Saturday with the kids....

Sometimes it's the smallest most unplanned things in life that can be the most important and indeed the most enjoyable!

We decided yesterday morning (on a whim, as you do) to take ourselves away to the big smoke for the day where I would be able to go into Easons and visit Anyone for Me? (signed copies can now be purchased in both Belfast and Craigavon...shameless plug!) and the children would be able to visit their grandparents in Glengormley (which incidentally if you don't know is the takeout capital of the north...its the equivalent of the Curry Mile it has so many fast food outlets these days?!)

We went to Castlecourt first where Citybeat were running a talent competition and people were singing live in the centre (some were good...others tried very hard God love them.) Aine (mad three year old) got her face painted as a mad tiger, we got food (KFC for everyone else and a warm chicken salad from Pizza Hut for me) and Ciaran and Una both bought portable radios for £1 which they listened to in conjunction with the radio in the car the whole way to their granny's house and the whole way home! We were missing a few children yesterday for one reason or another so didn't have the entire crew with us which made a lovely change as there was no fighting or threatening behaviour which was like a breath of fresh air!

Granny was her usual self and morphed straight into 'hostess on speed' mode and spent the rest of her evening servicing every need and want you can think of from toilet attendant to cook to card dealer and eventually to bowling companion when we went to the Sportsbowl for an hour (whilst I clock watched as there was no way I was missing the first installment of X Factor!)

Sausages, beans and chips on a tray in fornt of the televison (whilst cringing and watching crazy people do mad versions of Duffy songs?! Seriously what the hell was that all about?!) and my happiness was complete (except for the fact that I'd have loved to have stayed and been tucked into bed!) Complete except for one thing of course and that was when the children told us that they'd had 'the best day ever' in the car on the way home...which is, as every Mammy knows, what its all about!!