To kick start the holidays with a bang, we wanted to do something special with the children, set us up for a Super Sixfest over the next two weeks. But for the same reasons we haven’t gone away (i.e., the bank is frighteningly devoid of funds), we couldn’t really do anything big and wowser-ish.

But I had a stroke of genius (I do that sometimes), and on to my weekly grocery order I added some of the ‘takeaway’ chinese meals – two boxes of the set menu’s for two, plus a range of extras (they happened to be on 3 for 2, which was a bonus!). I hid them, and then printed this up, and posted the envelopes beneath bedroom doors;

Picture 5

 

Cue much buzzing and twittering and combing of hair choosing of smart shirts upstairs. Princess dress optional – but deemed meet and right so to do.

Downstairs there was a huge operation afoot – have you ever tried timing 18 packets of food to be ready at the same time? Madness. Wrappers EVERYWHERE, and of course they got mixed up and had no clue as to the contents of certain trays. Whilst I was busy swearing in the kitchen and burying the dog in cardboard outers, C had a genius secret brainwave, and stole down to the shed, retrieving the box of chinese lanterns we hung in the garden about 15 years ago. He single-handedly hung them on garden string he strung between the curtain poles across the ceiling. Totally totally magic.

Naturally, I managed to delete the photos I took – but what a night we had! Such a fantastic start to the holidays. We spent ages around the table, just being our favourite Supersix; chatting, remembering holidays and telling inanely stoopid unfunny jokes.

Special night.

If only I’d managed to not delete the pictures… *shakes fist at self*