The anti-birthday

Last Saturday Leo was 15 - he has never wanted to do the Italian thing and have a mega party inviting absolutely everyone from his class, rugby club, music school and generally all of his parents' friends etc. He has always just asked to have some friends over - usually no more than 8 - for some sort of wacky dinner. I just assumed he would do the same this year. Not to be. I was informed that this year he wasn't planning anything - he would be at school in the morning (It was last Saturday), go for a slice of pizza with his school buddies after school, spend all afternoon at Scouts, stay down at Scouts and order pizza (yes, pizza AGAIN) with his Scout buddies and then he arranged (that was amazing in itself, Leo doesn't really 'arrange' anything) a 5-a side football tournament at the sports centre - all this without telling anyone it was his birthday. Despite wanting to be a comedian/comic actor, he doesn't really like being the centre of attention and so he didn't want his birthday beng the focus of everything. But funnily enough, it was. They all got wind of it, he had a mega weekend and he loved it. My only complaint is that this year I didn't get to make a birthday cake for either of the boys - 1. Thomas's because I thought I wasn't up to making it and 2. Leo's because he was being 'alternative'. Never again. Bugger what they wantot how many sleepless nights I have. Next year they both get birthday cakes made by me again.

Aunty Ann comes up trumps again

I wasn't impressed - but apparantly I was missing the whole Pulp Fiction connection - and yes Thomas was right -he was so chuffed

Yes, that is a hamster cage behind him -the present he will never forget - and Richard is THE coolest hamster ever (guess who watches Top Gear.....)

We got him some techncial thingy for his bass/ipad - I have no idea what it does -but Robert said he would love it - and he does

We knew he had bought him the Nebraska LP so got a paticular kick out of it when he started going on the night before about what a great album it is - one of his 10 desert island discs