Fireworks and the Costa Christmas menu 

As many of you may know, this blog has been around for over a decade now. I thought for today I would go a little old-school and just have a quick update on life at the moment. Primarily around fireworks and the Costa Christmas menu.

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As I write this it’s a Tuesday. Remembrance Day, to be precise. The weekend just gone must have been one of the quietest I have had in a long time.

I had the kids on Friday night, having spoken to Mel and swapped them from my usual time of having them on a Saturday. There was no real reason for this other than it freed up my weekend and also gave me a chance to try and plan something to do on Friday night with them.

We had initial plans to go to a fireworks party that night. A text message arrived an hour or two before I was due to pick the four of them up.

It was middle daughter texting to say that she wouldn’t be seeing me that night as she was now having a sleepover at a friend’s house. It seems odd that all of the kids are growing to an age where they now have their own freedom.

I don’t begrudge them their time with friends as I know I was the same at that age, and I like the fact that they are comfortable enough to know it’s an option they have.

That left me with just the three kids to entertain. By the time I’d picked them up, I’d had a message from the friend who was going to attend the firework display with us saying that her car had broken down. We were unable to get into the venue without her, so I prepped the kids that the fireworks display may not happen and told them why.

We were unable to get into the venue without her, so I prepped the kids that the fireworks display may not happen and told them why.

The youngest two have started swimming lessons again at the local school - the same school that the eldest two now attend, as it happens.

Mel has somehow found the money to pay for their lessons, and though I help out financially where I can, Mel has chosen to bear the brunt of paying.

By the time the two youngest had finished their lessons (which overran because of a school water polo match, I kid you not!), I’d had confirmation that our trips to the fireworks had been cancelled. Nic, who we were due to go with, and her other half, Chris, had both had long and exhausting days and weren’t up for it at all.

The kids took the news fairly well, though the eldest fairly swiftly insisted that as recompense I should take the three of them to Costa. It was a move that I feigned annoyance at and briefly declined to go before “giving in”. It’s all an act, of course. My kids know me well enough to know I’m happy to go to Costa at any time.

It had only been the night before that I had met up with Nic, Chris and Loz for the late-night opening of our local Costa store, where they launched their new Costa Christmas menu.

Much Costa Christmas drinks sampling was done, and by the time we had worked our way through Gingerbread Spiced Lattes, Brownie Hot Chocolates, Black Forest Hot Chocolate and Toffee Nut Lattes, we were caffeined out.

In true British spirit, we had felt guilty at the free samples, so had also bought ourselves some coffees of our own when we had been there, and looking back I’m surprised anyone managed any sleep that night, so high was the caffeine consumption.

by DannyUK

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