Birthdays Are The Best

Hello!

How are you doing? What’s new?

It was Little Miss’s birthday last week and, you’re not gonna believe this but she turned twelve. Yes! Twelve years old! It’s actually crazy looking at my sassy, funny, beautiful girl and remembering how cautious she was when trying to walk. Older Miss was in a rush to do everything and was walking at nine months. LM, however was almost fourteen months before she finally decided she was ready to let go of the furniture or my hand.

So, what did LM want for her birthday, I hear you ask? Books, and – a sleepover with some friends. Yay…

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m all for my children creating memories and doing fun things BUT, I’m a homebody. I change into my PJ’s or lounge-wear as soon as I get in. If my hair’s a mess, no one cares. But if I’ve got guests coming then it has to be the right lounge-wear – not the ones that are really, really comfy but bobbly and pilling. My hair can NOT be a mess and neither can anything else. So, this would be a fun, relaxing evening for LM. Not so much for me…

After a couple of weeks of planning, the big day arrived. Three out of the five who were invited could make it. We’ll call them Friends A, B and C. Friend A came back with LM straight from school, carrying a can of Texas BBQ flavoured crisps (her favourite, apparently). Friend B arrived a bit later, dropped off by her mum whose birthday was that day but she seemed more excited than Friend B about the sleepover.

Friend C arrived last and immediately reddened as she walked in the door. She was the only attendee from LM’s old school and when invited, her mum replied that she thought her daughter would want to come but might be a bit scared as she would only know LM. It turned out Friend C didn’t know her mum had said that and it made her even more determined to come. As one former shy girl I say hats off to her because I likely would have made every excuse in the book to get out of that party. Friend C looked completely terrified for most of the evening but at least she came.

They settled in, chatting and laughing when me or OM weren’t in the room but would quieten down when we were. If I tried to join in on a joke I was met with pity laughter. What a cheek! I’m actually quite funny!

Then there was the food. LM had made requests of all the stuff that doesn’t make a regular appearance in our house. Things like popcorn and crisps plus sugary cereal and croissants for breakfast the next day. OM had made enough brownies to feed an army and LM made cupcakes and hot chocolate bombs. I bought a load of juice for them too so, imagine my surprise when friend A said ‘I don’t drink juice’. Okay. Unexpected, but we have water, it’s fine. They had cheese and tomato pizza for dinner and barely finished them. They had one brownie each, much to OM’s annoyance and didn’t even finish one bag of popcorn between them. The crisps went untouched as did the croissants.

I eventually left them to it after they’d decided on and changed the movie they were watching for the third time having barely watched ten minutes of it.

The next day I greeted everyone with a hearty ‘Good morning all!’ and one answered me (I forget which). The other two did a quick look up and then down as if they hadn’t heard me… Friend A said she never has breakfast and continued to snack on her Texas BBQ flavoured crisps which she hadn’t shared… Friends B and C managed a little cereal but quickly left the table to reattach themselves to their phones.

Friend C played with Bubs for a bit, but Friends’ A and B looked at him – a six-year-old boy – like he was green with four arms. He has that same ‘dive right in’ kind of attitude that OM has. He will talk to anyone and he will do his best to get you to play even if you have only just met him. Alas, he couldn’t compete with the screens of A and B but luckily he had football in the morning and could escape.

Pick-up was meant to be 12pm (why I hadn’t said earlier I don’t know) but Friend B’s mum came to get her earlier as they had plans. After a lull in conversation, Friend B did the eyebrow raise, head-jerk that indicated it was time to leave. But at least there was conversation – Friend C’s mum didn’t even come to the door, just a text telling us she was outside!

Friend A’s dad arrived just after 12pm. She passed her bags to him like he was the valet and didn’t even say hello. She did however remember to say ‘Thank you for having me’ before I closed the front door and breathed a sigh of relief that it was over.

First stop – change into comfy clothes. Then I headed back into the kitchen to survey the damage. On the table, a few cups, a half eaten cupcake and an empty can of Texas BBQ crisps.

It will be a while before we do this again.

Speak soon x