Fish and freesias

It's officially Day 2 of Don and Lorna's visit and I'm officially knackered. Of course, it may have something to do with my exhausting Friday (I knew I should not have spent all week putting off my tidying and cleaning - I was mopping the kitchen floor at ten to midnight) and my shattering Saturday (five over excited children and lots of fish) but even so. I'd have thought I'd have had more stamina than this.

Mac's birthday treat was just that - a treat. We found Nemo, "Jaws, mummy!", stroked some stingrays (despite Lydia's reservations - Ginny told her to stop being such a "big pansy, let the lad feel some danger!") and had a lovely walk along the Thames afterwards, with Mac telling everyone that he was going on the "big wheel soon". Home for cake and presents (Ginny's present of a stetson and leather chaps went down a bundle - David is still worried she's going to somehow land us with Jezebel) and an early night for us after we'd taken Ian and Caitlin home to Bea, Stephen, Enormous Au Pair and her parents. But that's a whole other post. When we were snuggling down under our duvets at about quarter to ten, Dad, Don and Lorna were heading along the motorway for the start of their few days in London.

Up this morning to breakfast in bed - bowl of cereal, cup of coffee and toast and jam ("I made it all mummy!") and a quick whizz round the park with the hounds, home to find Sort of Step Son Matthew had bought me the windchimes I'd seen in the aquarium shop the previous day and he and Mac had gone "halvesies" of the biggets bunch of freesias I've ever seen.

Don and Lorna (I've not met either of them before) are larger than life characters, even though Lorna is about half the height and width of Don. Don favours loud shirts (I'll have no worries losing him in a crowd) and an even louder voice, calls Mac Young-Feller-Me-Lad and chomps on huge great cigars. Lorna is blonde and petite with a ringing laugh, is prone to giggles and affectionately calls her husband The Chump. I think we'll get on just fine!

They gave Mac the opportunity to choose the venue for dinner when we dropped round to Dad's this morning with left over birthday cake: David, Dad and I looked nervously at each other - Mac is as capable of suggesting "McDonalds" as he is the "Saveloy!". Thankfully, he was struck down with sudden shyness at being put on the spot and hid behind Lydia who suggested Harvesters - she's craving their Combine Harvester platter enough to suggest pregnancy.

So that's where we're off to in a little while - Mac wants to wear his chaps and Matthew is quite keen to get his mitts on the stetson.