The end

No, seriously - they really are the end.

We had a lovely morning, yesterday's midnight arrival at the party of Child Two being followed mid-morning today by R's aunt, paying us a rare visit en route to spending the rest of the day with a friend in Stratford. The gazebo proved its worth again, as we sat comfortably under it eating cake (thank you, Ludlow Farm Shop) and drinking coffee, while listening to the rain gently pattering on the cover. The Boy Wonder was charming (which was a relief, because we've had a few Toddler Moments of late), and BJ was duly charmed. As she left, scattering gifts in her wake, she told R that he has a lovely family, and he replied, "Thank you. Yes - I do."

I was less charmed after lunch, when they were all getting ready to leave and I herded them together (sheltering under the patio umbrella this time) for photos. The Boy Wonder was uninterested because he'd found a rice cake in the luggage and was looking after it to make sure no-one disturbed it, and his uncle decided to engage him by teaching him to say "Cheese!" for photographs. I now have a sequence of photos in which the pair of them look as though they're discussing me in highly unflattering terms. Sigh.

Then - "Right - turn round!" I said. "I want a back view I can actually post." Honestly - I ask you. On the plus side, this is maybe reassuring for anyone with children who are still at the ripping each other's heads off stage: it's possible they may yet wind up being friends. On the other hand, the Offspring are both in the entertainment biz - more or less - and I might reasonably have expected that they'd at least be able to take direction.

In other news: we're all going on holiday together next year. Oh my days... what have I done?