All set, pressies wrapped, sprouts done, everyone else in bed, I’ve just been playing with the camera and enjoying the quiet. And by the looks of those stocking, Father Christmas has sneaked in.
The girl’s cousins arrived to day, so much playing has ensued, chatting , drinking of mulled wine, eating of food.
Happy Christmas everyone 
oh the excitement.
we played games and my sis and family arrived. mayhem!!! all 4 children played well and got hyped. M and SB had fun playing battleships and other games.
we tracked santa – ok, i enjoyed that the most. sis cooked tea. A work friend – H popped round with presents for the girls – how lovely and thoughtful. He stayed and chatted with my parents, and would have been longer, except tea was ready.
way excited, the children put out the stockings and the mince pies, scones and apples for father christmas. eventually falling asleep after grandad did the stories. we did final wrapping and mass peeling of veggies – my B-I-L is a demon with a peeler!!!!
We chatted, had the odd drink or two, and followed far to late as I fiddled about with screenshots of santa on norad. ah well!!!!!!!!!
Posted in General
here he goes!!!
check it here NORAD tracks santa. I think SB might well love it!
Posted in Daft Stuff, General
We fell off schedule [rough as it is], as my parents arrived at lunchtime, and I though they were coming eve, and a text at their halfway point had me scurrying around!
SO Chris took SB to shop for my pressie, and a few other things, and BB and I made some more scones at home together. It was really nice to have the chance to do that 1:1, and we both enjoyed it.
We then played games with little tykes people [unfortunate name] until my parents arrived, and BB went into a paroxysm of mad joy! lovely having Mum and Dad here, and Christmas now upon us. Did mean that i didn’t take SB to see a film this pm, which had been the plan. But as I hadn’t said that to SB, there was no harm done, and she and BB went suitably loopy for my parents approval!
We took a bit of redirection, and made chocolate icing and iced and decorated a lovely yule log. I cheated and bought the roll inside from the bakery. It is an arctic yule log – though as SB pointed out, it has polar bears and penguins. I then tipped too much icing sugar on it to my Mum and Chris’s merriment – so I growled at them. Its snowy in the arctic!
SB read a level 7 ORT book to my mum, a bit of stumbling as we haven’t read much for a fortnight, and this was a new [to us] book. But still, was happy to do it, and Mum a good encourager. We did some positive home-ed discussion.
BB was flagging at 4, so had a bath, and then made it until 8, even cuddled up watching beauty and the beast [free from the mail].
I have finished wrapping presents – always a good moment! Though SB crept down the stairs just at the point we were discussing the bits you don’t want overheard about the machinery of Christmas, so I am hoping that either not heard, or doesn’t make a difference. I went up to explain she needed to tell us she was moving, as she might overhear Christmas secrets, so the next time she told us. [insomnia again poor thing]
Anyway, with visitors – especially ones that don’t understand the lure of the blog!, blogging service may be interrupted . So Happy Christmas everyone.
Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, Dance/drama, General, literacy, photos, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE
and a big kiss. just for me from BB. First unsolicited I love you!!
Happy mummy!!!!
Posted in Butterbean, General
I think I see a pattern emerging for the people I have to get out of akismet. I think it might be the hyphens in your emails.
If when you comment you are moderated, try posting again with something made up without hyphens and see what happens???
Posted in General
makes 10 ish standard size
Chocolate banana porridge muffins
8oz [225g] plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 teaspoon bicarb of soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 3 large bananas, 4 oz [110g] sugar, 1 beaten egg, 90 ml milk [or water] 90 ml veg oil [or melted butter] 3 tbsp cocoa powder, 2oz [60g] porridge oats.
in ‘wet bowl’ put oats, egg, milk, oil, sugar, mashed bananas.
in ‘dry bowl’ but everything else.
pour wet into try and stir so just mixed but still lumpy, spoon into tins [i use those silicone muffin trays] and 20-25 mins top of oven at gasmark 5-6 [190-200c]
Recipe an adapted and combined one from Muffins by Susan Reimer. Really recommend this book as I did no baking until I got this book and started with muffins when SB about 18 months.
they are whizzing past aren’t they! slow down!!!!!
Anyway, mostly broken up due to the fact that I went into work at lunchtime and with some of my colleagues, took some of the secretaries out to lunch at expensive local restaurant that is seriously yummy! We had a really nice meal and chat.
made up for it in the afternoon by being crafty and bakey. Chris made pastry with the girls, but they never turned into mince pies. We made the marmalade muffins though – also yummy, and did some more hama deeds – 2 stars for the xmas tree, and SB is halfway thourgh a big heart. BB helped me with a star, but wanted to watch TV, so we put on ‘kleine hippo’ on the laptop and listened to the German as our hands were busy.
We then settled for a read – some red nose readers for BB, and while the bear sleeps solstice and nativity narrative for them both – with discussions around as usual. I do like that book. SB has done lots of jigsaws and playing with BB.
BB was seriously flagging, so attempted the bath thing, but she stood up in it and wailed ‘mummy, tuddle meeee, I need tuddle, mummeeeeeeee’ so I did, and she fell asleep. meanly I then dressed her, and she managed to make it through tea before falling asleep in my arms whilst I was on the phone – sweet.
SB was listening to little toe, and then we have watched some recorded robin hood together. It is the most adult thing we have ever watched with her, and I wonder what she makes of some of the subtexts – if they are noticeable. But she loves the gore and fighting! :rolls:
Must wrap pressies tonight. Meant to do the stollen – so have that for tomorrow, and somehow need to do the delia scones again as all gone!
Oh, and it was fudge – rather yummy actually.
Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, General, language, literacy, Out and About, Stringbean's HE
Today was prob always a bit of a push! We are well behind schedule – does that surprise anyone? However, the aim of the game is to have a great family Christmas, so top of my list of to dos were some yoghurt pot bells for the christmas tree, and decorating some mugs for the grandparents, and some family baking.
BB was ecstatic about the bell making – which was good as the craft was pitched for her. Sb also enjoyed it, so they painted and glittered together, with a bit of sticking. I threaded the bells in [well, its more fun if they actually jingle!] when they had dried. Much singing of jingle bells [still usually to the bring me back theme by BB] and other Christmas carols.
SB moved on to decorating the mugs using ceramic pens in her own inimitable freestyle way. One was made up of a drawing of computer wires, one an exploding comet, the other a trajectory of a golf ball… BB carried on with the painting and sticking.
They both did some christmas sticker book before lunch, and general play – with all the noisy things BB could find [a lot!] including that ELC footpath thing. Chris went out, so we took the opportunity to wrap his present from the girls. Carefully chosen by SB, its the first pressie she has wanted to buy either of us!
After lunch we made choc/banana porridge muffins. yummy. SB and BB worked together very cooperatively [well mostly with a Christmas eye of faith!] and with a wing and a prayer were cooked and worked out. So one for them to eat, and the rest in the freezer for Christmas morning. I am making some marmalade ones for the grown ups. [mum is bringing gammon for the traditionalists!]. I quickly made the brandy butter with them too. SB doesn’t like it – good!
SO there we were, all achieved with lots of fun by 3! So we tidied and sorted SB’s bedroom – well overdue. Now my sister and family can sleep in their quite safely. SOme general playing, but BB in particular was getting fractious as we didn’t allow her a nap today as she has been being a nightmare. So we put on another episode of the great britain series with allen titchmarsh – the ice age [SB choice] and quickly gave BB a tea. bath and she perked up, so a latish bedtime after all, and will hopefully stay asleep.
I am waiting to see what my fudge has done, but early impressions are of toffee. i don’t get fudge right ever! in fact last time i gave up [edited aside, SB down as her egyptian and world war 2 now finished, so I’ve suggeted she goes for a longer cd!] and made fudge with soft cheese, but didn’t like it – I’m more of a tablet person. this time have used this recipe for the first [and probably last] time. Anyone with any surefire recipes! [i have a jam thermometer, so know the temps]
Chris now making soup. watched the battlestar galactica on mon – nice cliffhanger – and getting into bones as I forget the books! Must do some wrapping up, but feel can’t start anything till I ‘know the worst’ with the fudge! We have taken loads of photos btw, just haven’t yet flickred!
Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, General, geography, history, music, numeracy, photos, Stringbean's HE
