Bingo Night

On Friday afternoon, Hallie, Oliver and I headed off to Mel's house for our sleepover. We all had our pjs and toothbrushes packed. I was just as excited as the kids. We got to Mel and Jackie's house at about 4pm and helped Mel make homemade pizza. It was scrumptious. She used a Tupperware recipe for the pizza base. it is so easy. Maybe you should use it for recipe Monday Toni. Oliver had made himself quite at home - when we got there he was asleep in the car so I laid him down on the bed and when he woke up he didn't come and try to see where I was - he made a beeline upstairs to the toys.

At around 7pm, the guests for Mel and Jackie's bingo night started arriving. All girls of course - this had to be a girly night. How you play the game is like this. Everyone brings a wrapped present under $10 and puts it on a table. Then we play bingo like normal. We had a bowl of numbers that were called out. Once your number is called out, you cross it off. The person's whose numbers are all called out and crossed off and yells out 'BINGO' first, is the winner. We changed the pattern of numbers each time. Sometimes we did a blackout which is all the numbers or we did a cross or one line, even an upside down L which took some of us a bit to work out.


To give the night more effect, Jackie had a microphone set up for the number caller. It was hilarious. You could tell some of the girls had played before. When someone got 'BINGO', they got to open a present and keep it. If someone won Bingo more than once they kept their favourite present they won and put the other one back in the pool. If a person did not get Bingo for the whole night (Emma) then those who didn't drew straws at the end to pick their favourite present from the ones left. Everyone had brought a plate to share so we had tons of food and the night went til about 10.30pm. It was so good to see everyone relaxed and enjoying themselves.


The kids even stayed up til the end too playing pool with Dean, Levi and Jaron out in the shed. I think the guys thought the night was awesome seeing all that food. It was good of them to watch the kids while us girls 'bingoed' on into the night.

After everyone left, Mel Jackie and I chatted until 11.30 and then went off to bed. I was exhausted because the night before, I had stayed up until 2.30am talking to Collette. That's what happens when you have a late game of basketball. it takes ages to unwind.

In the morning Mel made pancakes with maple syrup - oh so yummy and we sat around the table with Jackie talking. At 11am we were still around the table in our pjs talking. It was a lovely morning and it was with reluctance I had to go, otherwise we would have quite happily stayed in our pjs for the rest of the day blissfully doing nothing.


It was a wonderful weekend and I really appreciate Mel and Jackie for opening their home up to me and the kids. Those of you who have been there know what I mean when I say, there is a wonderful warmth and acceptance in their home which makes you feel relaxed and welcome, like you've been old mates for years.