Birthday and Show Time

Oh here we go. That time of year, our precious girlies birthdays!! And this year we had the added excitement of the end of year concert on Elodie's birthday. So not only presents and parties x 2, costumes and rehersals x 2!!

08/03 Pete ran 35m beach. Meeting with Ethernet Internet guy and John, Chairman of RP committee. Pete picked girls up, lunch at Infantaria, after they chose their birthday cakes at Mongini. Dropped them at tutor then eyebrows plucked/waxed (Pete!!)! I went to Mapusa with Mum, OMG it was torture. We were there hours. The heat and humidity were unreal. We felt like we were in some reality TV Challenge Anthea (Turner) type thing. We lost count of the number of stalls and shops we went to, to get costumes for the school concert. I was stressing panicking about the girls birthdays, the party, the

concert, the gift for the class mates. It’s custom here that when it’s the child’s birthday they buy a gift for the whole class. In the end it was pretty successful but I wasn't feeling great. Went to the Pub for a lime soda and a sandwich, was really special having lunch with Mum – I paid, a belated Mothers Day gesture. The bill was less that £2 for the two of us haha!

09/02 I didn't feel awful today, so warn out. The heat and humidity doesn't help and the worry of the birthdays, party,

presents, concert all getting to me. There was a dress rehearsal today at Gomez Race Course. I was so sorry to miss it but slept instead. Just had to recharge the batteries for the next few days!! Pete said it was great and that Ashley Gomes (the Owner of Future Hope) was using Elodie as the example to follow, shouting at and getting frustrated with the other kids stuff like, 'look at her, why can't you do what she's doing'. The girls are so excited about the show and are practising like mad, it's lovely to see how enthusiastic they are. They are taking this far more seriously than the Molesey Dance shows!!

10/03 Chloe’s 5th Birthday!!!

She has been waiting for this day all year – the last 30 days she has been a bundle of excitement, every day we had ‘how many

sleeps until my birthday now?’so the day finally came and she’s the least excited she’s been?! Kids! She was super happy with her binoculars but quickly discovered Mummy’s were better lol. Also got her bracelet kit, doctor set, Sequin Art (a birdy one), her little face when she opened it – ahhhh. Simple gifts but clearly lots of pleasure. She went to school very happy and was eager to give her class mates their little gift (a pen, that lights up, that doubles as bubbles and a rubber stamp). Us grown ups were very happy she chose Baba au Rhum for her birthday lunch, picked Mum and Dad up on way. Super time. Ryan came too. Picked up a cake for Maria and her boys after. Maria did henna for their birthdays.

11/03 Elodie's 7th birthday

OMG I cannot believe this tiny baby has grown into such a beautiful big girl. Had a lovely morning opening presents. Badminton rackets, Jewelry making kit, binoculars, hairbands etc. Chloe was off school today because of the concert tonight. Elodie had to go for two hours of rehearsals, she didn’t mind though as she’s loving the dancing. Symphonia, her teacher, said she didn’t need to go really, it

is the others that can’t do it – her words not mine haha. Lunch at Tamarin, really special, beautiful setting and great food.

The Concert

Wow what a night to remember. We will NEVER forget Elodie’s 7th birthday. Mum and Dad said it was one of the best night’s of their 70 odd years, so grateful you were there with us to share it Nanny and Gaga. Elodie, Chloe and Mikey were chosen with only 4 other kids to perform the Welcome song to open the show. Soooooo cute, Elodie was giving it loads. It was very moving. There must have been 300 people in the audience. So many good performances of Indian music But nothing compared to our Elodie and Chloe performing theirs, Elodie’s, ‘Love is a Waste of Time from PK’ and Chloe’s, Zoobi Doobi

from Three Idiots. They were by far the best (and were not biased at all haha). Half way through we were all the audience were given a candle and all sang, ‘Feed the World’, again so magical and moving. Until the was burnt Elodie’s fingers and she was hysterical! We were all (Pete, Me, Mum and Dad) bursting with pride. If that wasn’t enough Elodie was awarded 2 prizes, one for ********* and another for Outstanding Performance throughout the year. She was in her element – Chloe on the other hand was inconsolable as she didn’t win anything. Time to go. Good old Ryan was there to take us home. It was an unforgettable evening. Elodie and Chloe, our darling girls, thank you for giving us this evening and last but not least Happy 7th Birthday Elodie. We didn’t get home until 11pm – girls totally shattered.

I asked Elodie how come the children were so good at doing their routines. She said, you have to be in time because if you get it wrong you get hit with a stick – yikes! Now we understand why they were taking it so seriously!

10am 12/03 The Party

Why have the party at 10am the morning after the concert?!? The only reason why we chose this time was to include Amber (Rising Waves), it was the only time she could do all weekend, her Mum rang and cancelled yesterday arghhhhh.

Today was special enough but then Elodie lost her tooth (FINALLY, it had been loose for weeks and was really bothering her). Her 7th tooth on her 7th birthday. Aaaaaaaaaah!!

At 9am I get a message from Marya asking what time the party

was and was Yusefa invited?!? I rang Cecile and invited Mikey so Yusefa would’t be the only boy. Pete ran to Monginis to pick cakes up. Shells did all the prep, wasn’t too bad as only 6 kids, Shreena, Mikey, Pooja, Sheela and Yusefa. Mum and Dad came but poor Mum not well, she almost couldn’t come. Magician Uncle Reggie came he was soooo good. A great party. The only blow was Chloe’s little school buddy, Narsarin didn’t turn up. Chloe didn’t realise until later that afternoon, when she burst into tears.

It was a simple party under the tree in the gardens outside our apartment. A bit of magic, some party food, some dancing, pass the parcel and cake – these kids didn’t need anything more.

Dinner at inferno, vibe and music good but not the food so much, also girls were exhausted bless them.

The last few days have been totally draining but wonderful at the same time. Feels like I can breathe again.