Pollys Mid-Summer Celebrations...

Last December my youngest son, LB celebrated his twelfth birthday. Sadly due to the time of year, ie its proximity to Christmas, we've often found that few of his friends are available to celebrate this special event with him. As a result we've settled for a small family celebration on the actual date and a mid-summer celebration with a handful of mates camping out back in our eightman family tent - of course with the children being so much smaller than men, this usually means that more can squeeze into the available space.

This year, as last, the boys played their DVD's, PS2 Games and the latest passion in the Pierce household - Guitar Hero! DG came in from re-tuning the portable TV last night, announcing that he'd never seen so many phones and Ipods plugged into an extension lead in his life. A sign of the times and advancing years...

As usual LB was given a budget to work to and anything over or above this came out of his pocket money, or his Granny's purse. Funnily enough there is probably enough grub in store to feed a whole family for a week, and that's after the kids have devoured their fare share! LB stashed away all the sweets, crisps & bottles of fizzy drinks for fear that his elder brother would find them and gobble them all up before his mates arrived. He also spent much of yesterday helping BJK (aka Granny) make and decorate buns - seemingly the lads prefer these to fancy birthday cakes(?)

So, how did it go? They ran around for what seemed like an eternity last night, playing hide and seek in the twilight and revelling in the absolute freedom that living in the countryside with few neighbours allows. Thankfully we don't have to let out a roar at midnight that our neighbours might be awoken by the continuous laughter and screaming, which is just as well considering that the last lad fell at around 7.30am!

Marshmallows toasted over an open fire for supper, followed by large mugs of steaming cocoa and packets of sweeties for a midnight snack were followed on by a hearty breakfast fry this morning. It's funny how you forget that kids need feeding, especially when they've already eaten you out of house and home, isn't it?

The rain has held off so far, except for the odd splash of refreshing mist which served only to cool our campers in the face of the lovely heat we've been experiencing recently. As usual today has been a case of flagging energy and wanting what they shouldn't have, for example I've decided to sell the trampoline to a friend of mine. So while they competed at expert level on Guitar Hero inside the tent I began to dismantle it. It's funny how all of a sudden they decided that it was imperative they jump on the darned thing, isn't...?

Last night when setting their bonfire not one could find kindling of any type around the two and a half acres of overgrown hedgerows. This morning I found enough to stock a kindling shop and make a tidy profit. Where? In the trampoline, that's where! Foolishly we'd decided to set it up underneath the resident rookery, not realising that Mrs Rook is very particular about where she'll lay her eggs, consequently when nesting time came this year she turfed most of last years nest out into the recepticle beneath.

So why could the boys not find it, heaven knows. Still, at least they'll have some for tonight, you've gotta laugh though, haven't you?