Driving Aunt Ivy

Auntie Ivy passed her driving test. She is ecstatic at this and has decided that, tomorrow, she's taking Jim "down to the coast for the day". According to Janey, her father is checking his life insurance and making sure his will is up to date. She's asking everyone to keep an eye out "for a little run around cos I'm sure that Jim's Volvo is going to be too big for me to control" - Uncle Jim is looking like a condemned man and quite rightly so. When she pulled up outside my house this morning she announced her arrival by screeching to a halt, getting out of the car and fanning her flushed face "I nearly hit a bus!" she boomed cheerfully.

I've spent today cleaning, tidying, making a cake, decorating cakes, remembering (eventually) to get the chickens out of the freezer, chilling wine, making cous cous with roasted vegetables (thank you for the recipe Potty Mummy!), limiting the amount of Bob the Builder DVDs and facing the wrath of a child who insists that Daddy and Matthew are "dying to see them mummy!" A quick check with David - "he's taking about five is that okay?" - caused David to bargain with his son: "Just take that one and you can have some Haribo!" Faced with a choice between Bob the Builder or sweets, Mac went for the latter. He also went up to his room with a smirk on his face. It seems he's learning more than just numbers, colours and seasons at school.

So, I'm nearly all set for tomorrow. The girls are arriving at 12-ish. So. All I've got to do is.....take the dogs to the park, tidy up the living room which is covered in white stuffing thanks to Middle Dog and Junior Dog who had a tug of war with an IKEA snake, give a final clean of the bathroom, chop some salad, whip up to Nunhead Green for the Farmers Market, pop into Ayres for.....something.....erm......yes, put up some balloons and birthday banners, wrap Charlie's present, write her card..........