Easy listening on a family day.

Lovely lie in this morning while the kids pottered up and down mainly leaving us to our own devices. They eventually gatecrashed the party and crawled into bed with me, which was rather nice, and we got to have a lovely low pressure chat. Then I realised that time was getting away from us somewhat, so while they listened to yet another of my cds, Ocean Drive, I got myself organised, and then headed into battle with Big.

I don’t know why we have to do this. I try to give her choice and control over her own clothes, and sometimes it works out, and other times it totally doesn’t. Today would be one of those other times 🙁 Still, she ended up dressed and lovely, and happy with her appearance. It took over an hour though!

Met up with most of my extended family at a Brewsters some way up the road. It was rather pleasant actually. We got around the problem of Big going out with sandals without socks by buying some Brewster slipper socks (quite impressed that they carry those tbh, and they were only charging 99p, impressed by that too!) and discovered that Small is no longer too small to go into the big play area. Wow, my little boy is growing up 😉 He proved this several times over this afternoon – made friends with the little girl at the table next to us, which was utterly adorable!, and when one of my soon to be step-nephews (really *must* draw some type of chart up of my family, I’m losing track myself, can’t imagine what the rest of you think is going on) said “I haven’t got any one to play with”, Small piped up with “I’ll play with you!” Aw, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. 😉

That little girl I mentioned had Brewster phobia – took me right back to the times I used to have to run out of places with a screaming shaking Big hiding her face in my shoulder 🙁 The mother was quite pleased to hear that my daughter had had the same problems and had grown out of them – because Big actually went and gave Brewster a cuddle tonight. Small had no such qualms, went belting off after the bear every time he appeared, shouting “hello, hello!” Sadly, this woman thought that her child was abnormal as she’d not come across anyone else who had gone through this – was very happy to reassure her that it isn’t nearly as unusual as she’d been told.

And after all that excitement, we headed back to my littlest sister’s house for cake. Children enjoyed that as well, although by the time we got home they were very tired. Big still wanted me to start a story with her – I think she wants to try out as many of my books as she can until she finds something she fancies. Tonight’s trial was Dancing Shoes, but it’s just too dense for her, meaning the size of the print and the number of words on the page. I had a bit of a hunt, and I’m surprised to discover that I don’t seem to have *any* Enid Blyton. I know I used to have, very afraid that they might be languishing in the garage, so I don’t think they will even be readable by now. Jan, if by chance you read this, might have to see if C has some she would lend?

As always, any other suggestions gratefully received 😉