The timing didn’t work out for having her party closer to her actual birthday, but yesterday was the day. Fiona had invited six friends, but only four could make it. We rented a 9-seater minibus for the day and drove to the Coronel adventure centre in Huizen for three rounds of laser tag and DIY pizza (they provide the dough and pizza toppings, everyone puts on a disposable apron and gloves, and prepares their own) afterwards. Alex got a little tense, but we all had a great time. Lots of running around with big grins, and 10-year-old-serious team strategy sessions between games.
It was a beautiful day, sunny and about 14°, and when we got back all the kids went out into the back garden to poke things (rotten pears still lying around from autumn) with sticks (blown down from the huge dead tree that I need to get taken down). Abi and I, exhausted, went for a bit of a lie down. Amazingly, Fiona and two of her friends still had enough energy to go along to their dance class half an hour later.