Dear Diary....

Gawd, sorry chums. I have been really slack at blogging this last week or so. I'll give you a rundown of the past few days' interesting and exciting happenings to make up for it, if that's ok.

So. Friday. The start of The Boy's Birthday Weekend Extravanza. He had asked for a camping sleepover for his ninth birthday, but as a) I'm literally about to give birth, b) our garden isn't very big and c) my parents are wonderful human beings, Mum and Dad hosted it at their house (hurrah!).

The invasion of children began at tea time. They marauded round the garden, demolished FIVE Domino's pizzas (half price, oh yes indeed) and assorted fizzy drinks, and then my dad lit the fire and we all made s'mores again.

It was BRILLIANT. At about nine pm we got them into pjs and hussled them into the tents, and then (the best bit) I went to bed. My Dad stayed on tent watch until about midnight, which was when the Rock God got in from his gig (we had double booked, with our usual level of organisational skill <oops>) and took over.

I think they had just about gone to sleep by then, and were up with the sunrise at 5.45.

It was a very successful, minimal effort (and minimal cost) party. Highly recommended. The Boy says it was the Best Party Evah™, so high praise indeed.

Onto SATURDAY. We tried to keep it low key as The Chums were pretty much exhausted. We watched Rango, which was SO not a kids' film, but very funny. Then in the evening we all went to a party that the Rock God was playing at. The Boy spent the evening running around like a child possessed, but The Pie flaked by about 8pm, and I wasn't far behind.

Sleepy Pie

SUNDAY. It was my Aunt's 60th birthday. We were invited to a Tea Party for her, which was gorgeous. All 'Keep Calm and Carry On' and Cath Kidston prints, and scones and sarnies. Very twee, very lovely and very Aunt. I had awesome plans for a hot curry on the way home, but it turns out three jam and cream scones, six sandwiches and three cupcakes is about my limit for stuffing myself. Who knew?

Cake!

And then yesterday was The Boy's actual birthday. We got him Lego Diagon Alley, which cost about the same as a small family car and has about three million pieces. So that'll keep him occupied for the next six months. Or not. He's started building it already, which involves telling his sister to sort out all the pieces and pick up the rubbish while doing all the fun building himself. She thinks she's getting to play with him, little realising she's doing all the shitwork. He's happy, she's happy. Genius.

For dinner yesterday my very awesome mother cooked us an epic roast and all fourteen of us (four generations of family) squeezed round the two dining tables for the feast. I have to say that while my family drive me batshit crazy much of the time, I do love it when we all get together for meals. It's like The Waltons meets The Mansons. We bicker and squabble and get VERY loud, but there's a hell of a lot of love there.

Right, I have wittered enough for today, the mindees are sleeping and I have Extreme Lolling (the lazy arse kind, not the laugh out loud kind) on the sofa to be getting on with. Three more days of work after today and then I am officially on maternity leave for four weeks and will start the 'Get This Baby Out' plan in earnest.

Big love xx