Amazing what a bit of Face Painting can do

As most parents know, when summer fetes and christmas fayre's come round there is always one poor parent left standing in the rain at the school gate weeks beforehand trying to get support and commitment from other parents. Suitably guilty of having declined many an invitation to help at said events, I found myself for the first time actually available to get involved. I bit the bullet and offered my services, reckoning that if I ticked the 'ANYTHING' box for involvement, it would be sufficient penance for my previous lack.

Imagine my delight when an almost immediate response offered me the task of face painting! I AM the face painting QUEEN! I even have my own kit. Tee hee what JOY!

Yesterday found me happily ensconced in the 'face painting' class room, a space specifically set aside for such purposes. I refused to be put off when I introduced myself to the person who had been doing it for the previous ten years! He confidentally told me that I could come back in an hour and relieve him and the other person allocated the task. 30 minutes in and I was summoned back to the room because there was a queue forming. Trying hard not to be intimidated by the master pieces of face painting that were emerging from the room. My hand shook as I looked down on the first person before me. I could tell by those baby blue eyes that this was a matter of utmost trust and I had never had a 2 year old starnger put so much trust in me before. The responsibility weighed heavy. She eyed me up suspiciously and I felt she knew that I hadn't done this before. (Well...not HERE and in this circumstance.)

I was inspired to ask her name and relieved when 'daddy' was forthcoming. At least I felt I was winning him over! Thank goodness she chose a simple design from the book and I was off. OK, it might not have been the BEST pussy cat in the world and it was a battle to win over my 11 year old daughter who was comparing the thickness of the mask to the others but hey...the child was smiling and daddy was happy.

There was no looking back. I became a hit with the 10- 14 age range by copying a logo from a sweat shirt which apparently is all the rage. A simple cheek design in various colours had me with my own queue! The only hiccup was the child who wanted to be a dinosaur. I had seen the previous dinosaurs and though I could happily apply the green base colour I wasn't sure about the teeth or eye effect! Thankfully the 'expert' became free and I graciously handed over the challenge.

Before I knew it, the end of the day was upon us. I made my way happily home passing, cats, tigers, lions and puff balls content in the knowledge that I had somehow made their day complete.

When you forget your 'revelation' make sure you stay in Knightsbridge.

This last week I've been in London for a few days. Mostly when I need to stay overnight I'll stay with family in North London but on this occasion I needed to be more central/south. I racked my brain trying to think of who I knew who might put me up for a night or so and was thrilled to discover that the person I ended up asking was actually the administrator of the venue where I had my meetings!

I was given a piece of paper with scribbled map and directions and, at the end of the first evening, set off with a friend clutching the instructions busy chatting as we walked the 10-15 minutes to the nearest tube. It was only when I sat down in the station explaining to my companion that I was staying over night at a friends that I was alerted to the problem. My suitcase! I had safely tucked it away in a back room of the venue and had forgotten to collect it.

The prospect of no night clothes, tooth brush or clean underwear drove me to walk BACK 15 minutes to the venue hoping that someone would still be there. (I omitted to say that I was wearing killer stilettos and was NOT happy at the extra mileage.) The shops were shutting along the road by now as it was gone 10.30 pm and I had that heavy sense that everyone would have gone home. As I turned the corner with baited breath my senses were proved right. Darkness stared back at me through the glass entrance doors and all was still except for the flashing red security light ominously blinking as it guarded the sleeping building.

With aching feet and weary heart I made my way back to the station and concentrated on the directions which I happily discovered would lead me to the heart of Kensington. As I walked along the road my step began to lighten as I realised I would actually be staying in the grandest of accomodations! As I was greeted at the apartment entrance an expanse of corridor loomed before me and I was ushered into the depths of one of the biggest spaces I've ever been in with room after room opening up before me.

Ok! My breath might smell rank and I'd end up sleeping in nothing but Hey! the accomodation distracted me from any disappointment and as I sunk into the welcome mattress staring up at a chandelier I realised that life wasn't at all bad and went to sleep counting my blessings.
When I returned the next evening I made certain I remembered my 'revelation' suitcase.

Birthday Party with a difference

It has to be said that the combination of night time, forest, and a large group of 11 year olds in the pouring rain is not one that springs to mind as a party success for your daughter's birthday theme. When we first came up with the idea it was summer and the forest was enchanting , the weather glorious and the mellow day light hours warmed the theme to our hearts. Come November it was a totally different scenario!

My beloved was determimed to out do my 'feeble' efforts of a few years ago when I had designed a party along the same lines. I had organised a treasure hunt through the forest in the night time winter hours for daughter number 1. Low maintenance, 'get back to the house and hot chocolate quick' being my overiding ambition. It was a resounding success. So much so that my beloved was determined to make this occasion an even more memorable and exciting event.

As I quietly prepared the food for the party, he set off with daughter number 1 to do a 'reci'. Three hours later they returned with a very complicated looking master plan. Daughter number 1 raised her eyebrows. He planned to divide us into three groups going in different directions with three different sets of instructions. I said nothing.

Assuring us that he could set up the treasure hunt blind fold I was somewhat bemused when it started raining.........and didn't stop. With guests arriving in less than an hour he set off confidently armed with master plan. 15 minutes after guests arrived there was no sign of him. Finally as I was about to despair a very wet and soggy husband trudged up the now darkened driveway. No time to ask questions, we set off in groups to follow the carefully prepared maps and find the carefully hidden plastic bags with clues and directions. (Each team had a different supermarket brand plastic bag. )

Within 5 minutes of the first clue my team were in trouble. It was teaming with rain, pitch black and the ground was so flooded the path had become a blur of watery bogginess merging into the surrounding woodland and we were off track! Fortunately, daughter number 1 had been hiding in the woods waiting to jump out and scare us and was able to tell us that 'no' the bridge we were about to cross wasn't part of the plan and we needed to turn back.

What followed was a disaster. The team who had clues left in orange plastic bags wouldn't have had a problem, but my team was one of two who were allocated white plastic bags with different logo's. Please appreciate that in the dark and in the wet it was very difficult to ascertain which were which. We somehow ended up finding the wrong teams clues!

We continued on what turned out to be a treasure hunt of treacherous proportions. As the only adult I bravely encouraged my small team over bog, quarry, rabbit warrens and barbed wire fence! (Yes, we got so lost we were hemmed into a quarry with no escape but to climb over fencing.) When we finally made it back (last) to home base, freezing, drenched to the skin and with great relief, I could barely find it in myself to speak to my other half.

Needless to say if you were to ask any of the children present they would remember it as the best party EVER! Me ? I'm saying nothing!

(PS My beloved has since confessed that within minutes of setting off to set up the treasure hunt the master plan had become a soggy and unreadable map of disastrous consequence!)