Advent: Day 13

An archangel (as opposed to regular angel) for the Christmas Pageant

Advent: Day 12

And so the christmas baking continues. Today I was really glad for our small kitchen. With my foot up on a stool I could sit at the bench to mix and then quite easily turn and open the oven door to set the trays in for baking. The microwave was a little difficult, but with a little help from my elf we managed to soften and roll out the icing for the tops of our spicy Christmas biscuits.

sifting

Licking

dolloping

Heating

decorating.

Advent: Day 7, 8 and 9

Our ginger bread making this year was a two day event. This Mumma has hurt herself pretty bad and I am functioning from the lounge with my foot up high. At times, not quite elevated enough for my husband who is is carefully measuring the distance of my foot above my heart, but high enough to still be the Christmas angel to my little guys who are just so excited about Christmas this year.

So Day 7 was the dough making with all ingredients fetched by the littlies as I called out instructions of the what and whereabout of every item and implement we would need. The mixmaster was reluctantly bought out by Tools are after being guilted into it by the kids. He was not happy about the whole making of gingerbread when his wife is playing invalid and he would be left with a floury, sugary, doughy mess to clean up after the kids and I were done. As you can imagine, I wasn't brave enough to ask for a photo.

Day 8 had us rolling and cutting and toing and froing to the oven. Luckily we had Dadda on side now as I had no idea how I would manage getting the hot trays out with crutches tucked under my arms.

A few snaps from the lounge where we wrapt and taped together 65 snowmen and stars for the kids to take to school as Christmas treats. On Day 9 there were little snowmen poking out of pockets for hungry tummies to eat with breakfast.

It's hard this year being incapacitated to keep up the usual Christmas activities. I know we will miss doing lots of things we have done in Advents past, but its only me that knows we have not been able to do them. And it's only temporary. The kids don't remember at this young age what we do from one year to the next. They are satisfied with a little chocolate and the anticipation of December 25 and the fun that it brings. This year I just need to let it go, do what we can manage and get myself back on my feet as quickly as possible.

Advent: Day 6

On the 4th day of Advent we made Christmas gift tags

Advent: Day 4

On the 4th day of advent our little ballerina had her ballet concert.

Advent: Day 3

On the 3rd day of Advent the Christmas angel left a treat for a special friend.

Advent: Day 1

Our tree has been up since the 22nd. I figure if you can't put the tree up 8 days early for a 6 year old, then there is something seriously wrong with my Christmas spirit.

First day of Summer, first day of December, first day of Advent. The Christmas angel left a little note in the kids advent calendars telling them to look under their beds for new Christmas books to read through this season's lead up to the big day.

Six

Our Lego loving lad has turned 6. My beautiful boy in love with Lego and learning, books, bikes and big adventures. I remember feeling sad last year at what five meant; all that independence of coming school days. But at six I can't believe quite how proud I am of the little man he is becoming. Confident and strong and ever so curious about his world and how it works. He has a quiet determination to be the best and yet is not boastful of his achievements. The best mate to his sister, the other pea in his pod, he is loyal with an innate sense of what is fair and honest and right. Our guy loves that he is older and able to do big boy things, like staying up late with his Mama on the lounge and reading in bed with his light on until he falls asleep, a book across his sleeping face.

Happy Birthday my boy. My your year be full of love and adventures.

My favourite living thing

This weeks news item was my favourite living thing. The Rooster choose his sister. Sweet!

Let it snow

These holidays just past we tried the snow again. Two years on, two years older. Steadier legs would mean more things to try. Our little adrenalin guy took to skiing with gusto. He loved going high up on the lifts and zooming down with strong legs and a determined mind. He loved the one on one time with each of his parents, the quietness of his snowy surrounds and the challenge of returning to the bottom without falling down.

Our Missy once again hated the snow, exclaiming within the first 30 minutes that she hated this place and never, ever, ever wanted to come here again. On our first day there wasn't quite enough snow to build a snowman and there was no wind. Imagine her dismay when she got out of the car on day two to blizzard conditions, 70km/hr winds and 4 foot of snow. Suffice to say she spent her holiday in the cafeteria, took 108 photos on my camera of the comings and goings around her and cost us the equivalent of a lift pass in hot chocolate. We will return to the snow next year but may leave our girl at Nonna's for a beach holiday. The snow is hard enough with kids and all those layers without adding an unhappy child to the mix. We forget that she is not yet 3 and a half which is so very little to keep up with all our adventures.

The Rooster though, is full of stories of falling off lifts and sliding into fences. Of snow ploughs roaring along the road and tobogganing at high speed down a hill. Building snowmen in a blizzard and keeping warm with cups of hot chocolate.

Vivid

We went to Vivid about a month ago. Here's a few highlights from our very wet, but lot's of fun, evening

Firsts

My guy has been waiting patiently for 12 weeks for one of these. Each Monday his school has assembly and each week, every teacher nominates two students to receive an Effort in Learning award. It's all very democratic; every kid gets two a year, but my guy has been waiting oh so long to hear his name called out, receive his certificate and stand in front of the assembled children.

Missy and I have been at every assembly, determined not miss his special moment. Today was his day. He was bursting with pride and was only just holding himself back from tearing down the aisle to show us.

Tonight we had homework. Up till now we've had readers and sight words but we haven't really had to prepare anything for the next day. This week for news we had to find and draw something man-made and something made by nature. The Rooster decided on an Autumn coloured garden to take for show and tell. Its gorgeous, complete with Lavender from his Nan's garden.

Easter Monday

So, yesterday we got up very early, too early for a public holiday and a house devoid of children. The weather was bleak. Actually, bleak is being generous. It was pouring and we were up at dawn, not for the ANZAC services but for our first triathlon. Preparing for this "event", I never imagined rain. I had visualised the running and the cycling and had just got my head around swimming in that very murky, man-made lake, but in all the visualisations there had never been any rain.

Last night, race results came through. I came predictably last but satisfyingly within my goal time. What struck me though, what kept me awake for a little while thinking, was my age written next to my name. 39. Where did that come from? Surely I am still 32? 22?

40 is next year. I have a few things I am quietly ticking off a list before January, a triathlon being one of them. I once had plans for a great South American adventure for my 40th. That was a few years before children. Actually, it was just as I was making the commitment to have children. Back then, I thought I would take off and have a great hurrah as I turned 40. Clearly, I had no idea what having children was all about. The strong-hold on your heart. I can leave them overnight, even for a few nights. But a couple of months? At this age, when I am their everything? Quite unimaginable. I want these two spitting on my cake as they help me blow out my candles.