Storm approaching

Finally today the high winds we've had here since we arrived have stopped. As the house is full, we've been sleeping next door in a cottage - which has the advantage of guilt-free lie-ins, but the disadvantage of risking being blown down the hill on the way to bed. But this morning all was suddenly calm.

That made the kids even more keen to carry on building their dens in the wood, which necessarily led to an afternoon scrubbing mud off their coats for me. After a quick morning shopping trip for me and Mr B, my sister and partner arrived; and not having seen her for the longest time it was nice to catch up a bit.

Once they had left, it was onto phase two of present wrapping - for a party we're off to in London. I hope no-one inspects the wrapping too closely, as it was mostly done after a large glass of red and in a power cut. So who knows what will have it into the parcels. Just time for bath night and a dodgy haircut for Conor, and tomorrow we'll need to try and shoehorn everything back into the car for the drive part-way down England to stay with my brother.