Advent Advent ein lichtlein brennt

Not quite yet but I have already built their advent calendars. On the box it states 25 min assembly. Maybe if you are a trained assembler but it took me longer. But I was watching Heroes at the same time, so maybe that didn't help.

The daughters were very impressed. The wait is just too long. Especially since eldest daughter knows what should be in there. "But Mummy it will be too dark for the poor playmobils. Shouldn't we let them out? They may be frightened."

Pom Pom

We made pom pom animals. The brown one is a hedgehog and the pink one is a cat. Now all I need to do is scrape the PVA glue of the tablecloth.

Not Well

I don't feel well. Mr Yoastie has been left to fend for himself and the daughters all day. I think he did all right. Both of them are still alive and so is he. But he is exhausted. He is not used to their demands, their petty squabbles and their seemingly endless need for cuddles. Talking of which I had better see if he needs looking after.

Advent

"Just eight more days and it will be December. Do you know what that means?"

"Yes, we get to have the advent calenders that are in the eaves room."

"Oh? And where are they exactly?"

"On top of the suitcases behind the curtain. There is a blue one and a pink one. Do you want me to get them?"

Such much for that surprise then.

Birthday CE

Yesterday was CE's third birthday. She is now a big girl. We have binned her potty. CE has decided she can now use the loo. Hurrah.

No birthday party though. "I think I see the other girls enough at school Mummy. I don't need to have a party. Only You, Papa, CS, Opa and Oma and Me. Oh and the cat." She kept insisting no party, so no party was had. We did go to Waitrose to pick out chocolate cake. (She had Waitrose cake at Opa's birthday and was most impressed by its quality). CE was allowed to choose what she wanted for lunch - a white bread roll to be eaten while we were in the shop (this is not normally allowed so the girls were really pleased). Drinks to be had with the cake were to coffee, this was vetoed by her mother for all those under five, but pink milk aka Nesquik strawberry flavour was allowed. And for afternoon snacks CE asked for Walker's Thai sweet chilli crisps. And if it really was her special day she wanted pasta with red pepper, mushrooms, tinned tomatoes and "rookworst" for dinner.

Opa and Oma brought best present ever - the Playmobil pink palace. I am sure that Playmobil never took one and a half hours to assemble when I was little but hey it stands proud in our living room.

So now we need to get back to reality and realise that not every day you get to be spoiled like that.

Nativity Play

"Mummy, why did they stay in the stable."

"There was no room at the Inn. All the rooms already had somebody in them, so there was no room available for Mary and Joseph."

"Maybe they should have booked a hotel room before they left."

"Yes, but in those days there was no telephone or internet, so it will have been more difficult."

"Could they have written a letter maybe?" Pauses to mull this over "Maybe they did write Mummy and it was stuck in the postal strike like the very old Oma's card. "

"Maybe"

Recycling

Friday is recycle day. The green bins need to be placed outside the night before because usually the bin men are round early. Not this Friday.

I was taking my two girls and the neighbour's boy to pre-school. Rory is three months younger than CE and about a foot shorter (well maybe 10cm). We toddled up the road past the green bins. We pass No 11 and their bin contains adult top-shelf magazines. Of course the children all think this is odd. "Look!" shouts Rory "Naked!" Oh great. How am I going to divert their interest? I know lets have a race to the end of the road.

Now this incident has kept me thinking. Of course recycling is good but why place such magazines at the top of the bin? Why not have newspapers on the top? Why decide to recycle on a windy day when they can blow away across the neighbourhood (as indeed they had done)? What did the bin men think when they saw this? All questions I think that should maybe stay unanswered.

Mummies and Dinosaurs

It may or it may not come as a surprise to you that I do NOT like spending money. I blame that fact that long ago I had Scottish ancestors who moved to the Netherlands. As you can imagine I was really pleased to learn that the museums (or is that musea?) in Oxford now have free entry. Hurrah, hours of priceless entertainment.

The daughters and I decided to give Opa a Dutch treat and take him to the Ashmolean to see "the dead Egyptians." For all those who have been to Oxford they will know that parking there is not easy. No problem we take the park-and-ride bus. Imagine my horror that they now charge £2.20 for the bus and £1 for the car park. Luckily the girls got on for free but Opa did not. He did have a disagreement about this with the conductor but he is not yet old enough even though he draws his pension.

After most exciting ride on the bus "Look! We are as tall as the houses" "Look out for the tree Mr Driver." (it is a double decker and we got to sit on the top at the front) the Ashmolean was a bit of a disappointment. Well it was for the under 5's. The Mummies were "too scary"according to CE and CS was not allowed to touch anything, so lost interest quickly. So after 15 minutes it was agreed that we should go to the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.

We were on familiar ground here. Dinosaurs, fluorescent rocks "in the little tent" and lots of stuffed animals you are allowed to touch. Opa knew more than Mummy about the Dinos, so once again regained the place of favourite grandparent.

After a packed lunch of sandwiches (cheese, so as not to upset the stereotype) and some dinosaur hunting in the museum grounds it was time to go home. CE had a go at taking pictures but I think it will be a while yet before those can be published.

Nursery Rhymes

"Daddy, please stop singing. You are hurting my ears."