Birthdays!

On Friday, Lady was 9. Yesterday, Gordon's mum was 80. It's been birthday season round here.

Lady wanted to have her party on Saturday and have a family day on Friday. We all went for lunch at Mc's (her choice) then on to one of those indoor play centres. They scampered and climbed and jumped for an hour. Duncan really resisted going in at first, since we'd never been to that particular place before. I asked him if he wanted to just go in to watch Lady and Thomas, which he did. Then he saw a 'Tweenies' ride on toy, which he examined for a while, then a vending machine, reminding him of the vending machine on one of their PC learning games, since he repeated the dialogue about 'entering the exact change'. Soon he was off running, though he stopped every few minutes beside the vending machine, and before we left I gave him some money to buy a bag of sweets. He knew just how to use it too!

That evening, the 'summer ball' (ie dinner and disco) organised by some gregarious folk at Gordon's work was held. We both went, and it's the first time I've met some of his colleagues. It was a good night out too. I think a few people were somewhat surprised to see Gordon dance, having pegged him as some kind of swotty professor type (which he is) but he's also big into his music. It's not as easy to categorise people as it might appear!

We had several friends over for the party on Saturday, and the children all enjoyed themselves, despite the rotten wet weather. (Lady was out dancing barefoot in the rain by the end of the day!) A new friend she met at summer scheme was the only child there not home-educated. Two sets of school going friends couldn't make it. Some of our grown up (well they act that way most of the time) friends were there too so we wiled the afternoon away, eating and chatting. I especially enjoyed playing with little A, just turned 2, and utterly gorgeous.

We took it easy on Sunday, after all those revelries. We went out for a walk on Sunday only to be caught in the rain. No surprises there! In the evening, Lady and I went ice-skating. We last went about 2 years ago and she never made it onto the ice at all. Now however, she was great. I however, fell over 3 times and drove home with a wet backside!

There were more celebrations on Monday. Gordon's mum was 80, though she really doesn't look it. We went into Belfast for dinner at the Merchant House hotel. The restaurant there is bonkers! It looks like a bit of Versailles in the middle of Belfast; gilt and cherubs and a huge chandelier. It was fabulous. E. loved it. Moreover, the meal was wonderful, so it was a lovely, special night. I'd made a little cake which the children helped me to decorate, so we did the cake ceremony in her house before going home. M, our NAS befriender, babysat.

Also celebrating her birthday yesterday, was my step-sister G. She lives in England, and is due to have her much longed for baby any day now. My dad and her mum are over for a few weeks for the big event. So birthday waves across the Irish Sea to G. too!