Gymnastical, athletical AND gastronomical???

Woke them up at five past 10, just right, I think. I don't know why they were still in bed after all that Vitamin Vino they had last night.

We did a whirlwind tour of the supermarket because we had to get back for the Johnny party. This time it was in the Gymnastic centre - haven't been there before.

It was totally cool and we all had an excellent time jumping in the massive pits full of foam and jumping off the diving board and swinging on the rings and the bars and trampolining and stuff.

Erin and Pops (and the rest of her entire family who tagged along) have obviously been there before as they were actually really good at everything but the rest of us (and sundry parental interlopers) just got stuck in and played the big sillies.

The foams are quite good as weapons and PopsMum had a massive fight with Bud in the pits, I think she won because he kept falling over. At the beginning I didn't want to jump off the diving board but after everyone else had done it (including Bud) I tried it and loved it.

I also impressed Elizabeth with my trampolining moves while Bud pretended he wasn't watching all the flexible girlies over on the adult side of the gym. Baby Edward was there and even he had a go with some foam. Erin held him (well, bearhugged him) which in itself is not a problem but when you include the later "Balloon up the shirt" incident, you've got to wonder.

In the food/party room after the gym, Bud put 2 balloons up his shirt and said Hello Sailor, for he is a silly man. Erin obviously saw this and put her own, rather smaller balloon up her own shirt and cradled it like a 3rd trimester pregnancy. She also announced outright that the baby was mine: I shall have to keep an eye on that one.

The food was as good as the venue and we picked at it despondently as only a bunch of 5 year-olds will. (But Johnny's six now, he's so old!) While we were inside, it hailed hugely. When the cake arrived, we all got out from under the table and saw it was an aircraft carrier! Johnny is obsessed with naval vessels and now he can absorb one through his tum and become as one with it at last.

So super-thanks to Johnny for his splendid party and all the rest of the Puddlers and Piddlers for strutting their funny stuff with me today.

When we got home there was a Go-Kart by our front gate. Pops came round in the afternoon and we played find the treasure and dens under the spare bed, let's hope Pops doesn't get a balloon under her shirt as well.

Bonus video: a small fraction of the fun we had today. Poor Ruby (Pop's next oldest sister) has a punctured foot because she stepped on the upturned plug of her mum's hairdryer or something so that is why she is hopping in this video. At the end of the party I noticed the enormous and frequent signs saying no pictures, no videos, in fact no cameras allowed in the building at all.