G's birthday

Started the day at quite a sensible time, almost 7. As ever presents opened in our bed - which is becoming harder as they all get so much bigger. G was thrilled with the mini video camera we bought for her - I am concerned though that we may become unwitting stars of You Tube or You've Been framed.

The week has been full of reminders of her growing up - we have started the hard task of choosing which secondary school she will go to next year. Essentially it is a choice between 3 excellent schools as we are confident that she will pass the dread 11+ (results out in a week) So the choice is really between single sex or co-ed and then between local or Canterbury. All options have different but equally compelling benefits which makes it all harder.

Anyway back to birthday jollity. G requested pancakes for breakfast so I made a mountain and we enjoyed enough maple syrup to equal the debt of a third world country!
Her treat was a trip to a new-ish pizza place in Fav with loads of friends and then to the cinema, back home for hastily decorated cake and a friend to sleep over.
We rounded the day off with a huge bonfire in the garden, the wind was finally going the right way so as not to incur the wrath of our neighbour so loads of old pallets and offcuts have now been cleared away. I trimmed back our eucalyptus hedge and chucked that on too to Stan's delight - the leaves caught fire dramatically crackling and flaring up then floating away "like flaming butterflies" he said poetically.