Birthday boy was not up with the lark; his little bruvver was, though. So we chatted for an hour - Alex probably more excited than Tom, I reckon! Then the birthday boy appeared, slightly hoarse but smiling coyly.

He ripped through presents and tried out Forza on the xbox and eventually managed to prise him off long enough to dressed and to his mum's.

I iced the cake (same as last year - creature of habit) and then picked them up from Port & Fi; to Waterstones to spend his grandparents' money on books. He's still of an age when he's so delighted to get new books to read. (Maybe he's a deprived child..?)

A holding game of football in the Meadows before the ladies were ready and we all went off to Cosmo - a winner! The kids loved the selection, that no one was going to tell them what to have / what not to have. They got good value for money and no mistake. Even G - the waifest of waifs ate 3 times her own body weight. Then they went off to grab a train for the Weeg for more CBBC filming and we headed home for xbox / football catch up / folio reading with each of them.
Finally we managed cake around 7; then sleepy boys slowly wound down and off to bed. I too thought I'd leave the tidying up to another day. (I haven't decided which day yet, though..)

Extra is Alex helping with candles etc