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.

The rest of the month in pictures

What with making presents every night, I haven't made time to blog much this month. We have done some cool stuff though, so here are a few highlights in photos.

We were lucky enough to get lots of snow when we visited Rob's parents before Christmas. We went on a steam train too, with sherry, mince pies, Father Christmas and presents.

I made Meg's stocking (she was too little for one last year).

I did some embroidery for the first time. I like it!

Freddie loved his Skylanders present so so much.

Meg was ill just after Christmas, and needed lots of cuddles.

I am looking forward to non-Christmas crafting now. I have balled the yarn from my first ever shawl club. It's the Easyknits Sushi-Shawl-Along Club. A delicious knitted rectangle of hand dyed yarn arrived. You ball it, then knit the shawl pattern it comes with. It's way easier than balling a skein, I always get tangled up with skeins. Can't wait to cast on!