Ready to brave the water

We're (almost) all packed up with very definitely somewhere to go - the christening week of James Richard White (why settle for a day if you can find an excuse for seven?)

We set sail from Liverpool at 10.30 tonight, are scheduled to dock in Belfast eight hours later and, all things being equal, will be in Coleraine in time for breakfast. But there will won't be time for putting our feet up. Hell no.

First it'll be off to Portstewart to park Jamie with my mum for a few hours whilst Vanessa and I visit Tesco to get the food in for the post-christening gathering on Sunday. And then we have to prepare it (that's a posh way of saying we have to make a load of sandwiches).

The next step will be to rendezvous with several friends and family members who will already have made it across from this side of the Irish Sea, before gathering up Jamie once again to head down to the West Strand beach for the annual Portrush Raft Race, stopping en route at the dodgems (for the adults) and mini-rides (for anyone called Jamie).

Then it'll be dinner tomorrow night in Coleraine, early down to The Loft on Sunday morning to get the party food laid out, the christening itself (do you like his outfit?), back to the bar, re-park Jamie at my mum's, a change of clothes and off to Detective Inspector Fitzpatrick's barbecue to the wee small hours.

Monday is set aside for partial recovery coupled with sight-seeing for guests. And, on Tuesday, the Whites and several others will head to Wee John's family's holiday home in Fermanagh - complete with bar and big screen - for a few days of who knows what. I know the Champions League Final is in there somewhere (does anyone know where I can find a Barcelona scarf?) I would imagine we'll need another holiday the following week to get over it all.

Despite failing dismally to update the blog last weekend when I was back for the North West 200, I will try very hard to get on my mum's PC on Monday to stick up a few words and pictures from the christening.

We all hope Sunday will be a very memorable day. (I've even made a personal pledge to "go easy" in the early part of proceedings in order to guarantee I remember at least something about it).

PS I fear all this christening chat has made Jamie nervous. He's just done his third poo of the day, and it's only lunchtime.