443.
In what was the last of his birthday celebration treats, Liam had a few friends up for a sleepover. I don't know why they insist on calling it a sleepover - because sleeping is the very last thing they do. Instead, they sit all night watching DVDs, playing on the PC, snacking and talking - each competing with the next to stay awake longest. We try our best to tire them out, usually by telling them to get out in the back garden and run about for a couple of hours. To make our task easier, we connect up the hose and let them have a water fight and leave them to it. They run about the garden chasing each other with the hose and assorted containers full of water, yet all they get is wet - very wet - and not very tired. Even the prospect of having to take all their wet clothes off and wrapping towels around themselves whilst standing in the porch (before setting foot in the house proper) doesn't put them off. In fact, they all came prepared with spare training shoes!. I suppose it could be 'sleepover' because they carry the night's sleep over to the following afternoon! Never mind. One night of chaos (with five 13 year-old boys running amok) is more than compensated for by the following evening's tranquility, as Liam's friends have left and he is zonked out until Monday morning!

Last year I was hiding in the tall grass