Whirlwind

(54) parents

LIBBY

***

"Daddy, stand still!"

I see Bentley smack Jasper on his head as he keeps trying to move, grimacing. She's just learned to tie, for her first day of school, after practicing for weeks, and he is being a guinea pig tonight. And he looks so adorable. I know how much he hates having a tie on, and I've told Bentley that, which only made her want to do it more. And I bloody love her for it.

"Are you not done yet?" He asks, trying to tickle her, but she just smacks his head again. He feigns mortal injury but Bentley ignores him and I have to cover my mouth to stop myself from laughing.

Jasper's book launch for his third book is tonight and we're all heading out this time; our first proper outing as a family. And unfortunately for Jasper, it's black tie. But seeing as he absolutely loathes wearing any form of tie, and they know he'll probably cause a scene, they've allowed him a normal tie. And he is letting Bentley tie it because it's her first outing ever.

Bentley, who is now four, is one of the most incredible children. And I'm not just saying that because she's my daughter. She truly is.

She's so smart. She's so unbelievably smart that it completely shocks me. She's reading big books already - Jasper is reading Lord of the Rings with her - she is very well-behaved, mostly, and she has the most adorable little personality. Although that also comes with a pretty nasty temper. I mean, she's Jasper's offspring so of course she has a temper. But she's also got talent too, and neither of us understand where some of it comes from, because it's certainly not us.

She bakes with Mum whenever they come round, and she's starting to get into football, as well as still doing her ballet. Jasper nearly cried when he went to her first dance show, and he was the proudest father up the front filming her in her adorable bear costume. To be honest I was already crying, but since becoming a mum I now cry pretty much all the time, so Jasper didn't really notice. It comes with the territory.

She's got the best of both of us. She's got Jasper's unruly, curly brown hair now that she's a bit older, but she's kept her beautiful blue eyes. She's got my patience, but also Jasper's temper, and she's also got Jasper's ridiculous sense of humour. The two of them together make me crease with laughter. But what I also love is that she has a twang of both of our accents. She's still learning new words, but sometimes she says them in American and sometimes in British. It's so cute.

But right now, she's dressed up in a beautiful little blue dress, a sparkly one chosen especially, with white tights and a small white cardigan. This was all to be matched with a pair of sparkly Toms and her favourite cream coat, which I already know will be mucky by the time we get home later. I'd already dry-cleaned it for the occasion.

"Come on, Benny," Jasper says impatiently as he watches her concentrate. She has her tongue between her teeth, and I see him pull a face at me, telling me he thinks it is unbelievably cute. But that's our daughter; cute, through and through. And she definitely has both of us wrapped around her little finger.

"You must be done by now!" He smiles and she joins him, standing back to survey her work. Looking at it, she's tied it better than he ever does.

He lurches forward unexpectedly to grab her and she giggles as he stands and starts spinning her upside down by her ankles. She's squealing by the time he puts her down.