For once I�m actually thankful that I feel tired at 1am. I tried breaking out of the habit of going to sleep around 6am and waking up around 3pm but after one night I just went straight back into my new routine. It�s like my body recognises that it doesn�t matter when I sleep, as long as I do it.

I went into town today with Lewis to get the last of the bits for Ma�s birthday. We both got huge banana milkshakes and almond croissants then went and sat along the river bank. He got stung by a wasp and I peed myself with laughter. I�ll miss these stupid moments when I can�t have them every day.

The house is obsessively clean and tidy right now (Ma has high standards and it�s her birthday tomorrow/today so I wanted her to be happy). I�ve even finished cleaning and organising all of her kitchen cupboards and drawers - at first I didn�t think she cared, but she keeps dropping hints about how there�s still this cupboard or that cupboard I�ve yet to go through. Obviously some people don�t mind my OCD habits as much as others.

She�s with Roy staying in some castle near Bath at the moment � lucky woman.

But we�ve prepared her birthday surprise as best we could � I figured that with it being my little cousin�s birthday as well, Ma never really gets her own treat. So we got some birthday balloons that are all blown up and attached to shiny purple ribbon � ready to be hung outside the front door. There�s a big banner to go across the living room and these adorable paper lanterns with cut out shapes strewn out across the room waiting for the tea lights to be lit. The huge Chinese lantern that we want to set off at dark has been painted with flowers, butterflies and �Happy Birthday Mum!� in water paints.

Her presents are wrapped and we found the cutest blue bear Mum card with kids baking a giant cupcake on the front. Which is exactly what we did � it�s actually pretty yummy if I do say so myself (we had to cut at it a bit to make the two parts fit together) even if it isn�t as big as it�s supposed to be (bloody thing wouldn�t rise!). It�s been covered in vanilla buttercream frosting, pink edible glitter bits and mini white chocolate stars. I even put a little rim of white and pink mini marshmallows around it! I also cut a little bit of purple wire off of my craft kit and bent it into the shape of the word �Mum� and a heart, and then stuck it on the top of the cake.

We also have sparkling candles (like sparklers at fireworks, only birthday candles!!). So I think we did pretty well myself. It�s the thought that counts anyway, right?

She decided she wants enchiladas for dinner, so I�m aiming to have them ready for her by the time she gets home at 5. I�m actually sort of excited *giggles* I love surprising people!!

And in the spirit of family and all that�s nice and what not, I invited my Grandma to come along. I know neither one of us is talking, but I thought that perhaps I should let bygones be bygones for the sake of Ma and let her have some more family around on her birthday. I�m hoping she doesn�t get funny with me, but chances are she won�t try to break the peace. We�ve both said what we needed to say, and that�s that. I�m not into long term animosity � I accept the fact that some people won�t change, and I embrace the knowledge that I don�t need them in my life � but I�m not entirely mean, and aside from being civil, often outright friendly, to the people I don�t care for anymore, we may yet be able to have some semblance of a relationship in the future if she can temper down on the stuff that drives me nuts. I think she understands this anyhow.

So what else is new? I�ve listed like 100 things on eBay in the past week. I still have roughly 200 more to go, but I can�t deal with it all at once. Next weekend I�ll list everything else me thinks, it�s all enough for now (enough to pay Ma and Lisha back and pay for the bits I�ve been purchasing online anyhow). Ma and Lewis had a big dig around and came up with a bunch of stuff for me to sell for them. Well, when I say Lewis had a dig around, I mean I emptied his wardrobe and held items up to him asking for a nay or yay before organising his remaining clothing for him.

Sometimes I don�t know what that boy would do without me *rolls eyes*. Only joshing.

Cad that he�s been lately has broken up with his girlfriend. I knew it was coming and I�d been urging him to stop ignoring her, so he finally listened to me and it�s over. I don�t think he�s in the least bit bothered, I gather him and Dan have found sisters they like. Boys!

Ma has found her wedding dress, jewellery and shoes. She�s also been baking up a storm in an attempt to decide whether she wants heart shaped shortbread as decorations or not. I don�t mind, so long as she doesn�t rope me into all this baking too. I got enough of a headache staring at so many pairs of ivory satin shoes � and we totally don�t have the same taste which didn�t help. I think she�s found the wedding ring she wants too, and decided on meals and desserts. Thank god. I�m really not much of a wedding person � I don�t entirely know what it is, but they always seem a little trite to me.

But for Ma I�ll get into it as much as I�m able. She�s lucky I�m not going to purposely wear green as it is *winks* I still have six months to choose an outfit and write a poem. That�s plenty of time!

My super spring cleaning is pretty much done. I did decide to blitz the back garage one more time before I�m completely satisfied, but that will have to wait until Tuesday. Tomorrow, aside from sorting Ma�s birthday shiz out, I need to take pictures of everything left to sell and then haul it up to my Room. Which is easier said than done when the borrowed camera I�m using likes to eat batteries every five seconds. Why oh why did I sell my digital camera?!

A moment of weakness earlier in the week led to me trying to ring Howie, and I sort of don�t know why I bothered. Maybe I�m being stupid, or maybe he just doesn�t like me as much as I thought. And no, not in THAT way, but I thought we were partial kindred spirits. I say partial, �cause I�m like the super-exciteable-smile-at-everyone-cry-at-everything-purple-feathers-in-your-hair-and-love-everything-pretty kind of no nonsense smart gal, and he�s more of a couldn�t-give-a-shit-if-he-tried-tough-attitude-and-serious-expressions kind of no nonsense smart guy. Yeah, you see what I mean?

*sighs real big*

Did I mention Norway last time? I can�t remember if I did, but I keep thinking about it and I really hope it happens! I asked Ma for return flights to Trondheim in Norway in January for my birthday/Christmas present (these kind of presents are okay coming joint �cause they�re big and fuck awesome). I�ve scoped out some hostels near to where I want to go and so long as I have about �400 spare by then it�s a go!! I�ll hopefully get to see the Northern Lights and polar bears in the wild and soak up some Norwegian culture while I�m at it � so so so excited!

Gah. Please let me get a job next month so I can do this � it would be truly amazing! Even better, let me also get the academic achievement award, and then I definitely don�t have to worry about not going!

Gosh, I keep forgetting it�s approaching so fast. Every time I think it�s going to be nothing out of the ordinary, and nothing to be nervous about; I stop and think �In what possible way could starting University and moving to a completely different city all alone ever just be ordinary?� It�s refreshing and exciting, is what it is.

I hope I love my classes, and I hope I love the new friends I make. I don�t have to worry about loving the City I�ll live in, because I already do!

*squeals* Perhaps I should lay off the sugar?

Right, well I�m off to get some shut eye before another busy and fun day starts! And smile people; I like you, whoever you are. And maybe you like me a little too :-) (Against your better judgement no doubt).

Yeah, definitely gotta stop with the fucking sugar. (After the cupcake of course)

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