the ones i love

Valentine's day is always a fun one. If you're single you can indulge in either extreme margarita drinking or embarrassingly girly film & cookie binge, ​if you're partnered up you have a whole extra day a year to get presents and be all about love. Boyfriends and husbands rarely really indulge much in this little celebration of romance for the sake of it, but once kids come along there are whole new people to shower with love, and chances are they are into any excuse for a party. Pablo was so taken with the idea of a whole day devoted to love that he really did spend all grinning and telling Indy and me that he loved us, and announcing "Happy Calens Day!" to everyone else, because he couldn't quite grasp the word 'Valentine'. He also insisted on making a valentine for his best friend Edie "because I really REALLY love her!" 

​We kicked off with heart-shaped pink pancakes, then I dropped Pablo at Montessori and spent the next few hours running about like a lovecrazed fool on Valentine's errands. Pablo gave Edie her card and balloon after school and she said "Pablo, why did you give me this balloon?" to which he replied "because I love you..." HEART MELT. Then they scampered down the street shouting "I LOVE YOU PABLO!" "I LOVE YOU EDIE!" at maniac volume until we had to separate them by extreme force at the park gates, and they both had a bit of a sulk. 

​After school cupcake and after dinner strawberry and marshmallow mousse for some extra sweetness. We saw the dentist the next day, and she said his teeth were fine... phew. 

Eventually I got my lovely husband home and we managed a whole uninterrupted steak dinner and a bottle of wedding champagne. He brought me a dozen dark red roses. I am really very lucky. And in love. ​

​He's a keeper...

Death by Burrito

So I got older. And I even got a couple of presents from my wishlist, including two pairs of bloody lovely Minnetonka moccasins that I can probably never wear because I forgot I live in rainy London and it's now autumn. Konch took the day off, baked me a delicious birthday cake, and we watched Game of Thrones (I am a full blown addict) in the afternoon - ultimate indulgence. 

​4 layer choc cake! Pablo decided the yellow icing...

Even though many folk like to curl up in a depressed little heap and pretend they aren't getting any older, I've always maintained that despite the inevitable ageing stuff AT LEAST a birthday is an excellent excuse for a party. I countered that lovely, wholesome day with a night out at Death by Burrito with my bestest girlfriends. The food was flawless - my fish tacos were melt in the mouth morsels of batter coated fish in corn tortillas with delicious slaw and a moreish spicy sauce. The pork w/ crackling burrito I tasted was the food of dreams. Helpfully a tequila-only cocktail menu meant the margaritas flowed. And flowed. Cat and Jo entertained themselves with through-window charades, and lovely Lisa gave me a big fizzy birthday sparkler for our petit fours of red and black macarons. I am more and more convinced I could live on just Mexican food (and drink) forever. 

Recovery the next day was EPIC. But both the kiddos kipped at the same time, and I mostly spent the day on the sofa with Pablo watching A Monster in Paris, feeling emotional, and drinking lucozade whilst it poured with rain. Both kiddos thoughtfully kipped at the same time which meant I could too (unheard of!) and Leonie assured me I wasn't alone in my agony with regular text updates...