Liam's 6th birthday

Technically, he turned 6 on June 15th, but we combined his party with that of his school friend, Matthew Harrison, for Saturday.

It was a blazing hot day (you need to set that description within the parameters of what is meteorologically possible in the North East of England - in other words, it was 22 degrees outside), and it was a great party.

There was a jungle theme at both boys' request (hence the masks and cake) and several girls who turned up in costume (respect due to Natalie's Mum for her two).

The kids first coloured in their animal masks (Liam is the tiger)...

... then they played lots of games upstairs (the pictures show Liam's team having a meditative pause shortly before the Find-the-Chopped-Up-Christmas-Card-Jigsaw-Challenge, Liam dropping his toy frog in the box fractionally before Matthew Dixon in the Toy-Frog-Relay, and Liam doing the Lions' Roar)...

Then they retired downstairs for masses of food, and wrecked a pinata to close.

Finally, here is his cake, another masterpiece from Valeria...

... and film of Liam blowing out his candles - "in one!", as he sought to impress upon all those in his presence. Be warned, the angle of the camerman shifts (idiotically) at the end! Doh.

And, right at the end, a very rare picture of all of us together...