A Diminuendo of Birthday Festivities

Eloise got a birthday party - of sorts - this year, unlike last, although she was only allowed to invite a friend. Although some other friends did sort of invite themselves, and as they were independently transport-capable, they were welcome.

The party was not one with balloons or tooting thingies nor indeed was Happy Birthday even sung, which now that I think of it was an omission. But it did involve a great deal of swimming and sliding, and a certain amount of adrenalin (is that with or without an e?) and some gentle floating around a gently flowing artificial river.

For now that Eloise is nine years old, and in stature in excess of 110 centimetres of the realm, the Gold Coast is our oyster and annual tickets to Wet'n'Wild the shells in which we will grind our thrilling pearls.

I won't bore you with endless recitation of the rides we rode or the slides we slode or the pools we weed in, but Mr Tony, father of Jessica and Penny, took Eloise and Hannah along with his own daughters while I looked after the sleeping Lyra - Nicole having gone off for some "adult time" with Dave (who's Dave? he's Harlow's dad of course) - and let them go, no practically forced them to go on rides that would make my toes curl. They would have made my toes curl, that is, until I went on the Aquaslide, which again I won't bore you with the details of, except to say that it's no ride for children.

We had Hannah for a sleepover after all that was done with and an unusual amount of sleeping was done, then Sunday was quiet and the actual actual birthday was on a school day so early morning present opening, school, then an Italian meal in the evening.