Misc

Another deluge of catching up. This collection is the 2018 pictures that didn't fit into any of the other "catching up" categories since the summer so we have a large variety to cover! Hopefully this will capture a sense of the fun, hectic, and tiring life we are having just now. I won't comment on all these - some are just the girls having a good time with each other and don't need any explanation!

First up, some time ago we got a kit to make a clock with a banana. Actually the banana is just the battery part, but it's still fun. Here's Naom trying it out.

Just occasionally Naomi sits down. She really does love to read!

Miriam loves to draw!

I'm just amused by this. I found this Homer soap in a box at Mum's and he's now moved into our bathroom.

A rare walk back from the pub and this was the scene. The place continues to be beautiful!

Miriam REALLY loves going to Rainbows!

A finale to my Japanese trip were these chicken bites, covered in spicy sesame seeds I bought in a Japanese market. Lovely.

Lydia went to her friend's birthday party and was VERY excited. She still talks about it several weeks later (it was at a safari park) - here she is with her packed lunch and her present ready to go.

Miriam and Naomi set up this in their bedroom so they could have a picture of their Grandad, I thought it was really sweet.

Naomi is running a school in this one.

Miriam drew me a picture for my office. It's still on the wall there now.

Miriam wears this cat suit whenever she can!

Miriam also set up this scene for her dolls.

Naomi made this little house.

This is a bit of cherry tree captures from my Mum's front garden. Somehow it has survived (I've taken many cuttings before with no success), and it even seems to be starting to grow.

Date night cheese and wine. Brilliant.

We all went to Messy Church again last week - these are the Christmas crafts.

Here's Miriam pinning a nose on a reindeer. She did better the second time.

Lydia having a god with the Lego.

...and Lydia having a go at puppeteering.

The view from my bedroom window a few mornings ago. I could get to like it here   :)

Treats

Some more excited girls receiving their button jar treats in the form of a cafe visit with the parent of their choice (or with all of us on one occasion!). We really like spending just a few minutes one-on-one with them, and given how often they ask for it as their treat (and how they generally think hard to choose the parent that they didn't choose last time), I think they enjoy it too!

 

This is the face Naomi makes when she is asked to "look like she's enjoying herself". What's wrong with just keeping the happy face she had off-camera is anyone's guess.

Happy Gappy

Miriam has had a wobbly tooth for weeks now. Rather than taking her friend's advice and hitting it with a drinks can, she has waited patiently for it to get wobbly by itself and today it fell out while we were at church. We have one excited six year old, anticipating her first ever grown up tooth!

Birthdays

A wee catch up on Miriam and Lydia's birthdays! Okay, they were over a month ago, but these are worth sharing.

Here's Lydia opening her presents before nursery...

We also went to soft play with Lydia's friends

Miriam's birthday was considerably more bouncy. We went to a Trampoline Park!

Miriam is now quite the constructor! So the multiple Lego presents went down well.

...as was her Spirogaph (which is still a thing)

Christmas is coming

With December's arrival there is little denying the Christmas is nearly here. Excitement levels are already unnecessarily high in the house. As we're going to be out of the house from a few days before Christmas we tend to get the tree and decorations a bit earlier than many, so this past weekend it was time for the usual trek to get a tree.

Queueing for a visit to Santa, funded by a very generous Granny.

We usually get a Forestry Commission tree as the seem a bit more ethically and environmentally sound. We realised that there was a place at Aberfoyle, a wee bit closer than the one we usually go to, so we tried the new place. It's great - and definitely will be worth a visit in the summer for some picnicking....

Forest related activities!

With Christmas coming ti's definitely time to clear the thank you letters for Miriam and Lydia's birthdays. Here are most of them.

We decorated the house too!

Outside as well.

Fireworks

Our house is well sites for a quick wander up to the school playground to watch the spectacular Bridge of Allan fireworks. So that's what we did!

The girls had a great time, though a bit oddly they weren't all that keen on the sparklers, so we now have some spare ones if anyone wants them.

Naomi would also like to share her amazing stash that she got for knocking on people's doors and telling jokes.