The trouble with this time of year.

It all started back in April. 

This time of year completely does my head in.

For one thing, too many birthdays.  Starting with Josh's and his cousin at the end of April, and tracking through to Sarah and Issy in early June, there's four family celebrations and three birthday parties to organise, plan and carry out.

It's six weeks of excessive consumption.  There's pre dinner nibbles, take away dinners, restaurant meals, not to mention family birthday cakes, party birthday cakes and school cupcakes.

This was our dinner on the Queens birthday.  Classy?  

That's a lot of cake mix, and buckets of icing.  I've eaten so much icing. There's always icing left over.  So I eat it.

And the champagne.  Because there's so much to celebrate.  And the red wine.  Because it's cold outside.  And milky coffees, because I need caffeine to keep me going.

AND to make it worse, it's dark, oh so dark in the early morning.  So there ain't no early morning runs going on.  No way.

I'm NOT going out there in the dark and cold at 6am.  I'm just not.  No way.  Nup.  Not til we're well shot of the solstice.

So that leaves exercise for after school drop off, which takes a chunk out of the day that I always resent, or I just don't do it.

At least I'm doing some group sessions with my friend who is a personal trainer.  Because once you commit to a session you feel really crap if you cancel out.  I'm not saying I haven't cancelled out (usually for questionable reasons), but I don't do it very often.

I'm even missing yoga.  Not cardio but strong and stretchy stuff.  Which is lovely.  I've written about it here.  Although I'm missing the last three weeks of term due to real life coming up and smacking me down.

So at least two kg have come to visit.  And they're not going anywhere.   I try every day.  But not hard enough.

It would be helpful if I stopped eating chocolate after dinner.  Or having two coffees.  Or eating the kids leftovers.  Nothing new here under the sun.

And ended here.  It's over.  Sort of. 

So now the birthdays are over.   And so must be the self indulgence.  Except we're going on holiday next week.

And I'm not planning on being all Diety McDiety pants when I'm on holiday, because what sort of a holiday would that be? I've got better things to worry about.  Like what cocktail I'm having next.  Or the classic beach or pool paradox.

Might have to be four kilos I'm losing instead.