Zzzzzz.......

Mac's birthday. Harvesters. 9 children (including birthday boy), 9 mothers - including myself - all hellbent on flirting with the (admittedly sexy) waiter. 9 children all excitedly looking forward to huge Rocky Road ice cream dessert and ignoring the proper food. 9 mothers, half of them drinking red wine straight from the bottle, the other half clinking ice in their mango and orange drink. One waiter manfully trying to keep order. Birthday boy inconsolable as they had no croutons at the all-you-can-eat salad cart. Yours truly trying to hold an erudite and intelligent conversation but giving up half way through and joining in on the "my au pair is terrible/Boden/Jingle Bunnies/stress incontinence/potential straying husband/shagging the lodger" conversations buzzing round the table.

Total collapse on receipt of bill, all 8 remaining mothers assumed I would be paying and "hadn't bought any money". One guilty mother ran all the way to cash point to pay for her and her child, it took her so long we all ordered another drink and the bored kids decided to run through the restaurant. Including Mac which appalled me. Birthday boy suddenly remembered he had been brought up with manners and returned to the table to give me a kiss and a pat on the head. Another collapse, this time with pride as my three year old little man then proceeded to castigate his friends loudly which resulted in him getting some extra marshmallows from the worn out waiter.

Home, nearly bankrupted (I'm not kidding, I'm hiding the bill from David) and exhausted. A nice sleep on the sofa, me and my baby. This time three years ago I had a five hour old bundle in my arms. Birthdays are so emotional for us mothers. Oh, and exhausting!