We bought some garden furniture last weekend, and this weekend, it decided to be sunny. So I’m right here, on the laptop, sipping a cup of coffee and tapping away at the internet. All going well, this is where I plan to spend as much time as I can over the next few months.

It’s Bobbie’s birthday at the moment. It lasts from the 6th to the 9th due to a bit of confusion about the date of her birthday in her childhood years (she’s the youngest of 12). The real party is tomorrow: a brunch at the Fighting Cocks in Moseley, but the celebration lasts four days solid.

Presents are important when your birthday is closer to a week in duration, and I thought that in keeping with the theme I’d compliment this particular outdoor set with a nicely laid-back Habitat deckchair and a little wooden sidetable for her drink and book.

I also managed to find handmade coconut ice (her favourite) dipped in chocolate (her other favourite), so I definitely had to get that for her as well.

Here come the Germans

Yesterday, Jake came home from his week away on the German trip. It’s the first part of an exchange programme he’s been on before where a bunch of German kids come over for a week’s stay in Birmingham in June - and then the UK kids get to go and stay in Frankfurt in October. On the last night, we usually end up with a couple of Germans staying at our place. This time, we had three: two girls (17) and a guy (18).

Image via WikipediaMicah, Sam and Martin (above with Jake) shared a birthday dinner with us, and Juliet came and joined us too. Yummy Spice Empire (our current favourite) followed by chocolate cake with buttons, and then a game of cards called Phase 10, which was so good, we went and spent the rest of our Christmas Amazon voucher (thanks, Lee!).

Everybody stayed the night (so that’s seven in the house including Juliet) and then dispersed this morning. The Germans are off back home, Bobbie is spending day two of her birthday chilling and going to look at dresses for Greg and Nadine’s wedding in Hamburg, Jake’s upstairs either doing his homework or playing computer games (probably the latter) and I’m - well, I’m where we started.

Outside in the garden, in the sun, sipping my coffee and tapping away at the internet.