FAR TOO FULL!!

Can't really move much now to be honest. Feel as if I never want to eat again, but unfortunately will have forgotten the feeling by morning.

I think Charles has had a good birthday. We had breakfast then went for a alk by the river in orpeth, stopping for hot chocolate (well, lukewarm actually) before heading home for presents with the kids, Christina, James and Claire.

Then it was off to the Cook and Barker for lunch - a very laid back affair from which we didn't return until about 3.30, having decided to skip dessert and have cream scones with strawberries and birthday cookie at home instead.

James and Claire stayed until late afternoon and it was lovely just to sit around chatting whilst nursing our very full stomachs!

Since they left, Charles has set up the new blu-ray DVD payer I bought him and is watching 'Up' an uplifing little animation which has him (and helen and Bill) engrossed.

I tried to watch with them, but the eye that had been doing so well suddenly decided to play up again so I gave up and went through to have big cuddles with the girls, who feel like velvet and still smell of baby powder.

Helen and Bill are going home tomorrow - decorating and other chores await them. It'll be really strange when they go. Lily and Rose have got quite used to their early morning cuddles with Helen!

So, tomorrow is major housework for me, with a bit of shopping thrown in for good measure. I'm trying to persuade Charles that we could re-paper the hall, but he's dragging his heels. Claire reckons I could tear a bit of the existing paper (which has been on the walls for as long as we've been in the house - we moved in when James was 3 and he's 25 now, so perhaps you can understand why I'd like to change it) and that would force the issue and I have to say I'm pretty tempted to give it a go. I reckon it would take two days at the most to do the whole job, and it's not even as if we'd have the upheaval of moving furniture around. Anyway, I'll continue to drip-feed the idea for now, but if there's little response will resort to more extreme measures!!