lead by demand. We try and be honest and open with the children about why farm animals exist, it is all a diplomatic consideration, just enough info to warrant why things are so…

Okay it’s getting late and almost time to say goodbye to Xmas and welcome in the New Year. A few words from me, maybe over the weekend, but for now, ‘Au Revoir’.

Our very first snowman was made one year ago today! Doesn’t time fly by?

With Seasonal Thanks to ‘Elf Yourself’.

A week long weekend, that’s how this time of year feels. And to imagine, another five days of it, I’m yawning as I write. I’ve just snuck off to the bedroom and left them all downstairs, now running amuck! They were settled with ‘Team Umizoomi’ on Netflix, but with attention spans of newts, they are now terrorising daddy, who is trying to play candy crush on his iPad. We started watching ‘Team Umizoomi’ on Nick Jr whilst the girls were babies and we lived in an apartment in Jogeshwari, Mumbai. Of course as babies, Amritsar and Tara would just look up at the screen and smile. They would be tightly swaddled and were the best behaved babies ever. We watch the program now, on occasion as a family and they join in with all the bits that there was once only silence. When the characters (Millie, Geo and Bott) ask questions or are looking for answers, they ask the audience. It’s so much better that a year or two back when all five would just look up and remain silent. They shout back to the TV as if they are all personally involved. It’s good to have them all figuring things out and interacting together. As you can imagine with five, it was hard work when they all needed maximum nurture and they just looked up at you and smiled or ran around, completely mindlessly. Now, although still loud and screamy, they are at least their own persons. Many outbreaks from Thor and Aaliyah over the last days. Even Mrs Snodgrass was called on the telephone last night as Aaliyah was so badly behaved. Her school for ‘Naughty Girls’ was threatened and Aaliyah has promised she really wants to be a good girl. She now has a few days to prove that she can be a good girl. Naughty schools new term starts on Monday and Aaliyah was told that she would have to pack a bag as the school is a boarding school. Aaliyah is trying hard to be good now. Naughty school is just a fiction and used every now and then to steer Aaliyah on the right path. Thor on the other hand is still a bit too ballistic to comprehend ‘Naughty School’ and it’s implications. We just have to rely on the threat of the ‘Thinking Chair’ or bed as the the ultimate threat. The dogs are now sat in front of me, looking up silently. The occasional whine from Remus. I never really get any time to myself, except the time I spend in London every fortnight. I should be grateful, I’m never alone. Better rejoin the masses now and head downstairs. I might blog again later and tell you a bit more about how our Christmas has been.

The Elves have just left. Wow, they’re all in for a BIG surprise…

Far too busy to blog yesterday, so a little catch up on the latest, in today’s diary addition. Yes, Thor’s Birthday way yesterday and the day flew by, much as a station does on a fast train, not stopping there. So remembering yesterday’s events is a bit of a blur, partially down to the mulled wine, but primarily due to constant din of not just five children, but rather twenty five. Sindy and her sister Sally were great! From midday til two o’clock, they made sandwiches and stuffed yellow cardboard lunch boxes with ham and jam sandwiches, pombears, mini sausages, miniature tomatoes and a Cadbury’s chocolate roll. whilst I made the mulled wine to offer to the parents attending the party. The village Hall was a decked with minion balloons and table cloths. The theme, Thor’s favourite ever, was crowned off with a minion Birthday cake. He was wearing his new minion jacket and is at present, looking on as Daddy, Amritsar and Tara piece together his minion 3D puzzle globe. Back to the party, there was a great magician who entertained the mass of both child and adult alike. Within a flash it was over, the hall empty and Sindy and Sally were waving us goodbye in the car park outside, car filled with five very tired children, two exhausted dads, two large bags of gifts that have been scattered to the winds in the living room throughout the day today and four bin liners of non recyclable leftovers. A very large full moon was blooming in the semi lit skies to the left hand side of the car as we drove home. The day a success and only one or two little ‘outbursts’ from our not so famous five. I have just been invited in to see the completed minion globe, they are all jubilant.

On this day, after a small break from my blog (three days), I return on this rather special astrological day. The day that is Winter Solstice and the moon is almost at the peak of its cycle. I think tomorrow is its official full blossom, but it looks big and bright in the relative clear skies above us, here in the Shires. The children went to bed late as we only arrived home at 8.30pm. There were a few very grumpy outbreaks In the car on the return journey, but we are home and things have finally settled down. Another glass of chilled Rose wine in this time of peace and quiet and yes, a memory or two from our month in Provence, throughout August. Whilst there, I actually completed my novel recounting the time we set out to become a family and all of the highs, lows, injustices and sheer bureaucracy of it all. It has been sat in the draw this whole time! Tick, tick, tick, there’s got to be an agent out there who might be interested in bringing it to a publisher, but for now, I await one specific agent who has not replied to my submission. Yes, even here in the U.K. like in India and the world throughout, there is a way that things are actually done. Agents are worth their weight in gold if they deliver well in whatever business they bargain and trade within. I found that in India, most businesses have the allusive ‘Agent’! Come on guys, even Hollywood is constructed on a ‘Middle Man’ or woman taking their cut of a deal. Well I have decided that if my preferred choice of agent is not on board, I will submit the manuscript to the myriad of publishing agents out there on mass and if in eight weeks time, there is no agent on board, self publishing is a very real possibility. Okay, back to the full moon on this, our planets shortest day. In fairness, that does give our almost full moon that little bit longer to shine!

Why were we out all day? Well, John had a ‘bring the children into work day’ as his final working day before the Christmas break. And all of those employees with children came in with their ‘little ones’. Fun was had by all and as you can imagine, not a lot of work was actually done. But everyone enjoyed the party and we were all disbanded by 1pm. We then continued on to Wimbledon for a meal with a friend of the family, Liz. She was in fact the first person I told that we were pregnant with our twins, Amritsar and Tara. That seems such a while back now. We are the proud parents to five small children. Just the thought and hopes for that first pregnancy six years ago seems eons ago. So it was lovely to see her and thank you for going to all the trouble Liz.

Thor’s fourth birthday tomorrow, so lots to include in the next instalment of the ‘Diary of a Gay Dad’.

Aren’t we all? A non stop whirlwind from dawn until dusk. How do we all cope? And then there’s more ‘chores’ for tomorrow, isn’t there? Well my day started with the children’s breakfast and once on the school run with Sindy, I completed the bauble explosion with the tree. All those memories of the little red glitter balls and spiney, glitter stars brought for John and my first Christmas together, all those years ago. But what did we accumulate along the way. China ones with the children’s hand prints. Baked glitter stars from the girls first year at big school. Papier mache bells and hand painted animal globes, a mass of felt baubles and little rabbits from Nepal. Little Thai Elephants on a string, sea shell wreaths from Hawaii. Each one a memory of a time in our lives. Christmas is such a manic time.

Wreath making this morning with Sindy. This year I don’t have time to collect foliage from the woods to make garlands. At least not at the moment. But we used the lower branches from the tree that actually touches the ceiling to make the two conifer wreaths this morning. Sindy took hers home for her front door and mine is now adorning ours. I might ‘camp it up’ at the weekend, but for now, austerely reigns. That is until you enter the living room. I guess I should attach pics, though it’s a bit late to photograph the home made wreath on the front door.

The sausage (duxelle) stuffing for Christmas Day and New Year’s Day was cooked and is now frozen, to be defrosted as needed. Beef fore ribs were slow cooked in stock and frozen for an ‘easy meal option’, plus I cooked Moroccan chicken and cous cous for the grown ups dinner tonight. The children had a pasta salad with steak sandwiches. Cooked burgers from Saturday, just sliced thinly and refried, served with salad, Dadda’s home made tomato chutney and mayonnaise. I packed up four trios of Dadda’s Jam for the girls teachers presents earlier and the Head mistress has a hand made chocolate box containing twelve chocolate dipped orangettes, as she requested a few freebies when she purchased the Xrated Xmas Jams at the Christmas Fayre. Sitting down now with a glass of rose wine thinking about bed. Memories of Provence coming back, as all we drank was rose, as they do in the south of France. A few stories I might reminisce on at a later date, but for now, just bed as I am shattered.