Falalalalalalalala

God that went fast! Christmas came and went in a mad rush to open every single present in under 20 minutes, along with a good meal and the usual three desserts, kids actually getting along and lots and lots of dancing, thanks to Xbox 360.

It was a great day- can't believe though, how much preparation is needed. But we had loads of help especially from a fab sister in law and now we can just sit back and relax for more than another whole week away from work!!

Mae loved it all. She and her cousins got along great guns and even though little Andrew almost ended up superglued to the kitchen table (bad auntie Jen), it all went off without a hitch.

Here's her new elephant, Mom, which was a hit. ALMOST as good as a real live hamster! She was actually speechless, and has said ever since that she can't believe she got a real live pet for Christmas. And when we showed her Bruce, the new Chinese Dwarf Hamster, he was gamely hanging from the roof, which was a feat we hadn't seen him accomplish up to that point. Go Bruce!

Christmas pj's, also courtesy of mom. But loads of other cool gifts, and a big thank you from all of us.

One of three desserts at the end of a very long day in the kitchen. But I might do it again in a few years. Next year, Colonel Sanders will be cooking!!

The requisite Christmas photo. Andrew was quickly losing it, but this was good. Then I told them to make funny faces.

I think only Mae heard me!

Christmas

Is in my pantry. Notice:


Nanaimo bars ready to be drizzled with chocolate.
Margharita mix and tequila ready to be drunk. Really ready, although the Highland Park is waiting it's turn as well.
Christmas cake and christmas pud waiting for pomp and dessert circumstancing.
Holiday cereal ready to be fought over. There are three cocopops there, thank god!
Gingerbread and a load of Chezch goodies (thanks to a friendly mum) in tins and disappearing fast.
Brussel sprouts on stalks wanting to hook up with the chestnuts!
Crackers for pulling and LOADS more.
Hopefully we are ready for the onslaught of in-laws!!

(Mustn't forget the turkey tomorrow, mustn't forget the turkey.....)

And windows dressed and ready as well. It's so nice to have a sill to put things on and they open nice and wide. And I can reach the openings, which is a bonus for windows in Britain, which are generally made only for very tall people. so Yay!

Today

Trees snipped down! The poor willow looks like it's been scalped, but I am sure the neighbours at the back appreciate a little more light.

Tomorrow, new windows!!

Okay Okay

No bacon fudge. I thought it would meet rapturous applause myself. I guess I will stick to plain old chocolate.

Have been busy decorating the house and am lamenting my lack of a mantle shelf over the woodstove, but saw a nifty idea on the net, so stole and adapted it! Lovely, huh! Better than bacon fudge.....?

Gifts for Teachers

I am not really a fan of some people at the local school. Especially in weather like this, barely an inch of snow and the kids can't play outside. My blood boils, in fact, at the ineptitude, at time, of the management of the school.

Anyway, enough of the negativity. I do like Mae's teacher alright. And there are some very nice staff there and of course I would like to do something. Something nice, but something a bit crazy as well.

And then I stumbled upon the best thing ever.

Does this look Yummy?

Getting Ready

Santa and Christmas (By Mae Cranmer)

Santa felt sick. He coont dliver the presens.
Christmas was kansld.
Unles he cood do sum werck.

Then He had an idea. He sed to his self. He went on his slege.
Go roodof he yelld.

He arivd in teh UK. He saw a snoe man.
He sed to his self I know I will yoos that snoeman for christmas he sed.

He trnd his hand and the snoe man came to life.

The end.

Over for another year....

It comes and goes do fast! Now I have two almost-going-off pumpikins in the front porch, but we only carved them Saturday!!! We had a great time on the night, Mae and her friend Rory went to about a dozen houses before ending up at a friends for a party. But you have to do jokes here at a lot of houses before you get your treats, which is different but quite a scottish thing to do. Well, you don't get ainything for nuhhin', now do ye?

Mae's joke was:

Why did the toilet roll down the hill?

Because it wanted to get to the bottom.

She said this in such a deadpan voice I thought she might be doing it in character! Until we got to the first house that gave them candy without them having to tell a joke, and they were SOOOO happy!!! Rory even carried around his joke book he was so nervous! Priceless....

Cruisin'

Mae finally got her big chance, and had her first ride in Ross' fabulous sports car. Ross' first instinct would be to take her out to the coast and get the wind in her hair. But Mae wanted to go through the town, adn I even called the Rowe's, who are a family of 6 and whose 4 kids are all great. They live around the corner and all came out to see the car. Her own little parade! Plus she did get to get out into the countryside.

Co-ordination Station

It's not been the case very often in my life that anything around me has coordinated. But I saw this fabric in Nova Scotia this summer and bought a little bit for pillows, as the living room, as stated previously, needs a little pizzazz. So I made this valanc-y thing and it looks quite nice! Better than in the photo, anyway. I've also got these long dangly pinkish-red Christmas ornaments to hang there and they may be a year long item. Why not, give the neighbourinos something to discuss!

And the colour does look better on the couch than the pale blue, so I am happy with these as well! Speaking of neighbours, another one asked me to a Body Shop party in a couple of weeks, which, although I hit the Body Shop only during sales, I am happy to go to as it's nice being social and I am always game for a little gossip. And I may be having a Pampered Chef party in 2011, so I told her she could come to that. It's weird, this party malarky, though. Like Georgian England, visiting salons, with crappy entertainment and the added bonus of spending too much money. The ones I really hate are Partylight, the candle parties. What the hell? I am not going to spend a tenner on a tealight. Insane. But back to the sofa. Looks better in real life.

Here's some fog over the hills that I can see through the gap in front. The door is open to let a bit of light into the hall. Looking out through the inside glass door. Sometimes there are cats sitting in here in the sun. I love my house!

And Mae actually got a picture of the cat. Still alive. Waiting for food by the fridge. He's been particularly pissed since we have been more vegetarian. I am killing him slowly with butter and cream. He doesn't seem to mind.

Finally

Gawd! I feel like I haven't had any time at all to blog, but I think the fact of the matter is that we have now moved the computer into the 'playroom' or 'rec room' that I can't be bothered. Although we are all happy to have so much more space, it either feels a bit lonely or Mae tells us to get out when she is playing, and I am not going to argue with a bit of play independence!!

So here it is, in all it's fruit salad glory!! The acid yellow wall was meant to be a bit more chartreuse, and we only bought the apple green couch after painting it. It was the only sofa bed that would fit in the room! So it's quite colourful but what the hell.

And here is the lonely corner where the computer used to be. It needs a load of something, but I haven't found it yet. We'll take our time considering the austerity cuts are coming soon and we both may be out of jobs!!

Also, besides concerns about the future of the economy, we still have to visit friends!! So last weekend we braced ourselves for the cold chill of eastern Scotland and headed to Aberdeen! This isn't Sharon's new house, just Dunottar Castle, for all you Mel Gibson fans. We met the female of the Reid species on the way here for a brisk 2 minute walk (again, cold chill) and a lovely picnic.

Lots of chillin', walkin', playin' to be had. I also got to read some old letters I wrote to Sharon about 20 years ago. Why didn't someone have me psychoanalysed at the time? Thank god I have become so much more balanced. It's very strange to look back at yourself when you are younger, but I certainly had a way with words....most of them to do with bodily functions.

And, as with all of her older sisters, it is taking Laura some time to warm up to me. But I have Claire on my side and that is a pretty good feeling!!

Summer Holidays

This is what I did on my summer holiday. Except for the farty bit.

A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark woods,

A cat saw the mouse and the mouse looked good.

Stupid cat. Those lines were a rip off of the Gruffalo, by Julia Donaldson, by the way. (In case she is a litigous creature)

It wasn't Baked Beans, but his evil brother Toast who did the dastardly deed. And now I have to bury the poor thing somewhere in the garden this afternoon.

I haven't really been in the garden this week as I have been sick with a bad cold- so when I went out to feed the birds just now I realised how warm it was so took a stroll and some photos for your enjoyment, or disgust if you think it's messy.

I got rid of these two monsters on Tuesday and someone was going to pick one up to replant it, but she didn't show and it died. What a waste!! But there will be loads of room to show off a few of the nicer things in the garden and fit in some raspberries (which I need to order today) and a new toilet for the cats pleasure. Any clear ground will do.

We have bazillions of hoverflies this year, and they are supposed to be good but I forget why, and they are not eating any greenfly that I can see, the roses are mostly covered, but the red one below is going to be nice when it blossoms as Mae had been deadheading this summer and they are flourishing! I may need to keep some, oh dear!!

And it's off to school we go!

I know I complain, but that WAS a fast summer! And only five weeks until the next two-week holiday (I wish I went to school in Scotland....sheese!)

One Last Day!!

Oh my god- I swear I have tried. Last night was nightmare Tuesday. Mae ALWAYS has a nightmare on a Tuesday, no exeption. And this morning she came into the room crying that she doesn't want to go to her childminders she just wants to stay with me. So now we are ready to go out the door and she wants to sleep over there. If it's emotional warfare she is winning. I am already exhausted and now it's work time!!

On the other hand and on a lighter note, we went to the Cocobean Company yesterday with friends. We have been before and blogged it before but they have new premises with two giant dinosaurs, a pirate ship and GOLD PANNING!! We got 5 pieces and it was TOTALLY addictive! Plus the fact you come home with chocolate never hurts...

WwwwwwwwwwwwwwwIPEOUT!

Mae doesn't often wipeout, and thank god she did this at her childminders, as I can't cope easily with this kind of thing AT ALL! (Don't think I could cope with Henry, Dana!!). But Mae was really brave, no problems at bedtime and even let me cut off the skin hanging off her hand.
And last night I got given a stone she picked out of her knee. That's a keeper.

Le cousins

I've kinda got these next three posts back to front, as the wedding and holiday are below this one, but these next few pictures happened the last week of our fantastic summer holiday 2010!

We went to the skate park in Halifax and besides sliding and biking around the humps and bowls, we saw a guy get arrested by about 6 cops.

Mae had the best time with Sean and Brianna, and they got on so well we barely saw them from week two of the holiday.

They were pretty excited by the wedding and Sean danced all night. Mae lasted till about 12:30 and they recovered well with a breakfast at Smitty's the next morning. Sean vomited halfway through breakfast (I blame the chocolate milk; Chris blames mum), but that didn't deter him from packing the rest of it away!

Brianna always had a ready, cheeky smile. The last time we saw them was two years ago (terrible, I know!), and she was so much less shy, and I love her to death! I hope it doesn't have to be another 2 years before we see them again.