Euro 2008 is underway. I feel slightly smug because my country's taking part, but no doubt when we get knocked out I'll wish I'd spent the summer at a loose end like England supporters.

In honour of the occasion, I took this picture:
( Nationality, football allegiance - it's all just pretty colours )

Because it's been too long since I posted some cute pictures, and because she got a funny hat out of the cuddly box and put it on all by herself, and because it made her look so sweet I reached for the camera...

( Have some pictures of Andrea )

Andrea's birthday in pictures

I left organising it far too late, so almost everyone I invited had other plans. Two people said they would try to make it but couldn't promise anything; when they didn't turn up I was left with just one definite. When she phoned to say she'd been held up, I started to wonder how bad this could get. But it all came out OK in the end. Andrea ran around like a good 'un with Emily and Will, and didn't once complain when they played with her toys, new or old.

Alison came over again, and I decided to play the expansive host and offer a pre-dinner martini. As we sat, glasses in hand, Andrea started to act up. She looked rather interested in Alison's martini glass, and to distract her, I offered her a "very special kind of martini". I poured a bit of warm water from the kettle into her cup and gave it to Alison to give to her. "There you are: a lovely kettle-martini."

After a few minutes, she started to fret again. "She wants an olive in her martini," Alison said. So I fetched a very special olive for her very special martini: the green cube from her shape sorter. I dropped it into the glass, where there wasn't enough water very special martini to float it. Alison pointed out that it was a rather large and rather square-edged olive, but experienced parents know that it's exactly the right kind of olive to put in a kettle-martini.

Later, the martinis started to take effect:

Me: I think I'm going to Freecycle these martini glasses. They're not very nice. I don't like these red stems.
Alison: Ahem. The blue stems, do you mean?
Me: Blue stems. That's what I said.
Alison: Well, I heard red. It must have Doppler-shifted.

Alison: My mum doesn't approve of oral sex.
Me: She doesn't approve of fair-trade coffee or the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals either.
Alison: So if you were to suck off a sick animal and wash it down with coffee...
Me: I thought you were going to suggest a free-coffee-and-blowjobs stand in the PSDA shop. Your idea is just gross.

Alison also took lots of pictures of Andrea. Being noisily cheerful and being noisily rather less cheerful. Having a bath complete with masses of bubbles.

I persuaded my sister to come up and keep me company for a few hours. I bribed her with curry, but she would have come anyway, such is the lure of Andrea.

She also brought her camera, and took these photos of Andrea.

(I imagine you're far too busy marvelling at Teh Cuteness to wonder what substance she's more-or-less getting in her mouth, but just in case you care I'll tell you it's courgette puree with yoghurt. That's the first cows' milk product she's eaten, so it's a record of a mini-milestone.)