The calm before the madness

Well mainly. Today was largely spent at home with lots of tidying and cleaning as we have our first lot of visitors arriving tomorrow (Carl's back too but we probably wouldn't have tidied for him). Interspersed with the required dips in the pool for cooling off, of course. And for me a long and very productive work session on the terrace during the let's stay in the shade part of the day. Very much needed and I am much more relaxed knowing I can ignore work for a couple of weeks and the things are where they need to be for me to pick them up. Which is good as that is about how long our house will be filled with various friends for.

Which makes this my last night of quiet on the terrace with my book so I shall go now as I am very close to finishing it. But not before quickly recording a couple of the other notable events of the day:

- whilst I was merrily working the kids were delightfully creating some sort of cultural show and I was sold a ticket, a programme and a drink and shown to my seat to enjoy a piano and recorder duet. two piano solos, a song and a dance and a display of origami boats and swans. As Jackson is nothing if not thorough with a new hobby the house is now home to in excess of 50 said articles. In many colours. If we didn't know him so well we'd worry a lot.

At the end of the show the kids were clearly pumped full of excitement and ran down to the pool to test the swimability of the swans and boats and in the mad moment jumped in fully clothed. As you can see here it was one of the highlights of the day for A.

There are way too many jobs to do here to be on your own and call it a holiday (though I did manage to do various pool related things today it is not up to C's standards and he will have work to do on his return) but it's been a lovely few days hanging out with the kids.

Lesley x