To answer your question.......

Blimey! I didn't expect that many questions! I can't possibly answer all these in one post, because you'd all be bored stiff by the end of it, so I'll start with the easiest ones.

akelamalu, swearing mother and a mother's place is in the wrong asked 'What did you make for tea?' Here's the recipe:

1. Using a food processor, reduce the day old loaf to breadcrumbs. Put it in a little bag marked 'Breadcrumbs' and consign it to the depths of the freezer, in the vain hope that the next time you need some, you will remember where it is


2. Split and butter the hot cross buns and hand them round as a stop gap whilst you......


3. ......put the two tins of tomatoes back in the cupboard and nip out to the chip shop, where, for an amount of money surpassed only by the debt of a small African nation, you can purchase fish and chips for six people.
   
   
   This recipe is not subject to copyright. Feel free to use it anytime.

jennifer, dottie and daryl e wanted to know how old the kids were, how do I manage with five daughters, do they all get on well and would I swap them for boys.

Easy bit: Football Fanatic 19, Singer 14, Fixer 12, Peacemaker 11, Noise 8 (till next week)

People with large families are often asked how they manage it, and the truth is, most of the time you just get on with, because, let's face it, what's the option? You start off with one, and then they just keep turning up, and you just sort of adapt really, without noticing.

It's true that I did things differently once the house was full of kids. For instance, when the Football Fanatic was a baby, I was obsessed with keeping her clean. If she happened to get a smear of chocolate on her face, I would immediately rush upstairs and clean her up with her own snow-white facecloth, dry her with her own snow-white towel and probably change her clothes as well. By the time I got to The Noise, dirt was more of a feature around the place, and my cleaning up babies routine had diminished to either a bit of spit on a hanky or the dishcloth dunked in the washing-up water.

Like I said, I adapted.

I would be guilty of lying if I said they all got on well. The two teenagers appear to despise one another with a passion, seem unable to say a civil word to each other and often have to be physically seperated. I am cheered slightly by the fact that many people have said to me 'I HATED my sister when we lived together, but now we don't she's my best friend'. Hmm....let's wait and see. Perhaps I should point out that whilst they feel it's perfectly normal for them to say and do the most horrible things to each other, they will not let anyone else say or do the same. On occasions when this has happened, they have each turned into tigresses in defence of the other sister and are quite happy to fight one another's corner.

The Fixer and The Peacmaker are probably best friends. They are quite close in age and when they were little they had a secret language of their own. This was fun for them but infuriating for me when all I wanted to know was what they wanted for their dinner. Often, they let The Noise play with them, although this can be quite annoying as she does like things done HER WAY. The Noise has no concept of fear, and will fight any one of the other four. She has even been known to stand on a chair and take on the Father of This Lot when feeling particularly aggreived. In my experience, it's easier to give in.

Would I swap them for boys? Let's see. Well, I have no experience of boys, but I have heard that having a houseful of boys means:

• Television viewing is limited to Match of the Day or Sky Sports News
• Dirty clothes, towels etc. are strewn throughout the house
• They are obsessed with food and constantly eat you out of house and home
• There is always a fight going on somewhere

Swap them? What would be the point?

Okay, I reckon I've bored you long enough. I'll answer some more tomorrow. (This could keep me in posts for a while - keep adding questions)!

The Fixer's award of the day is 'You Crafty Little Blogger'

and goes to Jennie and Kitty in honour of various dolls, bunnies and Sock Monkeys!