Lauren was very pleased with her new bike this morning, especially with the thrill of Riding In The House, (new-and-never-to-be-repeated-birthday-bike privilege). Peter and Daniel and I went to her birthday ring at school this morning. Bikes for kids here these days are branded totally differently for boys and girls, and although I prefer the boys version (cool midnight blue) to the girls version (white with flowery bits and a bag on the handlebars and shiny tassles on the handlebars which Sammy will destroy or lose a life trying), Lauren would have been miserable if we'd bought that one instead.

Lauren will be opening the rest of her presents this evening when Peter gets home.

The bike buying itself, yesterday, was a nightmare. I had Daniel and Robyn with me (left Lauren at school for an extra hour) and they were determined to get on the bikes, try on the helmets, ding the doorbell (Daniel only, admittedly) and generally create havoc. The shop guy looked distinctly panicked when the credit card machine kept getting cut off. Fortunately for him I had my cheque book.