EDITOR: I'm all ears when it comes to family traditions

On behalf of all fathers, I would like to thank the children of the region who are going to bring us breakfast in bed tomorrow and be good for the entire day.
It has been a long, hard year but it is always made completely worthwhile by those smiling cherubic faces of our children as they juggle a tray full of food as they make their way into our bedrooms.
After all, how hard can it be for children to be completely good for two days of the year _ Mothers Day and Fathers Day?
I am hoping this year's celebration is a little more relaxing than last year's one.
Coming back from a wonderful family holiday, our flight was delayed for a day meaning that many hours of Fathers Day were spent at an airport, three more hours in a plane and then several more in a bus and then a car before finally arriving home about 2am.
What made the day even more "special" was that it was also my birthday.
What an injustice, I hear you cry, birthday and Fathers Day on the same day. Yes, the phrase "ripped off" did cross my mind on a couple of occasions.
Last year's "special day" was certainly one I will never forget.
The clear "highlight" in a day of many highlights was my birthday-Fathers Day dinner.
If I remember correctly it comprised two chicken nuggets from McDonald's and a few cold chips.
In the mad rush from the delayed plane to a bus, my lovely wife quickly grabbed food for the children while I sorted out the baggage.
When she joined us on the bus, I despaired as she dished out the food, emptying the bag before she'd found anything for me.
My children took some small pity on me and as a result the chicken nuggets and chips found their way into my stomach.
It was several more hours before I located any more food and that was at a petrol station in Cambridge where I made my way through a cold toasted sandwich.
Yes, all in all, it was a big day.
Earlier this week, I heard a little competition on the radio where listeners were asked to ring in with examples of unusual things passed down from their mum or dad.
It didn't take long for my eyebrows to twitch and my ears to wiggle before I had the answer.
Yes, my Dad, who hits 79 in December, has passed down through the Nicholson generations the invaluable skill of being able to wiggle your ears while twitching your eyebrows and doing your best fish lips impersonation.
It is rather grotesque but it was a proud day when my son first started to wiggle his ears.
I remember way back when I was a kid how dad would have us all breaking down in fits of laughter as he got his face going.
Mum would grimace and tell him to stop but my siblings and I urged him to continue.
While I don't think my ears flap quite as wildly as Dad's do, I think I do a fair job in carrying on the family tradition.
And as my children grow, I trust they will put in the practise as I did so they too will develop this valuable skill.
I believe it is important to recognise Mothers Day and Fathers Day as it does make us stop for a minute and remember what our parents did, and are still doing, for us.
Over the course of our busy lives, many things are taken for granted and parents can fit into that category. But once a year we are forced to stop, think, remember and hand out the plaudits where due.
I am fortunate that I was blessed with parents who gave me the best start in life. Every generation has the chance to either continue the good lessons learned or start their own family tradition of behaviour.
I hope my children can sit back one day and think "Thanks Dad, you're the best".
If I hear that I'm even willing to forgo the breakfast in bed!