Saturday 25 January 2014

They Call This An iPhone Dump.

Here goes a post with some photo's before Christmas.



P had to wear a Christmas jumper to school, this is what we came up with on the morning. The glue I used on the shoulders meant that she smelt toxic till 10.



T had a day of school sick, although she looks really well here, she was more than happy to have a day on the sofa just colouring.



Long days of Chirstmas prep finally took it's toll and naps in the early evening were required.


This is me waking her up from another nap with sherbert sweets, the only way she would open her eyes. Great hair.



With so much sleeping P and I potato printed cards for school late one night.
The red berries are her pointer finger.


All these photos are blurred, but they are of T watching the Goonies for the first time.



Veggie wraps in seaweed. Really good.

CM

Saturday 18 January 2014

Nativity and Tree

Finally one of my children were in a Nativity.
P was an Angel and I had to put in in a white pillowcase, wings, T shirt and tights
I was going all out.


That's a vintage linen pillow case with a bias binding neck.
Too much?

There was a note to decorate with gold tinsel. P chose where to put that.



When I was about six we lived in the back end of South Africa, I mean in the middle of nowhere, so much so unless you were cargo, you flew in and out.
We were a small community of families with links to the mines, diamonds I think.
There was an outdoor nativity which involved the 'towns' children and there were real donkeys, I might be imagining a camel and we were in the desert and I remember it being night.
My mum made the angel costumes I don't remember participating because I think I threw a weepy fit and didn't want a part of any of it but I do remember the feel of the white crepe paper dress and silver tinsel.
So fragile and delicate. So begins the love affair of the Christmas fairy and all those delicate Christmas ornaments.

I think P looks like the Christmas Guinness Fairy from my families Christmas tree she is just missing the harp.



I think we  bought the best tree ever this year, wish we could have kept it forever.

CM



Sunday 12 January 2014

The Run Up To Christmas

Last days of November brings oldest friends fortieth and T's 7th.

Its and early start, you've got to be dressed and breakfast in before there is time for presents, cards and seeing what cake mum and dad have come up with this year.

For T is was a non uniform day at school.
Such a beautiful dress, a handmade sent from Madrid that will soon make it's way on to other family.


P bought T that pink dog unicorn thing and a pear, her favourite fruit.


Then it was off to town without this gift for oldest friend's birthday cream tea.
That is Hello Kitty Liberty tape if you look closely.



Never had a cream tea before. 
They are awfully filling and very sweet. Don't think I could have one every year. LH tells me that there is a savory tea room with scotch eggs in the town where she lives. I wonder if they serve beer and ploughmans instead of champagne?



I have a lovely afternoon perched on a tiny chair balancing teacups and pots of hot tea on small overcrowded tables.

Dinner is at an Italian restaurant because it serves the pizza that T once made, ate and liked. She liked it but she doesn't want to eat it ever again.

That night she wants never wants to take her new headphones off. Do you remember that feeling?



Saturday morning brings a treat for T.
A ride on a horse, not a lesson just a trek up on the hill.

T thinks Max is amazing and cool.



When Max is brought out to ride, P pretty much points at him and yells it's a donkey!
Much to the disgust of the stable girls.

I feel she isn't that wrong.
P is nearly 4 and the same height as the pony.


Part of me thinks that I could have got down on all fours, crawled up the hill and achieved the same feeling.
T is happy and so are we. Up early and out the house looking at the view.
What could be better.

CM

Saturday 4 January 2014

Serious Science

Instead of heading back to the Christmas market in Winchester, we decided to visit the
Science Center and Planetarium. More info here



Can you see my children running to the front door?
That's a future nerd alert.



Is that a typhoon you're making?
Better test your running time whilst we are here too.



So competitive in their cells.



With one of these ball in the air machines P just can't resist this all afternoon.



 Some would say think about the problem others just dance.





Family make and do.


Time for home, overheated and exhausted.

I think when we got back it was time to get into Christmas.



And it is still stormy out there.

CM

Wednesday 1 January 2014

Carols at Winchester Cathedral.

I was just thinking, I need to update my blog before the new year, but it is New Year!
Where did the time go?

In December when school was out we drove to Winchester to go to hear the carols sung by those boys in red and white, and there are girls too, to really kick off our Christmas spirit.




The girls really love a travel lodge and would happily just stay in the room.
Is our home really that bad?

The plan was to wander the Christmas Fair that wraps itself round the Cathedral, get some dinner somewhere, watch the carols, get a good nights kip.

Here is what actually happened.


It took forever to get there, I asked G to plan the route, although there was nothing wrong with it, it felt like we were going round the houses and I got grumpy.
P slept all the way, T didn't.

The rain was awfully miserable but we were wrapped up and ready for it.
There are sheds around the Cathedral and various gift wares are sold from these.



I thought that we could buy all our Christmas presents from here but actually, it was a bit pricey.
I saw about five things I would have liked to buy but didn't.

In the middle of all this festive cheer is one of these.


Which resulted in the girls asking me, can we go ice skating?

Can we go ice skating?
Can we go ice skating?
Can we go ice skating?
Can we go ice skating?

No! because we are going to hear Christmas carols in the there!

Confusion followed for them.

I skipped the tea and went for the mulled wine, I was pulled by the wrist and I lost half of it into my folded umbrella.

Dinner was a stall that sold sausage and cabbage, confusion then for G but happiness at all these delights.


Then confusion again from the girls, why could you make such pretty treats and then fill them with marzipan?

Ok. The reason we are here is because I had heard the Cathedral Choir on St. Swithins Day and had just been so moved at the sound that I went on a mission to get tickets for a Christmas concert.
I rang the box office in July and asked them what had to be done, oh, they don't go on sale till about September, no we don't advertise the date because they sell out straight away.
Helpful.

Well it turns out they do advertise the selling date on the Cathedral website and by now I'd spoken to a few different box officers and I knew that it was the Lord Lieutenants Christmas Concert was the one we were going to see.
AND the tickets do sell out as you refresh the page, Glastonbury tickets would have been easier.
There are no discounts for children, so an affordable cost of four tickets gets you on row XX with not many rows behind us.
But your ticket helps fund a chorister so all good.



This shaky one shows us post empty your bladder and tuck in your shirt before we sit down.
We had a few glances from camel coats, I couldn't work out why.
I think it was, why are you bringing small children to this.
They can handle it and so can I.
I was on it. Small ornamental suitcase with colouring in things if it all got too much for small pain in the neck.
We were all excited.

See.



I now know why you can't bring small children and it's not their fault.
It's the fault of beautiful architecture.




The choir starts at the back around the big tree with Ding Dong Merrily On High, fantastic.
Then makes their way, WAY down the front, and we are at the XXXXX back.
When I was here in the summer the choir were in front of me and as they sung mass the sound washes over you. It's incredible what ever your choice of faith.

This evening as they sing, you can't move and no one does because if you do, you loose the sound, especially at the back.
Still, is an understatement.
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa is the special guest and knocks out Pie Jesu and we have to be still.
Unless you are accompanying on the piano, you don't move.

So opening an ornamental suitcase for the colouring in things and using the sharpener wasn't easy. The girls did not speak but P's leg was fidgety more than once and people around us had paid money and I wanted them not to be upset.
When she needed to go, there was no way to make it to the loo without sounding like a bull so we slipped out the back.
When we came back in there was a big carpet door mat to drown the sound of our 1940's partner dancing to White Christmas before we took our seats.
Special memory.


T melted my heart completely by bursting into tears.
What wrong?!
Nothing. It just sounds so beautiful.

My seven year old can be a still as a pin, but she cannot cry quietly.
Culture with kids is very exhausting.

If you want to hear one of the most beautiful tearful versions of Over the Rainbow click here
You need to scroll down to the bottom of the page and you will see the link

Lovely New Year to you all

CM