Beatrix pottering: Half term holiday, full time fun

Continued...

The third day was all about water. It started with Palma Aquarium, justly highly recommended. We consider ourselves aquarium aficionados - Jemima loves them, so we have been to aquaria wherever we've travelled (this amounts to MANY). And this really was a good one - beautiful coral tanks; brilliant multi-language touchscreen information panels (when they were working); and a lovely outdoor jungle bit with an impressive waterfall. Brody and Jasper were more interested in the sharks, and unfortunately the shark tank (despite being the biggest in Western Europe) wasn't a highlight - not very dramatic, no tunnel, no atmospheric setting. Still, you can't have it all. We did have a restaurant for an easy lunch, followed by a trip to the sizeable softplay area, so the kids were very happy.

After a brief rest at ours, it was off for our final activity of the day: a mass swimming trip. After the usual changing room frenzy (Louise and I getting four children plus a baby and ourselves into swimming gear), we donned our fetching swimming caps and headed out to the pool. (Kevin hadn't thought he'd need a cap as his hair is so short; but the lifeguards were insistent; so he ended up appropriating Summer's, which was amusing - I wish I had a photo.) The baby pool was shoulder deep for the kids, so perfect for a splash and a play - they all amazingly still had the energy to enjoy it, Jemima and Brody spending most of the time underwater. Then back to ours for roast chicken drumsticks, rice, broccoli and sweetcorn, and bed once again - Jacob swapping with Jasper for a sleepover at ours tonight.

After two very full days, we had a slightly quieter plan for Day Four: it was forecast to be hot and sunny, so we were off to the beach! One sun umbrella, two sets of bat and ball, two chairs, four towels, and many buckets and spades - we were kitted out. It was so easy - straight through our building, and out onto the beach. The kids loved it - paddling, making sand potions, building sandcastles, playing games. Glorious fun - what could be better. Then a tiny hop to the marina for a good lunch at the (comparatively reasonably-priced) Diablitos, before either returning to the beach for the rest of the afternoon (most of us), or retiring out of the sun (Sophia and her boys). Then it was pizza for dinner at ours, followed by bed - both Jasper and Brody staying at ours tonight, while Soph and Louise went out for dinner - at Chameli's of course.

And then the final day dawned - which also happened to be my birthday. Despite being laid low with food poisoning since about 5pm yesterday, Kevin conspired with the kids that they should wake HIM up today. So little mice crept around to his side of the bed at 7am, with many loud whispers. There was some group birthday card making, followed by a wonderful chorus of happy birthday from the little voices to wake me up, plus my beautiful home-made cards to look at. A lovely start to the morning.

And it continued well. Brody and Jasper went off with the others to the local hotel for breakfast and fun in their soft play, so we had a quiet time at home getting up slowly (Kevin had returned to bed, still laid low by the food poisoning); before Jemima and I scooted out to Chameli's for breakfast. Her first visit! And of course, another convert: "these eggs are bloody good", she said, to my horror (and amusement). "Chameli's is the best!" We had a lovely time: we'd stopped to buy her a Peppa magazine, so she played with that while I read the Hello magazine Kevin had bought me; then we had some lovely chats while we ate. A brilliant birthday breakfast.

After the final round of retrieving lost items and packing up, it was off for our last adventure: a restaurant with soft play just down the road in Santa Ponça. After a brief change of venue (the restaurant we'd intended to visit was having work done on their play area, so they sent us 20m down the road to their sister restaurant, also with soft play). It's such a genius idea. We could relax while they were thoroughly entertained (apart from the odd argument or injury) until the very minute their food arrived - more restaurants should be like this. Louise and Sophia finished their Spanish trip by sharing a paella (apparently delicious), while I marked my birthday with some good jamón (although sadly not a glass of wine as I was driving, but you can't have it all).

And that was it. We had a little extra drive on the way to the airport to encourage some napping among the tired children (four out of five succumbed, only Jasper holding out); and then our passengers disembarked, ready for their onward journey. Lots of hugs and kisses, and then we were all homeward bound. My birthday dinner was leftover rice and a chicken leg while Kevin put Jemima to bed; but I did have a large glass of red wine with it, and we're going to celebrate my birthday properly another evening.

Today was a good end to an epic few days: we are all tired, but very happy. Wrangling five young children, even with four adults, is not easy. There were some fights, scrapes and near-misses; and as Louise said, sometimes it felt like at any given moment at least one of them was crying. But they also played beautifully, and enjoyed so much together - as did we, watching them. A great week - hopefully one for their memory banks, as Kevin said.

And our next visitor - Kevin's son Ben - arrives tomorrow!