When I got home from work on Friday, Bobby, my parents, and all the children were already here. It was good to walk into a house where people were laughing and talking, food was cooking and wine being poured.

We watched Casino Royale after dinner, and none of us particularly enjoyed the movie. It tries to be more "real" than the usual Bond film, but I don't think it really succeeds. The storyline is thin, the evolution of Bond's persona from naive lover and inept killer to suave, heartless, efficient killer is trite rather than moving, the violence is sickening, and, to add insult to injury, Daniel Craig isn't even attractive.

The sun came out on Saturday morning, so we walked through the fields to a local pub for lunch. Here's Soph in the daffodils...





More pictures here, including the Great Fence Balancing Adventure, the Ditch Leap, the Amazing Race, and the Cat With a Mouse. The last picture is Sophie with dock leaves stuck in her belt; she had an encounter with a nettle and was determined never to be dock-leaf-less again. (If you rub a nettle sting with a dock leaf, it soothes the sting. Somewhat. And luckily, dock leaves usually grow near nettle plants.)

After my parents left on Saturday evening we watched the first episode of the new Dr Who series (loved it!) and today the five of us went to Bluewater to do some shopping. Bobby got a nice bonus this year, so we decided to take some of it and give each family member a chunk of cash to spend as they like. It was so much fun telling the the kids; they were thrilled, as we'd kept it a surprise. And when we actually gave them the money, they were even more delighted, as they hadn't realised that they'd actually be getting a sizeable sum each.

So we shopped hard today. The girls went off together, and Bobby, Stephen and I went our separate ways. Bobby and I did stay together for a little while, but I can't try clothes on comfortably when he's expiring from boredom in the corner, so we did better on our own.

Ems and Soph each bought a new outfit, and they look lovely in their new clothes. It is interesting, when they shop on their own they pick outfits that I would never in a million years select, but they always look stunning in them. Emily also bought herself a little digital camera, and Sophie bought herself some Heelys. Steve got himself a nice watch and some new clothes, Bobby bought an internet radio for the kitchen (it is really cool; great sound quality and we can listen to, among others, SAFM and NPR!) and a new tivo-esque Freeview box, and I bought myself two summer dresses and two light, pretty cardigans from Laura Ashley. They were insanely expensive (particularly when compared to the sort of stuff I usually buy), but I must admit that good quality clothes do look and feel lovely... However, I won't be making a habit of this - that's it for me till next year!

So that was a lot of fun for all of us. And we ate supper at Nando's afterwards, which was a nice end to the day.

To add to the list of Good Things, the kids and I are on holiday for the next two weeks. It can't get much better than this!