I’m a week late in talking about it but life has been hectic this week so I’m doing it now.

Last Friday, it was my niece, Lucy’s, ninth birthday and I offered to take her to see High School Musical 3 at the cinema. It was my first (and hopefully last) experience of HSM and it was suitably frothy and sugary. Before that, we celebrated with a very pink birthday cake at home with her brothers. I had a hard time lighting some of the candles until I discovered her younger brother, Andrew, had put some of them in upside down! Doh!

When the kids lived on the other side of Scotland, we didn’t see them a lot, so I decided to have my very first girlie day with Lucy. After the cake, we went into town where she could pick her present and did it so quickly we had to wander around the shops for an hour until it was time for the cinema.

After the film (which seemed never ending to me), we headed back home and Lucy stayed the night. It’s the first time she’s ever stayed with us on her own and was no trouble at all. She’s actually quite a quiet little girl.

I think this is a tradition we are going to have with all the kids near or on their birthdays from now on and hopefully, it will make up for all those times we missed.