4 tomorrow!

HE:
Comparing 2 globes, looking at where we live on one and then finding it on the other. Elephant Diaries on BBC1 last week. More clay, more pizza-making. Other stuff but can't think, because my head is in birthday and shopping mode. Oh I know, suddenly Study Dog again, at her request, out of nowhere, on my laptop, where it actually works better! That new laptop was such an investment. In fact using it now to play Thornberrys DVD for her too! Little bit of Headsprout too.
Life:
One pee landed mainly in the potty! Hoorah! We're going to go for it properly after this week (this week we have J home and F's 4th birthday, so lots of excitement, no routine and various out and abouts going on that would make it difficult). Basically the approach we're going for is to have vast quantities of pretty pants available and keep going, with carpet clean spray to hand. Have to say it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, after the first 3 hours when she peed somewhere on the carpet every 40 mins. Oh she also peed in the conservatory, but told me that she had taken the trouble to do it exactly where we sometimes get rain coming in from a small hole in the roof, so that it would just look the same as that. How thoughtful, and only twice as far to go as the distance to the potty! Bless...
Jack came on Friday and I left F with him while I headed into town to buy things for Sunday's birthday picnic. Not very lucky with the shopping that time so had to go back in on Saturday. F seemed to have had fun with Jack, mainly in the garden, which I'm currently avoiding myself as my hayfever has been a pain. They did some clay too. Jack stayed overnight so the 3 of us had a nice evening. F stayed up late too, but eventually konked out on her dad's lap.
Saturday I shopped till I dropped, buying food, toys, etc. for the picnic: big bubble machine thing, 2 spacehoppers, inflatable globe beach ball, cheap white T-shirts and fabric pens, crisps, fruit, juice, pizza ingredients, etc.
Sunday I got up with F and she helped me with 1 of the 4 pizzas I made, which all came out pretty well (thanks to new vegan melting Mozzarella! - plug, plug). She decorated one with sweetcorn and yellow pepper.
Went over to the playground/park at about 2 and her aunties Glo and Shula were there already. My mum had also arrived at the house about an hour beforehand, and soon everyone else turned up and we all had a very relaxed and enjoyable afternoon. Most of the children made their marks on a T-shirt, and the bubble blower was a big hit, with the oldest boy running around with it while at least 3 little girls followed him everywhere he went. It was a low-key affair, with 7 children and 10 adults, all close friends and family. Glo and Shula have another panel session coming up as the next stage of their adoption process, this time relating to particular children that they may be able to adopt - 2 siblings, not going to say any more here. Good luck to them though, they will be wonderful mums, and are really ready for a family.
Various parcels are amassing here for tomorrow - F's birthday. She received and opened some gifts on Sunday - Kids K'nex being one highlight. And some she knows about. My money came in too late to order things online so I think a shopping trip into Brighton might be in order later in the week where she can choose a book, a DVD, a jigsaw... I suspect her 2 big people will probably treat themselves a bit too. There goes the moolah!