Seven weeks + 5

Well it's Xanders 11th birthday today, and it's going quite well so far, the bacon and brie paninis are always a popular choice for a breakfast treat and he's had plenty of money and from people and a present from us. Actually I bought him 11 presents and wrapped them up in layers, like a pass the parcel, they were just silly little things but he enjoyed the process, they included a magic trick a joke book and some glow sticks, you can never go wrong with glow sticks. Mind you doesn't wrapping paper take up a lot more room once it's off. Xander is incredibly cheerful this morning and humming to himself whilst he packs his lunch box, if only all mornings went this well. I feel sorry for Neil on mornings like this though, he leaves so early that he misses all the fun, and the food.

We are all going to Merry Hill this evening so Xander can spend his birthday money, and having dinner in Pizza Hut, Neil did try to persuade him that Wetherspoons would be just as much of a treat, but Xander wasn't having any of it. My kids have never eaten at Pizza Hut before but, at Wetherspoons plenty of times, nice try though Neil. Apparently Xander wants to buy an XBox game with some of his birthday money, I can't tell you which one, I know but I can't remember, it's not really my area. It took me months to realise that COD and Call of Duty were the same game (it finally clicked when I was holding it and Will was asking if I'd seen his copy of COD, you just know I was shaking my head), and when Will kept asking for Red Dead Redemption I had to get him to write it down, I just didn't understand, again it's not my area of expertise, not that I actually have one, but we've definitely ruled out anything to do with electronics. For your general information I will tell you that I use the computer a lot at home, I also watch TV on it, which would be impressive were it not for the fact that I only watch TV on the computer as I don't really know how to work Neils surround sound system, so I can't actually watch TV on the TV unless one of the boys is around to help me turn it on. All this helps you to realise why electronics are not my thing. 

Neil says I have to apologise for the paragraph about lunging equipment yesterday, he said if you had no clue what I was on about it sounds like it could be something to do with bondage, until you get to the explanation. I personally think my readers have cleaner minds than he does, but I'll apologise anyway, just in case. I wonder how many of you will go back and re-read that paragraph now to see if he's right. I'm actually quite impressed that he read my blog at all, probably just checking I'm not permanently gossiping about him. I did lunge Malarky yesterday, I could tell you that it went well, but I'd be lying. I was foolishly concerned that I didn't have a lunge whip, I needn't have been, off he went at a trot (he was supposed to be walking) round and round and round on the left rein (anti-clockwise), and nothing I did or said slowed him down. I suppose I should think myself lucky that he didn't go any faster, but I felt like a complete idiot, pivoting round and round saying "and walk", and "whoa" in as calming and deep voice as I could manage. It was tricky because your instinct when things aren't going well is to take your voice and your actions up an octave, not down, so I suppose I can give myself a small pat on the back for managing not to scream. Anyway eventually I got him to walk and halt, and knowing the rules about these things I turned him and sent him out on the other rein (clockwise), surely he was done humiliating me. No, off he went again at a really good steady trot, and not a thing I could do about it. Now there were plenty of people about to witness this extreme lack of lunging ability so now I have to make a choice, do I try to do it properly next time, ensuring they know I was a complete failure yesterday, or do I always lunge him in that speedy manner so people think I'm mad. I'll let you know what I decide. In case anyone is in any doubt as to the sanity of my sending him back out for another go in the other direction, both my arms ache today, lunging on both reins works the person equally too! 

I should get off now, I have a kitchen to clean, if you think I can make a mess grating chocolate (for the tiramisu) you should see what I can do with a bit of brie and a panini press.