Christmas Prep

 It'll be an "at home" Christmas this year, for the first time ever without grandparents or cousins or anything like that. We have, at least, got the first part ready: our very unique tree decorations.

Naomi has made a santa's grotto as part of the tree decorations. That gold tinsel surrounds it.

Miriam's 8th Birthday

 Similarly, Miriam's birthday also needed some outdoor fun, but in her case she just wanted to play Minecraft on the tablet with her friend. So, a little bit easier. Spot the theme with the case too!

Pre-school presents. Miriam is really there somewhere!

Her camera was a popular present

Lydia's 6th Birthday

 ...was a bit different this year! Not being able to do an inside party, we were able to do an outside one. Lots of blankets and a gazebo, and we have an outdoor home cinema where our best friends could come too! A lot of fun indeed.

Presents before school

Naomi's cards are getting ever more impressive.

Precious Lydia

First an apology, many years ago I started this tradition of writing a letter on your birthday and I have to confess the last few years I haven't quite managed. I should have and I am really sorry. Life got a bit overwhelming and it never quite made it to "paper". This is nothing to with you, mummy should have planned a bit better.

But here you are, having just turned 6! And I want to re-instigate the letter writing tradition.

Lydia, you are a beautiful girl and you know what you love.

• You love purple (I think I have conditioned you given your namesake sold purple cloth).
• You love your sisters.
• You love Elise and Erin.
• You love making mischief.
• You love an adventure.
• You love a bit of dressing up (come as you please day at school and you were adament you would be a unicorn!) 
  
  
  

You love a good role play game, like Mummies and babies, or cats and dogs, or pincesses and unicorns. You and Esther can while away many an hour lost in a wee imaginary world.

Last year you started school and after lockdown meant that you had an unconventional first year, you are loving school again this year. You love learning, mainly just now you are learning about words and how to read them and write them. You are getting so good. You have an awesome smile when you get something write. Your happiness is infectious. You make other people happy too.

You are kind (when you want to be) would always make sure that everything is fair. You look after people. I am proud of you for this.

You are desperate to be seen as a big girl. I have to remind myself that just because you are one of the "little two" doesn't mean you're little (I am sorry for when I get that wrong). You are turning into a beautiful big girl. Full of adventure and a desire to push yourself. You are currently working incredibly hard to learn to do a hand stand. I know you will manage.

You love to throw yourself wholeheartedly into something, as this muddy trip to the park can attest. Yours are the middle legs and you were absolutely the first to go in...

You find joy in the smallest things, I pray this will never leave you

You also find joy in the biggest things

Mummy loves you. I love you so much.

My prayer for this year in many ways is a prayer for me. I pray we can help you come to know God more, Jesus better and the Holy Spirit as a real friend.

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6

Tech stuff

 A couple of slightly techie things to catch up on too...

First, several years ago I was given a rack mount cabinet for some of my technology things. It's been a long time coming but finally it's up and running (okay, a very select group of people will appreciate this!)

I've also been on campus for the first time in months. I'm involved in teaching a course that has always been planned for "online" (rather than the webcam lectures I've been doing the past few weeks). My bit goes live in January, so I was in the film studio last week. Here was my view for that time - very professional stuff indeed.

More experiments

 Another science experiment to keep things interesting! This time we made some indicator using red cabbage. We really didn't expect much from this, but the range of colours with different alkalies and acids was really quite impressive!

The foul-smelling indicator itself...

And how it looked after mixing with soaps, vinegars, fruit juice, bleach and several other things...

Messy church at home

Among the many things folk have adapted to the present situation, both our church and North Parish (the one we go to messy church at) have been very good at providing home versions of their usual children's activities. Our Sunday school now usually has a Veggietales video and an appropriate craft; we usually have a kids song to dance to as well.

Messy Church revolves around parents and their children doing the activities together  - and it's been really helpful to get a bag of materials and instructions for activities each month. Here's the girls enjoying some activities (this is from back in full lockdown - Lydia is wearing her school uniform to feel a bit more like it's a regular day)