Christmas came and went, as it always does, and although we have another family celebration later this week I feel like writing about the actual day and getting my blog looking back to normal.
Christmas Eve was spent laughing and sipping tea. We had our ‘Scottish tea’ with Pop and Grams (Garnet’s folks), Mirelle and her daughter. There was Scottish shortbread, cakes of ginger bread, chocolates and bree with crackers. We enjoyed real china tea cups and a large selection of tea to choose from. After the eating came the game playing and we had a rip roaring good time playing ‘extreme uno’. What a lark! We laughed and cheered and a few screamed! It ended pretty early, which was good since we had last minute preparation for the morning yet.
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| (Tea time and cards anyone?) |
What a special year this was with my kids aunt and cousin sleeping over so they could be with us Christmas morning! I hope we can entertain loved ones like this again in the future.
I got up early and had my jog and by the time I got back the children where stirring. My sister and her girl came up the stairs and we worked together to get some cornflakes down the kids before they got into the gifts. Since we had worked so hard at making the stockings special this year I insisted they wake their Dad so he could enjoy them getting into the stockings too (usually we let them open them before breakfast or even before us parents are up). Each child (including my niece) got a hand made puppet. There was a pirate and a dragon, a princess and a king. It was very cute to see them get right at playing puppeteers. The oldest two got a new novel from their favorite series, signed with love from their Dad and I.
We work hard at only really getting them one gift so each gift opening was short and sweet. Everyone worked to help keep the unwrapping chaos pretty tidy and waited their turns politely. We laughed and talked and enjoyed a cozy morning.
Mirelle, my sister, then got busy making pancakes and I warmed up the ‘pigs in a blanket’ that I had prepared ahead of time. Whipped up a veggie frittatta and she brought out her mini quiches and a fresh fruit tray. In no time close family friends arrived with their two kids and their famous cinnamon french toast! We all dug into a fabulous Christmas brunch and long conversation over coffee once the meal was over.
A very tired three year old of mine went for nap soon after the brunch and my sister and I took the rest of the kids skating. With hardly any snow and plus 2 weather it was a perfect day to put on our skates and have our first turn around the rink this year.
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| (Our crew, heading to the neighbourhood rink!) |
After Mirelle and my niece headed over to the inlaws for supper we all crashed here. After we came too we rushed over to see my side of the family. There was desserts and tea and family fun. My daughters and I performed the two carols we have been preparing as our gift to their grandparents and it went so well. My heart glows with so much pleasure when I do music with them. Too many treats had my oldest boy a little yellow around the gills so we struck out for home pretty early.
Good thing though, none of us lasted long after arriving home. Bed time wasn’t fought about, as would be usual around here. Even boxing day was really a nap fest as we all tried to recover from the holidays.
It was lovely. Nuff said:)
TTFN
