Shadows

I sort of wish I could have hidden in a shady alcove all day...

After the exhaustion of yesterday, it was bliss to stay in an earplug-induced sleep until after 10.  The kids, up since 7, were less pleased with that - but they seemed to amuse themselves.  TallGirl tried coffee and claimed to feel 'buzzy' (though I'm not sure she could really get that from half a sachet of nescafe, could she?)

Once we were all vertical and clean, we headed off to Starbucks for breakfast, then on to the birthday girl's house to hand over a gift, chat and admire the fab job they've done on their house (including her engineer husband's lego model of the job - which Mr B was very impressed with).  

Dragging ourselves away, on to the next event - Groombridge Place, with its Enchanted Forest walk.  We squeezed in a slightly windy pub lunch on the way.  And so, more gardens, a bunch of peacocks, a canal boat ride and a long shady walk with entertainment for the kids along the way, including some great swings and zip slides.  It was surprisingly empty once you got away from the central bit.

And so, exhausted by a great weekend, Mr B deposited us back at Gatwick for a quick flight home and bed by 10.30....  Except, obviously, the flight was delayed, an engineer was called and I had to explain repeatedly to TallGirl that an 'auxiliary power unit' is not the same thing as an engine.  When we did get underway the flight was extremely bumpy most of the way, leading to many more explanations about the unlikelihood of the bumpiness being caused by the auxiliary power unit, and the likelihood of it being caused by weather.  CarbBoy, meanwhile, slept through the whole thing and didn't even wake for the (bumpy) landing.

Huge passport queue (not usual at Toulouse) and then a slow, tired drive home.  Finally into bed at quarter past midnight.  With some awful loud party keeping them awake on Saturday night (!), I reckon the kids have had 20 hours sleep in a bed since Friday.  Obviously I'm expecting a call from the prize-giving committee from the Parenting Awards any day now...

Backblip for yesterday is a very fine robin (not mine - shush, don't tell anyone).