Happy Christmas!

This year Nanny M, Uncle A, and Uncle T  came to spend Christmas with us.

We spent two days playing Articulate, Balderdash, Twister, Snap, Pick-Up-Sticks, Rummikub, Charades, and Polytesque.   

Christmas carols

A fresh, fresh air with cousins :)

The kiddies received some splendid gifts...

...Panda Girl got herself a Bath Bomb Factory...

The house smelt luxurious for days!

...Monkey Girl received a Chemistry Set...

...Ballet Girl got a Forensics Set (and a Harry Potter hoodie!).

...and a rather huge hit was a sewing machine from Father Christmas...

Sleeping bags and a pillow for bestest Blankey 

Blue sky and wind turbines

A Star Wars evening with Uncle T

PROUD MOMENT!

Junior Sea Cadet of the Year

I almost popped with pride at the children's Sea Cadet Annual Prize Giving Ceremony when Monkey Girl was nominated for all three Junior Sea Cadet awards and won two of them:  Best Attendance and Junior Sea Cadet of the Year.

Ballet Girl was nominated for Most Promising Sea Cadet and her division won Best Division.

Hearing the reasons why each of them was nominated was enough to keep me homeschooling for at least another year!  Good girls!  

I am so proud of you!

Australian Catch-Ups and an English Heritage Father Christmas

This little chap was thrilled to see his Godmother from Australia.  He last saw her when he was two so it's been a while!  He made her an awesome egg box/tissue paper creation and wrapped it up in time for a family gathering.

The Boy's Aussie Godmother /Mummy's dear cousin and Panda Girl.

Hanging out with my niece.

And my husband.

Here's the matriarch, Nanny M...

...and here are all her grandchildren!

 We also drank mulled wine/discussed apps with good friends...

 ...and visited Wrest Park for an audience with Father Christmas.

This is the Christmas Tree that the family used in 1856 at Wrest Park, until it became too big to bring inside!  It is now 100 feet tall!

Arboreal chilling.

The local annual Candle-Lit Christmas Carol Service ended in a hot chocolate in the pub with friends.  

Followed closely by a day with friends, cooking, colouring and dancing.

Papa is home for Christmas!

And this Monkey Girl is very, very excited!