Noel 2012

Here are some snapshots of our Christmas. Tristan's first comment was 'where is the snow', he may have had too much of a diet of snowy Christmas songs. The day started at 6.40am which I suspect will be the latest we shall get away with now for a few years!

Grandma came to stay and first up it was stocking time... yes Sam got the understated tiger dressing gown and Tristan the pjs...

Tristan's first sight of the presents under the Christmas tree was a classic!

Tristan was so keen to get presents that he almost fell into Grandma's santa sack!

 Sam soon got the hang of opening presents although he was frustrated that he wasn't allowed to eat wrapping paper. His presents included lots of touch and feel books, a ballpool dinosaur and aquadoodle.

Tristan and papa "we are engineers" trying to figure out one of the toys. Tris's favourite present was the playmobil castle which he had just about given up on receiving.

We had a lovely day until at about midnight Tristan and I both started throwing up and that was how we spent the whole night followed by several days of recovering. I will never eat a sprout as long as I live!

Meeting Father Christmas

We went to see Father Christmas on a barge ( having had 2 years of trains we decided perhaps he would want a different method of transport).

It was Sam's first time and he was happy with his shape sorter (i.e., he chewed it).

Tristan loved the book (Cars) but also the whole lock and Santa's knee experience. His first question to Santa was "am I on the nice list" - there's fear for you! The grown-ups  found the mulled wine good.

Lanterns

Last year we went to the lantern parade and this year we actually made one!

Ours was a 'classic' (/boring) pyramid made at the library as quickly as possible. Some people went to a great deal more effort - we even saw an Eifel tower and quite a few which had been painted and generally glammed-up

We will do better next year!

Tristan on stage

 Tristan won the 'most enthusiastic student' at French school. He was very pleased with himself.

Here's Tristan as an innkeeper in his nativity. It was adorable as they all sang to different tunes and at different times. Tristan did his words ('I'm sorry there's no room') really well and Mary and Joseph were suitably rejected!

He was also a reindeer in the preschool play (unsuprisingly no words this time!).

Look at me I'm standing

(and pulling myself up and generally winning over my big brother to what a wonderful playmate he has by eating his toys!)

Getting ready for Christmas...

...has been more of a logistal concern this year with the two of them. We have constant song rehearsals for the various plays, concerns over where any new toys might fit (there is NO room at the inn!) and add the combination of crawler to pine needles Christmas is quite complicated!

 The Christmas tree is up and it's a big one (we had to cut about 30cms off the top to get it in the room!

I have been quite hands.on this year and have made an advent calendar (draw-string bags) for the boys. My original plan was to have one each for them but actually it took longer than I expected (or than my tedium threshold) so they are sharing. I catch Tristan walking past saying "Sam, Tristan, Sam, Tristan..." at least five times a day while pointing to each of the bags!

We made 'snowflakes'. I had originally intended that these would just be for Tristan's room but he insisted that they made it downstairs too!

Tristan is an innkeeper in the nativity and I have sewn him an innkeeper costume. There is plenty of room for growth so I reckon if he gets a promotion to Joesph or the role of a shepherd some day then it can serve!

 We have started on our Christmas cards. Tristan was very proud of how well he wrote the 's'!

This is Tristan's playroom tree, its for all his makings  (and clashing colours!). Note our first attempt at a paperchain!

More writing - this time our first letter to Santa! In case he doesn't have his glasses to hand it's lego, a castle and garage with cars!

Sam update

Sam is 7 months old now and we have our first tooth (bottom left front). He weighs 8 kilos and is still great at sleeping and eating.

He loves bashing and chewing things.

Swings make him giggle with delight.

He tried a walker for the first time. He didn't really know what it was all about but his feet moved anyway!

 Yes he's still blond and blue-eyed ( not sure for how much longer...).

He still loves his food - pretty much anything especially sweet things (rice pudding is a favourite) and finger-food (breadstick city!).