A Housewife's Home is her Bouncy Castle

My nephews are here for the night. Accountant is upstairs now telling them to be quiet. After revelling in my sister's misery yesterday, God got me back. I told the boys to go upstairs and clean their teeth, something that you'd think would only take 5 minutes but they managed to draw it out to 15. Anyway, pyjama clad nephew appears before me, and there it is - Compound W and emery board. As I watched him filing away, sprinkling wart dust all over my rug, I knew what was coming. "Auntie Liz, will you do my warts for me!". Oh deep, deep joy.

Non-nephew related news - I got sprung today. My darling husband has never had the best taste, apart from when he bagged me (naturally). Christmas and birthdays have always been disappointing. I picture diamond earrings, a weekend in Paris, beautiful handbags. He buys me a duck trinket box and a book on dog breeding. One Christmas, he outdid himself and bought me a set of, wait for it.... coasters! Not just any coasters, like tasteful leather or marble ones, no, he gets me coasters with photos of odd little dogs on!. His reasoning being that I like dogs and I drink tea. I like dogs as much as the next person but this was going too far. Look at the pic and I think you'll understand. Anyway, I didn't have the heart to throw away such a thoughtful offering but was too proud to put them on display where people would actually see them and, god forbid, think that I liked them! So they became handly little coasters for under the wheels of my sofa to protect my floor where they've lived happily ever since. Until today... which brings me on to my next dilemma.

I bought a ballpit for Chickie last week as it was such a bargain and he really loves it. Unfortunately, once inflated, it is the size of a small car. My immediate thought was to extend the house. Lucy Wucy thought it might be a slight over reaction. Accountant said it was an unaffordable reaction. So I decided to swap the living and dining rooms around to accommodate the new giant inflatable submarine. Upon moving the sofa, accountant made the shocking discovery that his loving gift had not been as appreciated as my oscar winning performance upon receiving them had led him to believe. Oops.

Anyway, I really don't know what to do about this ballpit. A trivial matter I know but my home really is my castle (now a bouncy one!) and anyone who knows me will tell you that I'm obsessively tidy. My carefully controlled and organised house v my child's happiness? Hmmmm.....