Daisy Suzanne Allen

Born Sunday 6th March 2011

4 to 4¼ years old

Her life:  4 to 4¼ years ♥ 4¼ to 4½ years ♥ 4½ to 4¾ years ♥ 4¾ to 5 years ♥ 5th birthday ♥ 5 to 5½ years ♥ 5½ to 6 years ♥ 6th birthday ♥ 6 to 6½ years ♥ 6½ to 7 years ♥ 7th birthday ♥ 7 to 7½ years ♥ 7½ to 8 years ♥ 8th birthday ♥ 8 to 8½ years ♥ 8½ to 9 years ♥ 9th birthday

In summary:  Index ♥ From birth to four years old ♥ Four years old to nine years old ♥ Nine years old onwards

Special features:  Golden Bear (reprise) ♥ More cookery

Shortly after Daisy's 4th birthday, we popped round to Nana Sue's house in Waterdale Close (probably leaving Lynne for some well-earned chill-out time) where Daisy saw an opportunity to teach Nana Sue a dance move or two.

While we were there, Lynne painstakingly put up this map of the world on Daisy's wall.  Unfortunately, it rather ended in tears as, on our return, Daisy was in somewhat of a bad mood and, whilst expressing this physically in her bedroom, ripped off Antarctica (rendering the icy continent unsalvageable in the process).  To understate the consequences somewhat: this did not go down well with Lynne.  There may or may not have been a week-long ban on TV (this wasn't the first transgression from the tormented young four-year-old) and in fact later inspection of records suggest a week-long ban on treats and Polly Pocket too.

Daisy leads the way in drawing whilst standing up in her pyjamas, but Gregory is learning a lot by watching and joining in.

This photo, taken by Lynne while I was at work, is notable mostly because Daisy is wearing a pair of my boxer shorts.  This is not textbook.  But, y'know, I'm powerless to stop this sort of thing whilst at work (and in reality when I'm at home).

I can only presume, with the cupcake game strewn across the living room floor, that Gregory was asleep in the car.  In any case, Daisy was keen to impose her strict game rules on Uncle Matt and Aunty Katie.

I think Matt must have been helping us out with some round-the-house DIY, so I put on a fair old spread of meats, cheeses, bread and other delicatessen delights, some of which Daisy appears to have smeared on her cheek.

The slightly awkward pose of holding, and hugging, someone not that much smaller than you any more.

Occasionally, Daisy's pestering to play on the "Me game" leads me to cave (there's a reasonably chance of it ending in frustrated tears due to lack of satisfactory performance, hence my reluctance).  This is probably her favourte - and most effective - game on Wii Fit: the running game.  Free of the balance board, she has to jog on the spot whilst holding the Wii remote, then answer some observation quiz questions at the end.  Amusingly, she can't quite jog on the spot and ends up gravitating towards the TV, requiring a geographical reset every so often.

Someone's been eating chocolate... (and no, I don't know what's going on with her hair).

Easter entered and enthusiastic egg extracting ensued.

Later, we headed out into the garden for the traditional Easter egg hunt.  How on earth has one got in the chives?

We remain in early April and we were presumably going through a relatively warm patch so we hung out in the back garden.  It was either sunny or windy enough to put up the sun / wind shield.  Little monkeys, both of them.

But engaging with other people soon gave way to her tablet (the Hudl 2, tablet fans; a present from Nana Sue).

The very next day and the current athletic discrepancy is well illustrated by Daisy delighting in hurtling around the garden at full pace while Gregory sits, bum-bound, on the grass.  He's nearly 1 now, though, and it won't be long before he's tottering around.

Now this sort of general larking, specifically leaping over flower beds, should not be encouraged, but what can you do?

A visit to Heaton Park with Eva on a non-nursery weekday.

More glorious weather to enjoy our lunch in while Lynne presumably takes some time out from mothering on a Saturday (in fact, records suggest she had a hair appointment).

A week later, after a holiday in Ribby Hall, we take some time out to watch TV and have a bit of lunch (which looks like standard fare: a sandwich and some carrot sticks).

Just messing around, with a netted toy container on your head.  Good if there are any mosquitoes, I suppose.  There aren't any, though.

At the end of April, Lynne took Daisy (and Gregory) to Eureka in Halifax, where they had the opportunity to tend to an injured bear.  Always good to practice that sort of stuff.  You never quite know when you might come across an injured bear.

Eureka also offers you the opportunity, to seems, to dress in all-in-one animal costumes.

Looking pretty in pink but, it turns out, not for any specific reason.  She just likes pink dresses...

...and also raspberries on her fingers.  They didn't last long.

Daisy's slight lack of balance squares off against her new(ish) pink scooter, a birthday present from Nana Sue.  The steering mechanism is perhaps not completely untuitive - you have to lean to turn - but she has her helmet in case of any slight mishaps.

Talking of physical escapades, as Gregory got more comfortable on two legs, supported at least, Daisy was keen to play the big sister role and give him some help.

A trip to Heaton Moor beer festival with Hannah (and Shereen and John ld to an array of "smiles" and some Haribo action.

Whilst there, Daisy tried this rather precarious-looking swing.  I looked on with a mild grimace and, luckily, no accidents happened.

Ok, young lady, those drawers are not for sitting in.  But she looks so innocent and cheeky that you can't really deny her the pleasure.

On my birthday in mid-May, we headed over to Trentham Monkey Forest, where there were in fact monkeys.  (Bit of a relief.)  Daisy was certainly comfortable enough to approach them and have a bit of a chat.

But she probably had more fun doing the fairy trail in the nearby Trentham Gardens.  We can play a quick game of spot the fairy!

And posing by another fairy - this one is easier to spot.

A wander to the park at the weekend and Daisy more often than not engages in her little obstacle course routine, like the Krypton Factor but without the observation round.

Some classic big-sistering going on here, as she gives Gregory a shove in the swing.  It wouldn't have remotely fazed The Boy.  He knows no fear.

A picture in the kitchen with Daisy's spotty outfit worn due to the dancing class in the morning.  Gregory looks on a little more anxiously.

After another day out (probably at a park), lunch in Sainsbury's was enjoyed by Daisy and her friends, Eva, Blythe and Esther.

A weekend at the end of May saw some more outdoor action, with Daisy wrapping her skipping rope round the tree in the middle of the back lawn.

And that's all for this page, folks.  On to the next stage or back to the Secret Portal.