weekend

Sugar and effort have stolen all my energy. I spent yesterday cleaning up the kitchen and trying to stop my darlings screaming at each other but it took all day because both tasks kept driving me to go lie down on my bed and try and sleep/finish my Terry Pratchett (which is great).

Seriously, I think I got a little sun-struck on Sunday, I was just spaced and wiped. It was a beautiful, hot day but I only went outside to hang washing out.

Saturday we went to the Point Village Market. It's really nice. Lots of great food and nice things to see - and Axel's band played, as did the Barleymob. Bodhi ran down to the stage and sat on a bench, swinging his feet and concentrating utterly. Olivia's been listening to Bell x 1 in her Room a lot recently, and when they played a cover she looked at me in delight, and said, 'I know this song!!'

She was thrilled by the fake Pandora charm stall, and I was agonising over whther or not I should buy her one, when the Juice's singer's mother swooped in and took her off to get one, and bought Bodhi a bongo drum for his birthday. Their granny also said she'd give them money to go down to the amusements, so I'm saved.

The Market is great - if it had been sunny and busier (the Festival of World Culture was on in DunLaoighre) it would have been perfect - but as it was all the traders moved their stools outside to look, people brought their food up the front to listen, and the people in the burger stand gave it loads from the first song on. Definitely a good day out.

There's a cupcake stall - they look v pretty but they don't taste very good... yes, mine are way better. Sigh.


Then on Sunday we went to the park, and it didn't rain, and the sun even came out enough to burn Axel's head and brown my nose. The kids played with giant inflated footballs and ran the dads and odfather's ragged.

The ladies sat more genteelly on the picnic blankets and I doled out food to people. It seemed like not a lot got eaten - there's this wierd thing at parties - I hate the idea of forcing food on people, but if you don't offer (and keep offering repeatedly) everyone is too shy to eat it. So as a hostess, there's an awful balancing act between trying to get rid of the food you've made/bought for people and not force feeding them or making them feel awkward. Seriously - I brought home loads - can I just say, the next party you attend, if there's food there, the hosts WANT YOU TO EAT IT. That's why they brought it. Please don't be shy, dig in.

I made two mistakes - I forgot to take photos of Bodhi blowing out his candles, and the train cake I painstakingly fashioned. And I forgot to hand out the party bags. Sigh. I need endless lists, maybe. Or that personal secretary. Part of the trouble was that Bodhi's ... energetic cousin kept running up and standing in the cake tray. I know a cake on the floor is a cake on the floor, but sheesh. He also chased Bodhi round forcibly helping to unwrap and play with every present he got. I think his parents are just tired out, and they've given up. Not so sure that's allowed, though. Ahem.

But yes, I heartily recommend the party in the park. It was lovely. I'm so grateful to everyone for coming, and for bringing such great presents. And to all the men for playing so much run around in the warm weather.

 Sadly I've sprained my wrist carrying everything down to the picnic site though. Typing now is owy. Why don't we have these in Ireland?