First name terms

Harry is a handful. From the minute he wakes up, to the moment he closes his eyes at night, he’s a bundle of energy that just doesn’t stop.

Our strategy to cope with all this energy is simple: tire him out. At the moment, this means spending as much time as possible in the garden taking part in Harry’s favourite activity – digging.

The other day, I went to get him when he woke up in the morning and his first words to me were: “Daddy, digging, outside. Now.”

He certainly likes being outdoors, although the lovely weather we’ve been enjoying lately means Melissa and I often have to chase him around the garden with the suntan lotion, which can get a bit messy. Believe me, hanging on to a determined two-year-old who’s been smothered in sun cream is a lot more difficult than it sounds.

As well as his boundless energy, Harry’s also got a wicked sense of humour. On Sunday, we were messing about in the front room and I was tickling him when he suddenly shouted: “Stop it Martin.” Now I had heard him call me Martin a couple of days earlier, but on that occasion he was just copying his mum; this time, though, it was completely unprompted.

Melissa burst out laughing, while I was left momentarily speechless. Of course, as soon as he realised he’d said something funny, Harry kept calling me Martin over and over again. His comic timing was spot on.

And it’s not just me – he’s taken to calling Melissa’s dad Terry and my dad Colin, and I’m convinced it’s just to get a laugh. Goodness knows what’s next, but we’re going to have to be very careful what we say in future.