Thankfully the torrential rain eased off just long enough to enjoy Sam's birthday party in our garden. And surprisingly, the party karma gods did not reward me with small muddy shoe prints all over the white carpets. Phew!
It has been a busy social week for us Howards, but especially for Dylan. On Wednesday he had his first swimming lesson of the term - he has been moved up a class thanks to his Aussie head start and it is certainly more challenging for him. On Thursday the entire school had an excursion to the theatre in Stoke on Trent to see Beauty and the Beast. The highlight was of course the coach trip there and back, but by all accounts he also loved the show. On Friday he had his first afternoon at the after school club (again, the mini bus pick-up being the highlight) and then the event of the year - the Hilltop School disco.
It was supposed to be a Family Fun Picnic, but the flood waters put an end to that. You could sail a boat across the playground. However, in true stiff upper lip Brit style, dozens of families laid out their picnic rugs in the school hall and classrooms, and enjoyed their picnic dinner, a magician show, and the crazy 80's retro music disco. Dylan's classroom turned into an impromptu bar, and all the kids ran riot with faces painted and new (fake) tattoos.
On Saturday the sun magically came out and dried out our overgrown lawn - just enough for the 15 kids and their parents to enjoy the garden during Sam's birthday party. The horses stole the show from Dizzy the Wizard - every time she performed a magic trick, Eric, the huge white horse, would come right up to the conservatory window and all the kids would race over to him. Dylan was an exceptionally talented magician's assistant during the show, and Sam just obsessed over the chocolate bars he had noticed stashed in her magic treasure box. He loved blowing out his birthday candles (and can now say "birthday", which to him seems to mean "more cake, please").
And then this morning, Sam finally turned two. Dylan managed to patiently wait until both Sam and Daddy had enough of a sleep in (it being Fathers Day here also) - 7.15am by my watch. Then he helped Sam unwrap his presents, which they both loved - and we now have enough fire engines, bendy buses and other emergency vehicles to keep them busy for, oh... at least 10 minutes. Jason's fathers day present was to put together the rather complicated Playmobil farmhouse, which puts an Ikea flatpack to shame. Then the boys and I went to Carsington Water for an ice-cream, paddle by the lake and playground fun. Dylan impressed us all with his improved pebble skimming abilities, which he declared to be the result of the extra strength gained from his dinosaur tattoo.
A wonderful birthday week, and now it's all over again until next year. Thank goodness Dylan has decided he wants his birthday party at the indoor play centre - a huge reduction on my events planning workload!
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