Yesterday it was Father's Day.
We all hopped out of bed, ate breakfast and got ready to go to Mass like we do every Sunday. But on the way back home from Mass we did something we don't normally do.
Dad parked the van outside the supermarket and then he and Mum walked into the shop to buy something special for lunch. They came back a few minutes later. Dad started the van and we drove home.
"Everybody out," Dad bellowed from the front of the van. We all piled out of the van, trotted down the driveway and into the house. Imogen started to unpack the lunch and I smiled as I saw a container of potato salad, a packet of cheese, a bag of rolls, followed by some peppercorn ham and pesto ham. We all tucked into a good lunch.
"Gemma-Rose, go to my bedroom. In my cupboard are some presents," Mum whispered to me after lunch. I dashed off to Mum's bedroom and soon came back out with a big bag of presents.
I chose a present from the bag and walked over to Dad. "Happy Father's Day," I said giving him a kind of square and squidgy parcel, and a big kiss.
Dad opened the present and a smile crept onto his face. "A pair of shorts. Thank you."
Sophie gave him the next present. "Socks! Groovy socks," cried Dad in delight.
"Here you go, Dad," said Charlotte, handing him another present.
"Ooh...arr...Um I can't get into this one," Dad admitted as everybody watched him struggling to get it open.
"Maybe I put just a little too much sticky tape on that," pondered Charlotte.
"Nuts! Yummy hot spicy nuts," exclaimed Dad when he finally got the present open.
"Another pair of shorts! Thank you Imogen," said Dad, taking the paper off another present.
One by one the presents got opened and oohs and arrs kept going round the room.
Mum handed Dad the keys to the car. "Go look in the boot of my car," she said with a mischievous grin.
Dad, Imogen and I headed out to the car. Dad opened the boot and inside was a huge cardboard box. He looked at the side of the box. "Ocean," he read,"You're giving me an ocean?"
"No, no," said Imogen as we plodded back into the house.
"Is it supposed to make all those click clacking sounds?" Dad asked.
"Yes," Mum reassured him.
Dad pulled out of the box lots of black pieces of plastic, then some black square plastic frames and four white plastic boxes.
"It all looks like giant Lego," said Charlotte.
"Does it have any instructions?" Mum asked.
"No. There's only lots of plastic," said Dad.
"I think this part goes here and this one here," Imogen said, helping Dad put up a rather tall tower.
"What is it?" Dad asked.
"Not telling," said Mum.
"Done," said Dad, standing back to view the masterpiece. "It's a cabinet with four drawers, isn't it?"
"Yes. It's for all your stuff that's lying on the table in the other room," said Mum.
After a relaxing afternoon we had dinner and ice cream. We did the dishes and then settled down to watch Oliver Twist. When we had finished that, Mum said, "Callum sent me a text message telling everybody not go to bed."
"Not go to bed?" I asked.
"Yes. We've all got to stay up till he gets home from work."
"Imogen, while we were at the supermarket I bought some crumpets. Do you want to cook some?" Dad asked.
Imogen walked into the kitchen and soon we could hear the kettle boiling and the toaster being placed on the kitchen bench.
We ate crumpets and talked until we heard the front door open and Callum walked into the family-room.
"Good. You are all still up," he said and with that, he walked into the kitchen.
Callum came back a few minutes later with a platter of salmon, olives, a orange dip, cheese and crackers. Everybody scrambled to the table and started filling plates high with cheese and crackers.
"I am full," said Dad as he polished off the last of his crackers.
"So am I," said Mum.
"But it was good," I said, getting up from the sofa.
"We better be getting to bed," said Sophie.
I toddled out of the room.
"Good night," said Mum as she bent down to give me a cuddle.
"See you in the morning ," I said drowsily.
Mum closed the door softly and padded off down the hall.
Everybody enjoyed Father's Day and the feast that came with it. But I was glad it was all over and I could go to sleep.
