I may have slipped in updating this website, and the drop in visitor numbers is definitely a bellwether of the paucity of new content, however there are a number of updates throughout the year that can be guaranteed to brighten the darkest reaches of this site. The Baguettes’ birthday write ups are the top billing of those most important of write ups. The first of the year belongs to Ezra and it does not take a genius to realise that he has reached the grand ol’ age of five!
Yes, Tuesday 13th March 2018 saw him complete his fifth orbit around the Sun, a little under 3 billion miles (that particular milestone he will reach on the 27th April). This last year has been a very important one in his life – starting full time education. Donning the school uniform each morning and heading through the park to the school gates 5 times a week, our littlest child no longer looks like a little child but has joined the great unwashed on the school run.
As befits a Bagnall, Ezra once again stretched his birthday out across an entire weekend, not that his birthday was at the weekend. The actual day his birthday fell this year was a Tuesday, but we booked his birthday party the Saturday before as more people would be able to attend then if we held it after school, mid-week. We had asked Ezra what kind of party he would like and although he was five he decided that he would like a soft play party. So we booked the soft play area at Egham Leisure Centre.
With the kids occupied in the three-dimensional maze the adults could sit around and chat at the café tables just outside the soft play area. We decided to put a tab behind the bar so that the mums and dads could have a cup of tea or coffee while they waited. How times have changed. Putting a tab behind the bar usually involved alcohol and lots of it, not caffeine and a modest amount.
After the soft play was the party food. All the children were well-behaved and before we knew it the party was over and it was time to send them home, full of sugar with a party bag full of annoying toys! Exactly, how a children’s party should end. Everyone was very generous and Ezra had an impressive haul of presents to take home. Knowing that the next day was going to be busy and that the house will be full of eight children on his actual birthday, we let him open those presents when he got home. In addition, it allowed us to write down who gave what so that we could thank them. Before we headed home, however, we dropped Éowyn off at her best friend’s for her birthday party and sleep over (March is a busy month!).
Whenever one of the child is not about the other two usually play nicely together. So it was, with Éowyn at her friends. Amélie and Ezra got along and Ezra even let Amélie open some of his presents. They then played with them together without a cross word.
The following day was Mothering Sunday and the family birthday party. It was the first time that we had really used the extension for an extended gathering since it was complete. Nanny Fran, Auntie Liz and Auntie Mary came down from the West Midlands joining the Cathralls and Auntie Sally and Adam. Eighteen people comfortably fitted in the extension, even with the table filled with buffet goodness. Éowyn was disappointed that she was not there as all her cousins were there but she was having fun at her friend’s.
Again, Ezra had a fantastic haul of presents, thank you everyone again – he truly was spoiled.
With Auntie Mary’s birthday the following weekend and mine the week after, and the aforementioned mothering Sunday it wasn’t just Ezra who was receiving presents, I told you that March was busy.
Once again, I feel I have to apologise for the brevity of this write-up and the length of time you have had to wait for it – Ezra’s birthday was an age away – and the fact that those write-ups I have promised are still to materialise. I am still hoping to fill in the gaps and begin to pick the pace up – I wouldn’t hold your breath!
Peace and Love
Baggie
