Time for an update!

Charlie's birthday weekend in London was a great success. My parents drove there in the end as they had to leave on the Sunday due the photography club dinner, so I spent a nice quiet hour and a half in the back of their car with my earphones firmly in listening to music and watching rude The L Word video clips on my iPod so I didn't have to listen to their awful choice of radio station. Charlie sulked all the way there because I didn't let him bring his iPod and it was "so unfair and mean and evil" that I had mine :)

So on Friday after checking in to our respective rooms and unpacking, Charlie and I walked over to Waterloo station so I could buy my brother's girlfriend a birthday card and we stocked up on water, juice and munchies for the room.

My brother arrived at the hotel and we walked along South Bank down to the Oxo Tower My brother, Dad and I whipped out our cameras and took a variety of photos of St Pauls all lit up which was rather beautiful. My photos were awful as I only bought my compact camera with me and not my SLR.

Up to the top of the tower and we had a drink in the incredibly noisy bar whilst waiting for Kellie to arrive (brothers girlfriend) I had a little chuckle about the price of a round of drinks - a J2O, lemonade, diet coke, a beer and vodka and tonic was £38! We had a lovely table by the windows and the view was amazing. Food was fantastic too, Charlie had octopus for his main course which he loved and Kellie also had the octopus, so I was stuck with one person next to me eating it and one person opposite me eating it too, I looked out of the window or at the floor a lot to stop myself being sick. The tentacles were just too much for me in the end so I escaped to the toilets!

A really lovely evening actually, Nick managed not to wind Charlie up and they enjoyed some table drumming together along to the live music. Nick managed to crack a glass by tapping it with a spoon too and my mum was rather drunk and talking total crap, at which point my dad, Nick and Kellie all went outside onto the balcony to take some more photos leaving me and Charlie alone with her! Thanks for that - I escaped by e-mailing Merry on my Blackberry surreptiously under the table!

Back to the hotel quite late and straight to bed.

Saturday and we were up far too early for me and downstairs having breakfast before making our way to Charlie's first requested stop which was the V&A museum. We particularly enjoyed the Asia, photography and plastercast galleries. We had lunch and then off to Charlie's next requested stop - Harrods. We split up here and Charlie wanted to see the Food Hall first so we did that.

Most of my photos need some processing but this is Charlie-heaven - the Harrods Cheese Counter!


After dragging him away from the food he wanted to check out his favourite thing in Harrods - the Egyptian Escalator so we did that and then made our way up to the fourth floor so Charlie could ogle the old fashioned Silver Cross prams which he has a thing about for some reason and then we hit the toy department. I checked out some new lines that I want to stock which Harrods conveniently also stocks and then Charlie choose a teeny tiny mini remote control helicopter, a rather lovely teddy bear with Harrods embroidered on his foot and we also got some Rainbow Art markers too.

We found my parents again and I was really annoyed to see the same graphic anti-fur photos outside the door again, just like last year. Its just so inappropriate when there are children about. Don't get me wrong, I'm very much against the fur trade but I just don't need to see those photos, and neither do the children, its not fair when they are so graphic. I must remember to stop using that exit as its the only one they use and have been doing since I was a child going to Harrods! Its next to the tube station exit and entrance which is why they use it I guess.

Anyway, Charlie saw one of those hop on hop off London tour buses and decided that is what he wanted to do next. My parents didn't (funnily enough) so we went our separate ways. We sat inside as far too cold for the top deck and it was quite a pleasant 3 hours actually, that went really quickly, Charlie listened to the commentary and I listened to my iPod. There was a stop right outside our hotel so we jumped off and went back to the hotel before finishing the whole tour as it was already after 5pm by then.

After a bit of a rest in our room we went for dinner with my parents. Comedy moment when after the meal my mum ordered a small capacino The waitress couldn't find any small or medium cups only this bucket...


She was very peed off!! It was very funny, my dad and I kept cracking up every time she lifted it to take a sip.

Sunday started with breakfast again and then down to the pier in front of the hotel so we could get the boat to the O2. Boat was lovely, panoramic glass windows, leather seats, drinks and snacks on board too - would be a fab way to go to work every day. Charlie loved the boat ride as yet another way of sightseeing.

The King Tut exhibition was fantastic, we absolutely loved it. My parents weren't that impressed because they've been to Egypt twice now so have seen it all but Charlie and I really enjoyed it. The gift shop moment at the end was funny as it reminded me of Disney World but 1000 times more expensive - childrens pens for £8! Anyway we bought a few little bits and pieces and a book and Charlie had to buy presents for the Puddle girls of course.

We had lunch in Nandos and I tried desperately to get a glimpse of the Spice Girls ( well just Geri really) and failed. Back on the boat to the hotel and by then it was 3pm and my parents had to leave so we said our goodbyes.

Charlie and I walked back across Westminster Bridge and got the tube to Green Park and walked up Picadilly. Found a Waterstones so spent nearly 2 hours in there. I love going to bookshops in London because the big ones have a gay/lesbian section which means I can get some new books. I'm still sulking over the closing of Silver Moon 7 years ago!

Charlie happily settled down in the childrens department and we both read to our hearts content before purchasing our books.

Although we were an hour early, by 5pm I was hungry, so we walked up to Rainforest Cafe where we had reservations for dinner. The first time we went here was in 2002 and the food was fantastic but the last two times it has been crap and this was no exception but it was Charlie's choice. The ones in Florida are much, much better. Dessert and the smoothies were fab though and Charlie enjoyed himself. We mooched around the shop before heading back to the hotel and admiring London all lit up.

Monday and we had a lie in as we were exhausted from all the walking we had done! After breakfast we packed up and caught the train home, getting back at 1pm.

I had a fit because my car wasn't ready and begged the garage to do something because I needed to pick up Charlie's cake in town the next morning at 9am. The lovely lady sorted out that they would drop the car to me at 8.30am on Tuesday.

Tuesday Up early to get everything ready for Charlie's birthday. He opened his presents and cards and was rather happy I think. I got him lots of books, DS games, an ant thingy and some craft kits from PlayMerrily. The car was delivered promptly at 8.30 so we went straight into town to pick up his cake and then straight to Sainsburys to get some food before rushing back to tidy up and sort everything out before Merry and the girl arrived.

When they arrived the eldest two help me decorate the sitting room whilst Amelie kept Charlie upstairs as he was engrossed in Animal Crossing that Maddy had helped him set up.

Merry saved the day by reattaching Mickey's ears and hand and we all had a lovely time. Charlie was so thrilled to have them there to share his day.

After they left my parents came for cake and more present giving.

Wednesday and Charlie went with my dad to see Vera (my grandmother) in the morning and then in the afternoon we went out to sell my car.

Thursday and Friday were a blur of work and meetings and stuff and Saturday and Sunday were a mixture of relaxing at home and going into town on the bus which was a first and typical that the bus home broke down before it got to use so we sat in the cold for an hour waiting for the next one. Charlie spent just £20 of his birthday money on two Playmobil sets, saving the other £30. Which reminds me that I must get a savings account sorted for him.

This week has just been mainly work and Charlie is powering on with his SL2. On Thursday I went into town alone to get some new jeans as mine have developed a hole and yesterday Charlie got out the paper airplane kit that the girls gave him for his birthday. He spent ages making some of the planes and has been making more this morning. I can thoroughly recommend this kit, he loves it.