The calm before the storm

The whole house is very quiet.

The husband is having a well deserved lie in and Toots spent the night at her Nana's house having a sleepover with her little friend.

Yesterday went very well. Toots enjoyed her gifts and even my mum managed to restrain herself this year so all together we only spent about 15 minutes opening presents and half of that was due to the fact my brother wrapped half a roll of sticky tape around a jigsaw puzzle.

Toots really enjoyed her day yesterday, she didn't get tired or frazzled by the attention. When she was asked to blow out the candles on the little cake my mum bought, she happily complied and laughed and cheered when she blew all four out at once.

I've spoken with my mum this morning and by all accounts the girls had a good night too.

They spent some time playing with her V Smile (from my brother, a compromise on the Wii), then they went to McDonalds for something to eat, followed by a run down to the beach as the weather was so beautiful yesterday afternoon, before arriving back at my mum's house for an evening of popcorn and the tinkerbell movie.

Then they went to bed shortly after 9.00pm. I was amazed but my mum said she could see the sleep hanging over them, by that time they simply looked exhausted.

My mum will take the two of them to the park after breakfast before taking her friend home, although they'll see each other later at her birthday party.

So I sit here. The house is quiet and I'm soaking up as much of it as possible before the party. The guest list has grown slightly so now we have ten kids and at least as many adults.

The cake is made (pain in the bum that it was), the gift bags are ready along with a little pass the parcel game. I'll chop some fruit for snacks for the kids later but for the meantime I'm just sitting here doing a bit of this and that, a bit of sewing for a friend, some knitting for Toots and trying to work out how to make a few other bits and pieces I have floating around my head.

I think I'll have another cup of coffee and just enjoy the quiet.