It’s here! The children have been asleep for hours and went without wanting stories and much earlier than normal (Charli even tidied her room!). They have been incredibly excited and there is so much magic in the air. We have (I have) spent most of the day making a ginger-bread house… The girls started off…
Tag: christmas
Portable North Pole
The girls have received a very special message from the man in the red-suit… See Charli’s message and Sophie’s message. They were so amazed to receive their messages… asking, ‘How does he know my name? How does he know where we live?’ They were particularly amazed when he said how old they were and what…
Advent castle calendars
The girls spent yesterday afternoon and this morning making advent castle calendars. Daddy-O got in on the act this morning and helped Charli out with her ‘haunted’ castle – eek! Sophie has rainbow stickers hidden under the doors and windows of her castle, which I enjoyed helping her with. We’re really getting in the spirit…
Cards for their teachers
The girls transformed the dinning table into their craft base last night. Glitter and sparkles still remain, as though we’ve had a visitation from the fairies. The reason? Christmas cards for their teachers. Charli has done cards for the teacher aides, the headmaster and the school secretary. She’s really hoping to get through Wednesday’s audition…
Meeting Father Christmas
‘Ho, ho, ho!’ The girls were thrilled to meet Father Christmas at Kirkcaldie and Stains recently. He was really authentic. Charli had a massive beam on her face for ages afterwards. She was really overwhelmed and her big eyes were glazed over with wonder. Sophie was also in total awe. Sooooo cute! And what did…
Let the countdown begin!
After a blast of summery sunshine on Sunday the clouds have rolled in with perfect timing for the Christmas countdown to commence. The heavy rain clouds filling the sky make a befitting backdrop for twinkling lights. It’s normally rare to see their sparkle much before 9pm at this time of year; but the downpour has…
Wellington Santa & Victory Parade!
The rain held off, the wind was strong, but thousands braved it to celebrate the All White’s victory and see the amazing floats, bands and, of course, Father Christmas. We found quite a sheltered spot on Lambton Quay, tucked back from any ‘wind tunnels’. We got there early, so we’d have a spot at the…
Oooo, Christmas Day! Did the reindeer eat the carrots?
What a day! Phew – it’s been magic and just as we’re thinking about retiring to bed our thoughts are far away with all our dear folks and friends in the Northern Hemisphere just tucking into a day of festive frolics! Thank you so much to our dear family and friends who have blessed us…
Merry Christmas Eve from Family Lee!
It’s been raining all day, but we’ve felt right at home (in a Northern Hemisphere kinda way!) and had a great day of baking and singing with our neighbours. Dan and I have just finished the final wrap up and are leaving little signs of Father Christmas. Just posting a quick one before heading back…
Counting down… party season!
The Christmas tree is up (with our usual eclectic collection of decorations, added to each year!), the advent calendar doors are being greeted with great excitement every morning (and they’re not even chocolate ones – what mean parents!), parcels have been arriving and swiftly hidden from prying eyes and we’re all looking forward to the…
Christmas catering
Friends of old will know I’m not the best in the kitchen. It took me many years to get over my fear of going near the cooker (okay, it’s not THAT bad!) and baking, well, I was never going to go there! The only experience I had of baking was in ‘Home Economics’ at school…
Summer time and the living is easy…
The sound of children’s laughter fills the summer evening (and the occasional shout from a parent of ‘Cut that out right now!’). Babies cry and chortle. Bird song chirps in harmony with the joy of new life and plentiful food. Evening meals cooked on the BBQ arouse the taste-buds. The garden is thirsty for rain,…
Q & A Time at the Christmas Parade with Sophie
16 November and Wellington’s annual Christmas Parade. Sophie and I arrived in town early and delighted in walking along the roads without having to stop for the traffic. We whiled away the time in the book store reading ‘Mr Men’ books and Christmas stories. Then we took a ride up the cable car – but…
Christmas Day at Chez Lee
6.30am and the day started with a rush as the girls jumped onto our beds with shouts of excitement and stockings loaded with presents. We try to insist on breakfast before opening the pressies under the tree; but Sophie ensured it wasn’t a leisurely one! She couldn’t WAIT to rip into the presents. She wasn’t…