In which I declaim on the weekend's minutae

The weekend has been good but rushed. Saturday was a blur of ferrying children from one place to another. The basketball was not a success: they lost 83:8. They had not played with each other before so they were just finding their way. Then I had to drive from Tuggeranong to Watson to deliver Miss S to a party. It wasn't too bad as we were listening to Zizou Corder's Lion Boy. Highly recommended. One character, a cat, was telling the lead character that his name was Serge. He explained that his father had loved music. Ah, Gainsbourg, declared my children. Alas, it was Rachmaninov. Because Miss S was partying and dislikes most fish, Miss I and I ate grilled salmon, peas and boiled potatoes for dinner. She loves "pink fish". Today I cooked. Pastry which went into a tarte tatin, lasagne, focaccia (I didn't think this worked - more like a pizza bread but nice to eat just the same), chocolate brownies and a moroccan orange cake. This latter is from a foolproof Sophie Grigson recipe. I have even made this, put it in the oven and then realised that I have forgotten the sugar, taken it out, stirred the sugar in and the cake has turned out ok. It's a measure and stir recipe. I helped the children with some homework. Miss S has to do a boardgame based on a book and she had the idea to do something based on the alethiometer in Northern Lights. An ambitious choice since now we are trying to construct questions around it (she was adamant she didn't want a snakes and ladders scenario). The father of my children returned from a trip to China today and came round to see the girls. He brought Miss S a Custo top which I coveted, Miss I an adorable set of tiny teapots and me a Kate Spade bag which was pretty nice of him. We also looked after our nearly one year old friend this afternoon while his parents went to the movies. He was an adorable little thing to have around. I parked him on the kitchen counter with some wooden spoons while I rolled pastry and he was very happy. The girls adored having him around. His parents came in having been to see Monster and looking a bit shell shocked so we made them roibus tea and sat them down and then they all stayed to dinner. We ate lasagne, salad and the failed focaccia and then had the tarte tatin with ice-cream. My friend, P, asked if I had made the pasta from scratch for the lasagne. Good grief, as if there isn't enough construction in it without that. I do make pasta and it's a great thing to do with the kids once they can crank the handle for the pasta machine but even I recognise that this would have been verged on insanity. It was an early dinner and our guests were gone by 6:30 so I made cocoa and we watched television for a bit. It has been cold this weekend. I got out my winter weight quilt. I read other blogs and think I should be quilting but how many unfinished projects can I cope with? And I don't get on with sewing machines. Early in my marriage, my MIL gave me a sewing machine but then took it back about a year later when I had no doubt commited some error she wasn't prepared to discuss with me. I only bought one of my own to make curtains for the beach house. I did knit Miss I a snowy white scarf this weekend. She fancies herself as a polar bear cub so this fits her self image well. I don't think it's quite long enough but she was nagging me so much to finish it and let her wear it that I gave in. Another hectic week ahead but I feel more in control.