A Happier DS

Here's DS loking much happier than of late. Some decent nights sleep and the magic of Tom & Jerry and In The Night Garden... have all helped to get him back on track. Goodness knows what he thought he was up to with his pj top over his head!! The marks on DS's face are the remains of venison spag bol!! He's also got his appetite back, I'm pleased to say, although he has yet to eat Auntie L's Butternut Squash Risotto!

JYC Updates

As expected, we're a little behind ... and the page for the 20th isn't actually finished but here's from 21st to 24th.

Brodie Castle

We all thought it looked like a nice day today when we looked out of the window - blue sky and weak sunshine - so off we all trundled to Brodie Castle near Forres. Oh, my!! How wrong were we ... it was freezing, and I mean freezing, -2C. Poor DS was not a happy bunny! On the plus side it meant that we were able to take photos of the stunning scenery and call in on Kevin at The Old Mill for lunch before coming home.
The recent lack of decent sleep finally caught up with DS this afternoon. By teatime he was screaming, refusing to eat and rapidly becoming more and more distressed. Sib and I popped into the bath, thinking that might help calm him, but he was out again within 5 minutes. By 6pm he was tucked up in his cot with his beloved Granny Ted, the dregs of his milk and DN's new microwaveable snuggly lavender pup (named Max!!). By 6.15pm he was sound asleep.

Christmas Crackers!

We had a fab day yesterday, even though DS wasn't very interested in the whole present thing. On the other hand, DN more than made up for it, his presents were all unwrapped within minutes! He was thrilled to discover an air-pistol and posed like James Bond for most of the afternoon! We all managed a walk to the pond with the dogs before lunch, although I think it was a walk too far for DS, who still isn't really feeling 100%. Here's a small snapshot of our day, in no particular order (more will follow on the SYD DLO coming soon!) ...

Christmas Eve

So here we all are, tucked up safely in lovely Fochabers but things haven't quite gone to plan. This morning I had to take DS to the doctor because he has developed a terrible hacking cough and was awake from midnight to 7am this morning either coughing or crying. My poor wee boy was in an awful state but it seems that his cough is viral so it's going to be something we have to ride over the next few days. He's been TOTAL STAR today, given that he's had almost no sleep and seems to have lost his appetite completely. I've put him for late nap but I can hear him wimpering so will go and get him once I've finshed this post. The other occupants of the house have adjourned to the local pub (The Redder, if you're local, the Red Lion if you're not). The two 4-legged occupants were happy enough to see me and DS come home until they realised that I didn't have either DH or BIL with me!
Sib and I took the boys out to RoseIsle this morning to see if we could find the Wish Tree in the woods there. The idea was to leave a wish in return for a chocolate coin and Santa would see if he could grant everyone's wishes by next Christmas. Sadly we couldn't find it; the Northern Scot said that only boys and girls who had been good would be able to find it ...
On the way home we called at Baxter's in the hope of seeing Santa with his reindeer but it turned out we'd missed him, as he was there at 12.30pm!! It really wasn't our day, was it?

JYC

Now, obviously I'm a bit behind what with all the travelling and all. I did make a start on 21/22/23 while at mum's but somehow didn't complete anyone of them fully. I'm glad to see that today's prompt is all about whatever you fancy - have that sorted in my head all ready!

Scrap Your Day - December

Yep, today is the day for this month's reminder about Scrap Your Day. Tomorrow should be a doddle photo-wise because everyone has a camera to hand for Christmas Day, don't they??

Tom's A Winner

If I were a betting woman, my money would have been on Tom Chambers to win Strictly 6 (after Austin was voted off in the quarter finals). And what a final it was, even DH watched with me (although his input was along the lines of,"Hasn't Lisa got great legs?" and, "That Rachel's not half bad looking!"). I thought Tom and Camilla's show dance was amazing and, to quote Craig, fab-u-lous!

Roll on the Christmas Day special and Strictly 7!

Strictly Series 6 - The Final

Yep, it's on tonight! I've voted for Tom but accidentally dialled the number for Lisa so voted for Tom twice!! Today's page in JYC is going to be about Strictly, regardless of Shimelle's prompt about surprises in the post! More later....

Christmas Recipes CJ

This CJ was very topical for me this month! I chose Nigella's edible tree decorations but because the recipe was actually quite long I had to add an extra page. So it looks like this in reality: LHS is BG's Dasher with 3 trees on, then a double sided page with the recipe on and then the RHS with the ingredients and a photo, which will slide out of the pocket.

JYC #18 & #19

I'm up-to-date again today thanks to DS having a nap and DH off to Maidenhead delivering Christmas presents. Prompt 18 was about the kind of food you'll have on Christmas Day and prompt 19 is about a letter to Santa. Having a small child really helps the rediscovery of the magical side of Christmas!

JYC #15, 16 & 17

So had a bit of a catch-up this evening with JYC. DH has gone off to the O2 to see The Who, which meant that BF and I could scrap the evening away once the children were in bed. Prompt 15 was about visitors, 16 about things you are grateful for (being loved, family and good friends) and 17 the art of buying the perfect gift (can't show you just yet what is under the flap!!)

Bathing Beauties!

Just look at these two cuties in the bath this evening! How they are both going to hate it when this photo surfaces in 15 years time!!

JYC #14

A bit behind myself today, I blame BF!! Anyway, here is yesterday's page all about how gifts were given out. Quite simple in our house ... every man for himself!

We Have Visitors

Yay, we have visitors! BF has brought my GodDaughter to stay with us for a few days (her DS is having a few days with his grandparents, where he'll be spolit rotten!). It's a bit of a squash for them in the spare room alongside all the stuff from the loft but hopefully they'll be okay. The photo shows my GodDaughter enjoying her first taste of my sweet 'n' sour chicken!

JYC #13

Today's prompt was all about Christmas music. I decided to do 2 LOs, one on my favourite Christmas Carols and one on my favourite Christmas pop songs and then stuck them back-to-back before putting them and 2 CDs of Christmas music into an envelope. Get me!

One of my nicest Christmas memories is of singing Silent Night by candlelight in German (Stille Nacht) in the CofE-Church-In-The-Attic at RAF Gutersloh. And if I remember correctly it was 1989 and BF was with me and Louise Mann (whatever happened to her?)

JYC #12

Today's prompt was all about Christmas Past. I don't have one clear memory of a "stand-out" Christmas, my past Christmases seem to be remembered as a montage, snips of this and snips of that.

Loft Progress #30

Two lovely guys, Barry & Dave, have been beavering away in our new bathroom for the last two days laying tiles. True Londoner-cheeky-chappy types and they both adored the dog and fussed him no end; he was in doggy heaven! They've not done a bad job either!

DH is hoping to paint the remaining walls over the weekend, before Tony the Plumber puts the bathroom furniture back in place. That reminds me, I must buy a new loo brush ...

Down At The YMCA...

Since September, every Friday morning DS and I have gone off to an "Action, Rhymes & Song" class at our local YMCA. For the first few weeks DS wouldn't join in at all and now he's at the other end of the spectrum, preferring to do his own thing most of the time! Today was the last class until the New Year and luckily the class teacher and the other mums agreed to me taking a few photos. Now I can guess what is currently going through your mind ... altogether now ... Young man, there's no need to feel down. I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground. I said, young man, 'cause you're in a new town there's no need to be unhappy. Young man, there's a place you can go. I said, young man, when you're short on your dough. You can stay there, and I'm sure you will find many ways to have a good time. It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A. It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A. They have everything for you men to enjoy, You can hang out with all the boys ...

Loft Progress #29

Do you remember me mentioning the absolutely hideous fusebox that was planted onto our kitchen wall last week? And that I said DH would not be happy when he saw it? Well, guess what - the Sparkies have eaten humble pie, relocated the fusebox outside and left the kitchen wall looking as though someone has had a go at it with a shotgun!

Varsity Rugby At Twickenham

DH had a day off today and toddled off to Twickenham for the Oxford v Cambridge annual rugby match. In this house we support the dark blues and I'm glad to say that they squeezed a narrow victory over the light blues: Oxford 33 Cambridge 29.

Tim Catling scored the first hat-trick for Oxford in 88 years as they ended their losing sequence in a thriller against Cambridge at Twickenham. The 21-year-old wing from Lewisham scorched in for three historic first-half touchdowns - the first Dark Blue to do so since Bernard Jacot at Queen’s Club in 1920. Cambridge responded with scores early in each half from James Richards and Niall Conlon, with Richards adding a conversion and penalty, before replacement flanker Joe Wheeler drove over on the hour to keep their hopes alive. Then they struck with a sensational fourth try through wing James Wellwood with Richards converting to set up a nerve-tingling final four minutes when Oxford should have been home and hosed. Ultimately the game had been taken away from them when Oxford skipper Peter Clarke galloped in for a fourth try just after the break, Tom Gregory adding two penalties and a conversion, even though they were forced to spend most of the second half on the defensive. Oxford’s attacking vigour would also have won warm nods of approval from former Dark Blue greats at the ground, with David Kirk (New Zealand), Rob Egerton (Australia) and David Evans (Wales) among the victorious 1988 Oxford side reunited 20 years on. Cambridge were combative enough up front but had no answer to the fluidity of Oxford’s backline Catling’s initial strike in the sixth minute, when he fended off Wellwood and Richards down the left. Richards responded with a try on the right after Jon Dawson’s forwards – with Australia’s Dan Vickerman packing down in the second row – laid siege to the line and the full back converted to nudge his side in front. Richards and Gregory then traded penalties before Oriental Studies student Catling - a teammate of England's Danny Cipriani at Whitgift School - changed the complexion of the game by scoring twice in 10 minutes before the break. He beat Wellwood and Richards again down the left, Gregory converting, before another break saw Richards sin-binned for blocking Catling as he chased a chip ahead.
The challenge was punished immediately as Catling came infield and took fly half Ross Swanson’s reverse pass to score his third and send Oxford in 23-10 up. Gregory’s second successful penalty followed immediately after the interval before Cambridge found a way back into the game, driving prop Conlon over in the corner in the 46th minute. But Oxford put their foot on the gas again, this time through their forwards with number eight Peter Wright bursting out of a maul and putting skipper Clarke in for a 20m run to the line. Wheeler added fresh impetus in the Light Blues’ back-row and stayed on his feet to force his way over 20 minutes from time, Richards adding the extra points. It took them another 15 minutes to add the fourth try, though, with Wellwood making up for his defensive misses with the 76th minute effort which Richards converted.

DH is at that level of drunkeness where every action is considered and careful - very funny to see my big bear like that!

JYC #11

Today's prompt was all about the Christmas tree. We're not having one this year because of going away and luckily DS is still young enough not to mind! I used 2 October Afternoon journaling tags to record what I remember about the tree when we were small and to record how we do things now. On the reverse of the tags are photos of our beloved Christmas fairy (who will be coming to Scotland with us this year) and DS last Christmas Day.

"When I was small and Christmas trees were tall..."