Final Post of 2014

I'm a bit late to wish everyone here in Blogland a Merry Christmas, but I hope you all had fun.

However I am in time to wish you all a Happy New Year.

May 2015 bring you all you wish for.

 

I couldn't be posting December photos in January, I have spent most of the year doing catch up posts and I didn't want to start that game for the coming year too.

So I'll try and do a brief round up from the rest of December.

We carried on with our advent activities, although there were one or two hiccups along the way we did do most of the things I had planned.

One was a trip to the theatre to see The Snow Queen the weekend before Christmas. It was a real family outing with Grandparents and Aunties joining us, we made a party of 9 and jolly good fun was had by all.

 

One evening S and I made snowflakes from cupcake cases

 

and the final photo from our activities is Christmas shaped jellies, which as you can see proved to be a little stubborn for getting out of their moulds, but they tasted just fine.
On the baking theme we also made the mincemeat brownie tart from the Sainsburys magazine which was delicious and from the Co-op magazine we made some rice krispie wreaths.

Mid December we took a train to Salisbury to meet G's mum and J for lunch and have a mooch around the Christmas market. Unfortunately I didn't get much browsing time but one objective was completed when we handed in S's contribution to the Save the Children record effort to make the longest paper chain. It had to be specific width and length so I cut a sheet of card accordingly and took that along with some felt tip pens and sticky foam and S decorated it on the journey which kept her entertained.

We made our was through the Close to the museum afterwards and I'm glas we took the route we did as we got to see these topiary squirrels all decked out in their festive finery. Although looking at him he looks a bit like Basil Brush too.

G, his brother and his dad were pupils at this school but it was only his dad who could claim to have been taught English by William Golding.

It was so cold by the time we walked past the Cathedral

and reached our destination of the museum that although we got to meet three beautiful reindeer, we didn't want to be outside for much longer and so made our way back to the shops in search of a hot drink to warm us up.

The following day S and I took my mum with us to a local church for their Christmas tree festival. The only hold it every other year, the first time we went was with my dad and so it holds bittersweet memories for me. I always light a candle for dad when we go.

All this build up finally led us to Christmas Day. Christmas morning we heard T get up at 7.15 and go and wake S who then both came through to us with their stockings. I try to take a photo of them each year sat on the stairs before we go into the front room to see what delights are under the tree. Here they both are, wearing the new nightwear Father Christmas sent down the chimney on Christmas eve. T looks like a Jedi in his as it has a hood and is longer than his old dressing gown and S looks very snuggly in her pure white fluffy nightgown.

Christmas day was very mellow. We weren't having any visitors and so there was no rush to do anything. The children opened some of their gifts and then we stopped for breakfast and then finished the unwrapping afterwards. There were even some gifts from family friends which weren't opened until Boxing day afternoon. Not because they had so many, but just because they were content to be busy with what they had from us and it was lovely as things were appreciated all the more.
Of course not expecting any guests gave us all the perfect excuse not to get dressed, as you can see by the next selection of photos of us complete in our table present tackiness!

Fez's are cool.

Me with obligatory red cheeks, not sure if that's from cooking dinner or the number of Bailey's consumed whilst cooking.

T looking wonderful in his glittery glasses

and S looking equally fab in her fluffy fairy headgear.

I was pretty pleased with the crackers, each one contained a wind up reindeer and the box converted into a race track. I reckon this will become an advent activity next year.

There are a couple of memories which will stay with me from this Christmas, one of the most special is S telling me whilst I was in the kitchen how 'this is the best Christmas ever mum'. That makes it all worth it doesn't it.

It will come as no surprise at all for me to say that I totally forgot to take photos of the stash of pressies I gave my sister C for Christmas. I was annoyed with myself when I realised but I had wrapped two thirds of them before it occurred to me and by then I didn't think it was worth it. But I'm pleased to report she liked them all, as much as I did all of mine from her.
One of those I was particularly thrilled with and is already in use on the dining room table. I know it won't be to everyone's taste but I love to bits this tablecloth of sweet packaging. Who doesn't love a Drumstick????