Happy Christmas

Christmas Eve like many other households was typically busy; last minute house cleaning, veg preparation, mince pie baking and the cooking of the chicken for the Christmas lunch.  As a result of cooking the chicken ahead of schedule not only did we have a stress free Christmas morning but also a delicious pan of chicken and vegetable soup for Christmas Eve tea!  After tea we wrapped up warm and headed out to our  vigil mass and  it was lovely to see the church busy with parishioners of all ages.  The baby Jesus was placed in the crib and the church burst forth with song proclaiming The Good News that our Lord and Saviour, God in the flesh had come to dwell amongst us.  Father Stuart's homily involved audience participation from the children and one little tot became so enthusiastic he did a roly poly tumble for the baby in the crib!!

Once home Benedict and Pip had their supper and were duly dispatched to bed, happy and peaceful; then the real work began!  Dave had the unenviable task of building a wooden kitchen for Pip, a joint present from both sets of Grandparents and ourselves.  I was surrounded by cotton thread and other crafting paraphernalia trying to finish some last minute elving. To accompany me in this task I finally managed to watch the film "The Nativity", I've been trying to watch it for the past two years!  It's the second nativity film I have watched this Advent, the first being the recent BBC dramatisation of the same name.  We finally fell into bed at 3am!

Benedict and Pip were very kind to us and actually slept til 8am, so we did manage five hours shut eye, with a slight interruption at 5:30am when Dave realised there was no gluten free bread for breakfast!  By 6am the bread machine was whirring happily and noisily in the corner of our bedroom!!  No room for it in the kitchen, as all available work top space was needed for other things.

After breakfast we sat down and the children opened their main presents.  Pip was very pleased with kitchen as was Benedict!  His parcel was King Louis and  Queen Eleanor and a quest  to find the crusader knights and build a castle for dwelling and protection.  It goes without saying there were the dark knights lurking in the background!  By mid morning Dave's Mum and Dad and Uncle Bernard arrived and they thankfully kept the little one's entertained whilst I finished preparing the lunch.  It was nothing short of a miracle that we actually sat down to eat by 1:30pm.  Uncle Bernard was suitably impressed for in the past no matter how hard I've tried sometimes we have not been eating till 4pm!!  I definitely think cooking the bird the day before saved the situation!  As arranged we provided the meat, vegetables and cheese and biscuits, Dave's Mum brought the trimmings of sauces and stuffings and Uncle B provided mince pies and chocolates.

It was a lovely day spent with family and we retired  to bed last night very tired but happy.  Here are some pictures of the day:

 A baby wearing toddler on Christmas Eve determined to help in the kitchen.

Pip baby wearing her own doll Lucy.  The "mini-me" Mei Tei was my last minute elving project.  I was very pleased with the outcome, as was my mother-in-law, so much so she wondered had it crossed my mind to make and sell them?  I would need a whole heap more time on my hands that's for sure, so currently am happy to make one offs to order or as gifts.

Pip exploring the kitchen.

Pip and Grandad watching the birds in the garden.

It's becoming a habit this!  Pip and Uncle Bernard sharing a mince pie!

Dave and Benedict building the castle.

Benedict working on his own with just a modicum of help from Dad.