A Matter of Choice

Dear Louka, Happy birthday little dude! So now you are 7 years old, and we should probably stop calling you the 'little one' but as Dad says, he's in his 40s now and is still the little'un according to Auntie Bek so you're going to be stuck with it too. You've had a great year,  started big school and you have enjoyed it so much more than your little school.  You like going to school with Leo for the first time, and now even walking together without me.   I hope you enjoy 2nd class just as much and do even better this coming school year. What else can I say about you,  you are a contradiction - very loud and crazy and very quiet, such extreme opposites! We are proud how you talk to many more people these days, even if you don't really want to it makes such a difference when you answer questions and acknowledge the fact that you are being spoken to. Your swimming is amazing, you have definitely nailed that now, jumped straight in at the st...

Ten years of birthday letters, blog posts about parties, and birthday interviews! Our Leo is now in double digits! No birthday blog letter this year, I've still written one but I've printed it off along with all the previous years and will be giving them all to him when he gets home from school today. Not too old for the themed party though - it was Pokemon this year (at the time of writing it is still in planning )   Going on last years birthday blog fail, I may or may not write about it!   I realised I'd missed the post party blog only last week and wrote a very belated birthday post. It's fine, May is crazy month and with work, kids and businesses it's amazing I've even written this! Happy birthday to my (not so) little Leo! 

Dear Louka, Happy 6th birthday little dude! I should probably stop calling you the little one - I know you are not that little any more! A big year for you this year - you finished Prodimodiki (pre-school) and in 2 weeks time you move up to first grade and start your new school with your brother who will be going into fourth grade.  I really hope you enjoy school as much as Leo, and settle in well.   You are very excited at the moment anyway. This year you have changed a lot, so chatty and funny at home and you are much more of an equal to Leo when you play these days.  You have got so much better with playing games, and not always winning,  unless you play Leo, when you are more likely to get upset by losing.   It's like you don't mind not to win, as long as you are not losing to him! Your love of this year has been football, ever since you watched the World Cup with Dad.  I love your conviction that one day you wi...

Happy 9th birthday gorgeous boy! For the last 8 years I have written you a letter and published it on my blog, on your birthday. This year it seems a bit silly to do it as I've not blogged for a long time yet on the other hand it seems wrong to break the tradition. So instead I will not publish your birthday letter,  it's for you after all and not the world. I know one day you might not thank me for all the times you've been mentioned on here, I hope you'll forgive me!  Just be thankful that I at least thought it through a little bit and I never put on photos on you in the bath! Of course I have no need to wish you a happy birthday online as I will do doing so in that crazy thing we call real life but as you have grown up with this blog I couldn't let it go! Love you Leo mou!

Happy Birthday Louka mou! You are five years old!  I know you have been looking forward to this day for such a long time,   I think you were talking about it even before Leo's birthday this year! I'm writing this post for you on the 24th,  and you've just gone to bed full of excitement that it is just one more sleep.  As I gave you a cuddle,  I said I was cuddling my 4 year old Louka for the last time, and you asked me if I was sad.   I replied,  of course not because tomorrow I can cuddle my 5 year old Louka, you gave me a big smile and said 'yes that's 'much more better'. Every year when I write these birthday letters to you and your brother I try to think back over the year and how you've changed. It kind of sneaks up on me as it seems that when it happens it's a very sudden thing,  and I hadn't realised the little things that change along the way. You are totally crazy,  I've said many times over the years that Leo is...

Dear Leo, Happy 8th Birthday!   I know it's a couple a days early but as it's party day today I decided that the celebrations start here! Every year when I write your birthday letter I can't believe how fast your birthday has come round again.  I know for you it seems a long time since your 7th birthday and I remember how far apart my birthdays seemed when I was a kid,  but it seems to go quicker each year for me now.  I remember each of your birthdays so well, and it doesn't feel like it could be 7 years ago that you had your very first party! I hope you have enjoyed being 7,  and that you will have many good memories from the year. You have now nearly finished your 2nd year at school and I'm so pleased that you enjoy school and being with your friends.  I know that you're not a fan of the homework, but most people aren't, its just one of those things you have to get on with. You probably can't even remember many of the things we've d...

Dear Louka,  Now you are four!!   Happy Birthday little man! The day has come, today is your birthday!   You have waited such a long time for your special day haven't you, asking so many times when it would be your turn but we are finally here, you are now four years old! I loved it when you said last week with such awe and wonder ' I just can't believe it when it will be my birthday'  like you could never imagine that it would finally come.  You don't remember your birthday last year so it must be so much more exciting for you after seeing Leo's and everyone elses come and go over the last year.  You have changed so much in the last year,  your vocabulary and general knowledge have increased dramatically.   You have done brilliantly with your swimming, being able to swim a short distance without your arm bands, and even swimming underwater to pick up toys! The skill you have at playing the wii astounds me,  not on...

Dear Leo, I hope you had a very happy birthday, we had a very busy weekend of celebrations this year!  You all seemed to have great fun at your Star Wars Party and we had a lovely family BBQ afternoon on Sunday - with 'Daddy's Yummy Chicken' and halloumi and pringles at your special request! Starting First Class The biggest milestone for you this year was starting big school and going into first class. It took you several weeks to get used to it as it was a big change but you love your teacher Loukia and now have lots of friends at school.  You are very good at your lessons, especially maths and your Greek language is amazing.  I am so proud of how well you speak and understand the language. Homework is still a challenge for you, although you very good at it when you put your mind to it, you still need quite a lot of encouragement to get on with it! English lessons are your least favourite thing about school, as naturally you find them far too easy! You ...

Dear Loukas, Happy birthday!! Yes, today is your birthday, finally after such a long long wait for you. I think you have asked us everyday since Leo's birthday back in May and got more frustrated as Nana's, Grandads and Daddy's birthdays came and went,    now it's your turn though and I hope you enjoy it! This year you started school, and although you didn't always want to go it has helped you and your confidence so much, not to mention teaching you your first bits of Greek.  You took part in your school Olympics and did so well, running with your friends and joining in with all the activities while we cheered you on from the side,  Leo was particularly proud of his little brother. You ended your short time at nursery by taking part in the school play where you played a little Chinese boy.  We had no idea how it would go as you always seemed so shy at school and I didn't know if you would take part or refuse to join in.  You were of course brilli...

Dear Leonidas..... You wouldn't have known that I have written you a blog post every year since your first birthday but I realised that this year you would understand them for the first time! Now you are one.... At two years old Three years old Four years old Five years old. Of course, today's the day you turn six, it's your birthday today, and that means it's party time!  I think I may be just as excited as you are this year and I am really looking forward to it - I hope you enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed planning it! Now you are six It's been a busy year for us hasn't it, with our new family business starting up and Daddy and I doing lots of work, I know you sometimes don't like the fact we have lots to do but you are becoming a good helper and I love that you are enjoying using your camera and want to work with Daddy when you are bigger. You are doing so well at school, and I am looking forward to seei...

Happy Birthday Louka mou, Today you are two years old!  I'm not sure if you really understand what your birthday means but I know every time it's been mentioned you say 'party?'  which is closely followed by 'cake?'so  I can assure you we will indeed be having a party today and there will definitely be cake. You are a real little character now, with an ever increasing vocabulary. We can understand lots of what you say now, and Leo is even better at working out what you'd like than we are. Speaking of 'your Leo' we are all pleased you have finally started calling him by the right name.  It's been a mystery to us all why you've insisted on calling him 'Mordy' for so long. As entertaining as it was it drove Leo crazy and left us all wondering why you refused to even try and say 'Leo' when you attempt to say pretty much anything else! You are just on the verge of putting all your words together to make sentences now and...