Fresh Bread on Christmas Day

Santa was very generous to small person this year, a christmas sack busting at the seams with goodies.  Before we get to that I must tell you this...Small person was in bed on Christmas Eve by 7.30pm.  He can't tell the time, it was dark, and Iron Man 2 makes most people drowsy.  He put out a glass of milk (I suggested brandy, but no, Santa likes milk and cookies here).  There were also three enormous carrots "they'll be hungry, it s a long night for them"...so young yet so wise.

By 8pm all was silent then there was an almighty thud...A small person is at the top of the stairs, teary eyed..."Santa is on the roof, I heard him, I need to see Santa".  Back to bed and much explaining later, that it was ice shifting, not Reindeers landing, finally he goes to sleep.  Sooo excited.

By 8am, no sign of him stirring - do we really have to wake him up?  At 8.10 a small person appears dragging the sack of goodies, very excited as he expects an electric guitar...As I had explained, he already has a guitar - it just needs new batteries...good old Santa, new set of duracells in the sack and mini Brian May can play again.  Soon there is wrapping paper everywhere, a pile of toys and a very happy boy who is now busting to open the presents under the tree.  Wait!

A hangover and need for air lead me to go out into the ice world, to the bakery, for fresh croissants and bread.  I hope I don't fall over.  "don't worry mummy, hold onto buildings as you walk, and if you fall over get up and walk somewhere else where it isn't slippy".  Great advice, out into the cold I went, a brisk minus 13 degrees.  Bakery smells amazing - fresh bread, mmm.  It is heaving with Italian men - the 5' 6" taxi driver type rather then Latin gods - all drinking expresso.

Back home small person is still busting to open his presents.  We start, then there is a 10 minute interlude, where gets to have a think in his room, after he acts like Dudley from Harry Potter bemoaning the quantity of presents he has under the tree.  We take the opportunity to remind him about Esland (in Africa) and Sandoline (in Haiti), the 6 year old children that we sponsor.  Greedy isn't cool.

Ping pong; paper airplane making and Happy Feet...duck rather than penguin is roasting in the oven, small person is eating popcorn and chips...glass of chardonnay beckons.  Merry Christmas one an' all.  Small person is looking forward to Boxing Day, friends to play with...Yay!

White Stuff Continues To Fall From The Sky

A month has flown by and joy of joys our furniture arrived from the UK - that's 12 weeks door to door. Small person is loving finding his toys, despite being asked not to open every box.  He disappeared into the basement yesterday for an hour only to return with the game of Operation.  "Have you been unpacking down there?"  "No, I just found it" okay, so I asked him to show me where " it was in that box at the back, behind that big box, if you climb on here you can see inside it". Hmmmm

Gary has purchased a stud finder, which is a DIY tool not a dating website.  Don't worry landlord...he likes to over engineer hanging our pictures.  He's usually right about this stuff.

Over the last month we have explored on foot (no car...pesky finance rules) and found an awesome. ( translation to British of awesome is good)  spa that offers a fabulous massage.  Went there after a slide on the ice left me crooked.  The Dollarama is still Small persons favourite store, so much so that a gift card might be coming from Santa.  And Small persons party this weekend, at a local art store franchise, was a huge hit.  10 kids, fimo and a plate of wotsits...it had all the elements of a great afternoon avoiding snow.

Saw Santa this weekend, he says hi. I was telling the kids at the party that we were off to see Santa the next day.  2 of them told me that Santa is fake.  What is that about? These kids were 5 and 6 years old.  Stewie was confused by this and many questions followed.  I clarified the situation "these kids were obviously on the naughty list so got no presents last year".  The truth is out there.  Happy Holidays!