Christmassy...

I love Christmas.... I adore Christmas in fact.  I could honestly hand on heart say, it is my absolute favourite time of year.  But it has to be said that 4 years of Northern Hemisphere Christmas's has ruined me... and a warm Christmas will never be the same as a cosy cold Christmas, having to bundle up and snuggle in front of a warm fire... ahh.. radiator!!

It's our first Southern Hemisphere Christmas in 5 years.  It's warm.  The Christmas tree is up. The Christmas songs are playing (enjoying a touch of Michael Buble this year!!).  But I still haven't found Christmas.

I handmade (and sewed) the children their 'forever' Christmas stockings in the hope that Christmas was found... it wasn't...

Christmas books are out and bedtime stories are told about Christmas.  Still... I can't find Christmas...

Until...

We went to church on Saturday night to our Christmas Spectacular.  We stood up and sung 'The First Noel'... and would you believe... I found Christmas!!  There is something truly magical, truly Christmas about those fundamental carols.

I also wrapped the nieces Christmas presents last night (early I know but we're getting on a plane tomorrow and it just had to be done!!) - I'm normally a Christmas Eve wrapper... in front of The Grinch (you know... the most fabulous Christmas movie EVER with Jim Carrey).  It's not Christmas until I watch that movie (family be warned!!!). And I felt that Christmassy glow all over again!!

It made me think, when did Christmas become more about family and giving and less about the presents and getting.  Since being an adult (whenever that happened... lets be honest... on a good day I'm still 8!!!) and since being away from family... my sense of value has changed.  Value is placed more highly on the things that can make memories. Value is placed on my wee people and making this Christmas lovely... and the next Christmas... and the next.  It's not about what's under my wrapping paper, it's seeing the look of suprise and pleasure when someone else unwraps something.  It's about playing games as a family (good dose of healthy competition in there of course)! It's about being spontaneous... about being generous... about being spontaneously generous!!  And lets be honest... it's about eating way too much... and still having room to pick at the left overs (that will be in the fridge for the better part of 3 weeks after the meal!!)

This Christmas is especially special... my hubby's family (and there are a lot of them!!) is together for the first time in over 10 years at Christmas.  The last time they were all together, that was noteworthy, was at our wedding 6 years ago (and lets be honest, me and hubby had our heads elsewhere during that time).  We are soooo looking forward to this Christmas... to create more special memories of a family that are truely awesome.  I have adored every moment of being a part of this family (and believe me... my family are pretty awesome and set the bar pretty high!!).  What I love so much about hubby's siblings is that they actually like each other... not in a 'have-to-like-you-cause-you're-my-brother' type like but actually 'I-want-to-be-your-friend-and-hang-out-with-you' type like.  They have ups and downs, like any family, but at the end of the day each and every one of them (parents included) would go to the ends of the earth to help should trouble ever arise.  What an awesome definition of family!! That's what I hope to breed into our wee people.  It's my hope that the more that our little ones are around families of such high calibre... the more they will develop that culture in their own values...

6 years ago... all together (please don't be mad that I used this photo?!!)

So, I'm out now until we get back from our fabulous NZ adventures.  We'll be hanging out with the people for whom this blog was created... so you know what?.. I'm gonna lap up all of that time to get me through the 'lows' and 'homesickness' episodes that I will inevitably have next year.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!

Bee sting!

My hubby's Christmas work function was yesterday... really nice actually! Totally geared up for families... bouncy castle, fancy balloon man, petting zoo, face painting, lolly scramble (how many years has it been since I've seen one of those?!) Plus, to top it all off Santa arrived after lunch with a present (age appropriate of course) for each of the children! Even our little 3 month old, Tad, got a little present. Such an exciting day for the little people!!

Twas the first time our little Noosh had had her face painted, the first time she had seen fancy balloons, the first time she ate too much sugar (and I didn't fret over it)... and the first time she got a bee sting!

I'm not sure she really knew what it was... or even if it was painful but she did complain a little... add to that the excitement of the day plus not a very good nights sleep the night before and you have one 'fragile' little girl.

So, adoring parents that we are, we try to fix things.  How?? ... cream/ointment!! The first aid kit had anti-inflammatory cream... put this on... child still protesting... think aha! plaster!... child still protesting... mmmmm... ice plus wrap babies muslin around hand multiple times... that was the answer and we both breathed a sigh of relief. Full scale tantrum averted!!

What was very interesting however is that the ice with muslin continued to be the answer for the next 3 hours... long after ice melted and actually was more warm to the touch than cold!! But hey, go-with-the-flow... she was happy eating lolly after lolly (yes I did make sure there was a little protein and carbohydrates in there as well!!). 

A very nice older man (one of hubby's work colleagues) participated in the lolly scramble on her behalf (at least that's what he told us when he returned with a bulging bag of lollies for our Noosh... his wife and me had a little chuckle as we are certain that he enjoyed every moment of scrambling for those lollies!!)

So the upside to the drama of the bee sting was that we now know that she is not allergic to beestings. Woo hoo!!

Santa arrived after lunch and in typical fashion as he drove up in a concrete truck (sleigh must have been getting the work over before its big night on the 24th!) the heavens opened up and the downpour ensued.  The poor petting zoo man had to get his wee 'family' of animals into his truck as he was soaked to the bone.  The bouncy castle man had foresight and managed to just be finishing packing up the castle by the time the rain came. I loved that most of the guests just watched the pandomonium from the comfort of the balcony (me included... is that bad??!!)

Earlier in our move to Sydney we spent about 6 weeks fighting with Noosh to get her to leave her hat on outside to counter the Sydney sunshine (albeit not today).  Wouldn't you know it that yesterday we struggled to get her to take her hat off and show off her pigtails... Hence the reason why all photos are wearing a sunhat... nobody and I mean nobody was going to take that hat off her!!!

Waiting for Santa

It's ok... nobody is taking the parcel away!!

So that's what was inside!

Our wee Tad slept through the whole thing prompting lovely comments from other families.  There was one moment during the day when Tad went to sleep in his buggy and Noosh was with her Daddy... I made a comment to another mother that I might actually be able to help myself to lunch and have a childless lunch.  So off I went helping myself to the buffet lunch... plate loaded... sat down with some other adults for adult conversation and after I took my first mouthful... the 2 year old was then deposited in my lap while said Daddy went to get his lunch and have his childless lunch!! (Hmmmmm!!)

But have to take my hat off to hubby's company... such a nice day, so well thought out for the families... I'm already looking forward to next years!!! (and so is our wee Noosh!! Maybe Tad will participate a little more next year!)