First and last! She arrived at the front door with a beaming smile.
Her innocent little face lit up as she crossed our threshold.

She had a pink backpack which she informed me held her pj's, teddy and toothbrush.

Even my anti-other people's kids' husband smiled.

Tim had just arrived home. He had had a very long day and his feet were killing him. He was desperate to just sit down and relax.

While the water was heating for his shower he slipped his shoes off and stretched out on the sofa. That was when the little madam stormed in about to snitch on my son for having a biscuit.

"Pooh, it stinks in here," she yelled. "Why does it stink in here?" her hands on her hips, she demanded an answer as to what it was that offended her nostrils so badly. Tim's face flooded with colour. Ok, he did niff a bit but it was far from a full on stench, poor bloke.

Feeling rather protective of my man, I told her that the odour was the smell of her dinner which would be ready in five minutes and if she did not eat it then she would have to go home for food.

Next up was the meal. I admit I had hardly slaved over it but it was exactly the kind of food which her mother had said she would enjoy.

As the rest of the family happily tucked in, she pushed her food around her plate, her nose stuck firmly up in the air. "I don't want this" she sulked. Gritting my teeth I smiled "are you not hungry?" "I don't like burnt food" she grumped.

Tim struggled to contain his laughter as I inspected the offerings. It was cooked to perfection. "That is not burnt bits, it is seasoning," I inform her. "It stinks," she replied. I was ready to ship her back home to her mum!

For the next hour, the children were ordered to play nicely, over and over again.

Why these kids are mates is beyond me as all they do is scrap. The friend had no chance against my two once they ganged up. To be fair to them though, they rarely started the arguments.

Every other minute I had a tug on my dress "Lyndsey, they're picking on me." I half heartedly told the children not to pick on her but they were obviously sick of her whingeing too.

To my surprise I had no problem getting the children to bed. My two were ready for sleep and the blissful deafness that comes with it. The fiend (sorry, friend) had no intentions of sleeping. I allowed for a certain amount of traipsing round as after all, who doesn't have trouble getting to sleep in a strange house. By 9.30 though she was pushing it. We needed that girl asleep!

I went upstairs for the tenth time and asked if she was okay. "I can't sleep because the cat is in here and it stinks," she whined. Poor puss looks up at me and I had to hold back the urge to throw the child out instead of the cat. Sandy always sleeps with my daughter for a little while each night as my girl believes she keeps away the night monsters.

Obviously not all monsters! At 10.45, I finally discovered her snoring.

I opened my eyes before 7am. The kids were running about like loonies.

That is going too far! Nobody ever, ever wakes me up in the morning. I fly into their room and grab the nearest child, her. "Ok, home time!" I have her dressed, and stand tapping my toes while she eats breakfast.

Next I throw on her coat and push her out the front door. I arrive at her house and realise from the lack of lights on that her parents are still in bed. Tough!

Her mother is at her door a few minutes after the frantic door bell is rang. She does not look surprised. "I had a nice time," little girl smiles, "can I have another sleep over next weekend?" Her mum looks at me. "Erm, maybe when your older" she replies.