Friday 30 December 2016

December

Busy busy busy, Christmas fun, crafting, family, parties.

Rob made a wreath with the tree trimmings.

 Fun with hexbugs.


We went to Waddesdon with mum.  It was gorgeous.  They've set up a fire outside the cafe, with sheepskins on the chairs.  A perfect spot for hot chocolate.



The lights were beautiful.  I love these ones in the trees.


Every 15 minutes the house is lit up to music.





There was a light installation by Bruce Munro, thousands and thousands of lights gently changing colour.  Phone photos do not do it justice.


The gardens were lit up too.


Rob and I went to his work Christmas party.  Meanwhile Mum took the kids to the local panto. They *loved* it, and Betsy persuaded us to get tickets for later in the month.

We made some Christmas decorations.





We met friends in the woods for games and mince pies.




We went to Mead Open Farm for their Christmas activities.  There was an Elf School, a 3D film, winter wonderland, and Father Christmas.  The kids *loved* it (so much to love this month!)











Meg lost a tooth, and took the opportunity to ask the tooth fairy for an increase.


We had a great time at the Christmas Fair at TVAP.  Each family had a stall.  There was guess the name of the teddy, guess how many marbles in a jar, lucky dip, a tombola, craft stalls.  We had a nerf shooting range, and sold decorations.    It was lots of fun.


Zoe's family hosted a Sostice party in the woods behind their house.  Singing, games, food.


Rob and I got zoo membership for the kids for Christmas, so we took them on the 23rd.


I decorated the Christmas cake.


I worked on Christmas Eve.  Rob's parents arrived.  I planned for the big dinner, 13 people this year!

Christmas Day was so busy, I only took these photos!  A lovely (exhausting) day.



Boxing Day.


A friend's birthday party in the woods.  Meg made the card with a kit she got for Christmas.








Tomorrow we are going to see the pantomime, the final performance.  Lovely way to end the year!

Happy New Year, here's to 2017.

Sunday 4 December 2016

We had a home-centric week followed by a busier week. Lots of playing - bricks, Playmobil, Roblox.  Betsy spent her birthday money on a DS 2D preloaded with Pokemon Sun, and it arrived to great excitement.  






We did make it out to swimming and parkour.  Swimming has been hit and miss this term, as the teachers have been chopping and changing.  Betsy finds it unsettling, Fred says one week it's too easy, the next week it's too hard.  Not a huge incentive to get up and out before 9am and drive 15 miles.

The next week we were out and about.  TVAP was great - we had a police visit, Fred did some electronics, Betsy and Meg made small books, and some yarn monsters.







On Tuesday it was freezing.  We met up with some friends in a playground.  It was very frosty. The kids walked through the stream and discovered snowboots are not paddle-proof.













When we got back the girls made loads more yarn monsters, while I made Christmas decorations to sell on Friday at Mohawk.



On Wednesday the canal was totally frozen, and we ran out in our PJs to have a look.




We skipped swimming - explored the ice from the pond and played Minecraft instead, but went to parkour.



The kids put out plates with water and nature bits and bobs in, and left them to freeze overnight. Fred put his plate under the trampoline, and it didn't freeze.




On Thursday it was the 1st December - yay!  Eric, Ernie and Ethel returned, along with the advent calendar with the daily cheesy jokes.


So far the elves have stayed up watching a Christmas My Little Pony movie on Netflix, unrolled toilet paper all over the living room, and played with the Sylvanian Families.

It was my mum's birthday on the 1st, and she came over.  We watched Secret Life of Pets, and we had birthday cake.  Later I looked after a neighbour's kids, and they got out Twister.  Lots of fun!


Friday was go-to-Mohawk-and-have-a-stall-at-the-Christmas-Fair day, and sell the decorations I'd made.  Instead, Betsy was sick as soon as we woke up.  So, we stayed home.  Luckily our good friends gave Mohawk a miss and came over for a few hours, cheering us up.

Later everyone played with Lego, pretty rare in this house.



Saturday was Christmas Excitement.  We went tree shopping, accompanied by Eric.





We went to a real life nativity in a nearby village, with kings on horseback, a real baby with his real parents, the local landlady as inn keeper, and real sheep farmers as the shepherds.  There was a tombola, and the kids all won prizes.  We had hot chocolate, sang Christmas carols.  I LOVED it!  



When we got home, Rob and I tidied and sorted to make room for the tree.  The kids plus 3 neighbourhood friends decorated it with much noise and excitement.  It was so lovely.  It's totally messy, colourful, disordered.  Perfect.