Amy Ann and Samantha sit with Mrs Hiscock, who works with all three of these kids in Emil's special needs class

He wouldn't dance with any of them last night, though they all worked on him. Nope. He just wanted to walk around and listen to the music. I'm told that once supper was over, he didn't sit down all night.

Scott and I scouted to find the least busy of the four restaurants in town, and sat ourselves down for a quiet meal, both cursing the Christmas music already playing over loudspeakers. There should be a law— Christmas music permitted in public places one week before, one week after— and that's it. If only we ran the world.

It was too early to drag Emil away from his party when we'd finished eating — Scott had pork chops and I had spring rolls — so this was a perfect opportunity to visit Grandma.

I reminded her that her birthday is on Sunday. "How old am I?" she wondered, and when I told her she'll be 93, she said "Oh! I thought I was still in my eighties."

When I suggested we'd either bring a cake in to her or she could come to our place, she decided she'd like to visit here for the afternoon. So I'll be baking a cake today — she likes all kinds, she said, so had no special request.

We sat with her for about two hours, she and Scott looking through the Margo history book and me reading The James Gang, about the ladies' ball team Karen played on for many years, coached by her father-in-law, Jim. They swear they all avoided playing one certain position because anyone who did ended up pregnant (Jim joked that one husband actually paid to have his wife placed there, and single players were not permitted in that position), and that Karen, who was the catcher, could throw the ball so hard it would knock the ball glove right off your hand.

Finally it was time for Grandma to get ready for bed. When we went to the town hall for Emil he wasn't prepared to leave, naturally. But Scott's teenage niece was, so we brought her home with us and her dad (who runs the recycling station in partnership with the sheltered workshop) brought Emil home later. Emil says he had fun and a year is sure a long time to wait till the next party.