Oh my head

2.50pm Still baking the cakes and organising the decoy family dinner, and feeling menaced by the towering stack of dishes at my elbow. Ring a friend to see if she could pick the Climber up from school for me to give me more time.

3.15pm Drive frantically to school, realise that it's just as well my friend couldn't pick Climber up because I needed to come down thisaway to collect the food platters from my friends at the cafe. Wonder how I can get the platters and a bag of ice into the car without the blabbermouths kids asking too many hard questions.

3.35pm Almost refuse to let Climber have play in the park with a friend, then realise that I've been given my solution to the platter dilemma.

4.00pm Home again, boys catch me icing the 4 birthday cakes (they're all the same, I'm not that ambitious) so reluctantly allow them to 'help' with the application of smarties. Regret this several times throughout the early evening when Cherub keeps requesting the cake with the blue smarties.

4.15-5.15pm Dish-washing interspersed with sooky Cherub-wrangling. (I'm saaaa-ad.) Realise Climber left his schoolbag at park with friend (oh well) and that mopping the floor will not happen.

5.15pm Everything pretty in control now. Stuff stashed all over the house. Fixit arrives home. He changes into a really unattractive set of relaxo-clothes (oh well) and opens the fridge to look for a birthday beer. Suddenly starts looking a bit closer at all the beers and says there's a dozen light beers in here, where did they come from? Did someone bring beers to Cherub's party? Luckily I have anticipated this so just blame my Dad which is plausible as he is always helping with the catering.

5.45 - 6.45pm Lovely roast lamb dinner, lovely birthday cake. I say you're having a second beer? to Fixit and he looks at me like what's your problem and I think -again- oh well. Whisk boys through bathtime, looking good to have stories read and them in bed with plenty of time to spare. Except, the one job ...THE ONE JOB... that Fixit feels like doing all evening is to pack up his birthday cake, which I'd planned to leave out with the candles in it as a nice touch, and as he's busy cutting it up into little pieces for his lunch tomorrow and putting the rest away, he discovers 2 of the other 3 cakes I'd made and asks about that. Fortunately he is completely suckered by my I just wanted to make a round cake this time which meant I had excess batter excuse. He doesn't ever find the 4th cake which is very cleverly hidden in the display dresser near the front door.

6.46pm. Doorbell rings, Fixit's brother and partner and kids arrive, playing it cool like they'd just decided to drop round. Fixit very pleased to see them. Our kids go wild having joyful play with their cousins, but somehow we still get stories done. By this time I've confided in Climber so he's co-operative. Fixit's brother and co are in on the surprise but can't stay because of the kids so we farewell them and then I hustle our boys into bed.

7.10pm First guests arrive, Fixit still has no idea and thinks it's a massive coincidence even though he hasn't seen one of those friends for ages. I start hauling drinks, glasses and food out from hiding places while Fixit chats happily to friends.

7.25pm. More guests arrive. Fixit looking happily bewildered at which point I say maybe you'd like to put a nicer shirt on? He comes out in a slightly nicer jumper. He's still trying to take it all in.

8ish The penny really drops, people are rocking up and giving him presents. Fixit calls me a sly dog, but not in an unhappy way. He also disappears to put an even nicer shirt on, we joke if anyone else turns up he'll upgrade to a suit.


9ish. Fixit says so THAT'S why you commented on the second beer thing.

10ish. I look at the filthy floor and think thank goodness I didn't get round to mopping.

11.45pm Last guests leave. Evening a success. Realise have MORE alcohol in the house after the party than we did before. Oh well.

12.15pm. Fall into bed and get told I have a smug smile on my face, which is true. Fixit very happy.