Birthday celebrations

Mia turns five tomorrow and starts school. We (I) decided to have the birthday celebrations today (Sunday) so she could really enjoy all the gifts and the people around her. I tried to get away without the party we did last year for both Mia and Josh, but Mia kept mentioning a party...So today her grandparents arrived with a beautiful pink number 5 cake and I invited my friend and her 2 daughters (10 and 12) round. We all had lunch together which was an informal affair with nice bread, avocado, ham, tomato, lettuce, blue cheese, brie, olives, crisps, sundried tomatoes... just pile it on and make your own. At teatime Carolyn and her 2 daughters (5 and 3) came round for tea and cake and played really well, so it was all good. They left and slowly things slowed down so I could start thinking about dinner! Maria and her kids went home and it was just us and the grandparents for a bbq dinner. Baked potatoes, lamb chops and salad. Lovely. All in all a really easy, relaxed but busy day in celebration of my little girl turning 5. She received lovely gifts from friends and family alike and is fast asleep now, dreaming of school and walking on the moon.

Joshka also got a present to open so he didn't feel completely left out. His stickers were all over his arms before he'd even had breakfast. Both children enjoyed his lifelike rubber snake...but the most successful gift of the day was probably a $5 pretend camera that says "smile" and "you look as pretty as a princess" and "say cheese!" in the voice of Disney's Ariel the mermaid. Ariel branding too. It was talking all day today and taking lots of cheesy photographs.

Time now to flop in front of tv with Ben and let the dishwasher do it's thing.