Preparation is not my strong point.

I was at Tesco at 6 am this morning. Not because of any lunacy Christmas shopping thing, but because Dave whacked me for snoring at 3.30am and I couldn't get back to sleep. Though I might as well do something useful. Tesco was dead of punters but full of crazed shelf stackers.

But that is not today's story. When you are lucky enough to have two healthy and happy kids, it's two nights before Christmas and one of them also has a birthday tomorrow, you need to develop SAS style tactics when it comes to discreet wrapping sessions and in sussing out places to hide national security gifts in a cottage with no storage. There has been some close shaves over the years, mainly during the santa mania period, circa aged 5-10. But Tess turns 11 tomorrow. And still believes a wee bit in the big old coca cola clause. But first there's a birthday to make the most of. Whether our birthday gift will live up to an 11 year olds expectations, I don't know, we await either whoops of joy or the ungrateful wines of a girl displaying teenage tendencies way before her time. Only joking, she's not that grumpy. Her genes (from her Dad) haven't fully kicked in as yet. Today we grabbed one of her pals and headed to the Beach Leisure centre where Tess, Eve and Sam had the whole pool to themselves, including wave machine, water cannon and slides. A few familes were there at the start but they drifted off home and the kids owned the pool. Back via a visit to grandma and Granda then pizza the whatever they are now doing, probably not sleeping. Another awakeover no doubt. And at 16 minutes past midnight, I'm hearing loud crashes upstairs; sam has decided to tidy his bedroom. Why? I do not know.

I made this poster for Tess' 5th birthday party at the now demolished village hall. There were huge crumbling walls in need of some homemade christmas posters. We invited about 40 kids, all in primary 1 or thereabouts and went old school jelly and ice cream and party games. That was a good day. Hope tomorrow is too.