Scribbles, jots and musings

If my childhood diet was books, my first spoonfuls of solids were a beautifully illustrated collection of ladybird books which I greedily devoured before progressing onto the entire works of Enid Blyton (developing a distinct taste for Fatty and the five find outers in the "Mystery" series).

Thus when decorating a nursery for the arrival of Beatrice, I made some pictures for the walls from some of my favourite ladybird stories...

In this edition of Cinderella, she danced at the ball on three consecutive evenings with her ball gown getting more stunning each time (although I could never decide which was really my favourite).

Another picture which decorates Bea's wall is this one...

Sleeping Beauty with her parents in the background. Do you know, they had to wait a long time before the arrival of their little princess?

I have vivid memories of a Snow White ladybird book, inside which I had written the word "Pedpie". A translation may be needed...it is "Debbie" in just learning to write script.

I also loved this little classic...

So imagine my delight when I discovered that you can (with some small monetary outlay) download ladybird books to your iPad.

Furthermore, when you click on the characters within they make comments (without the slightest touch of sarcasm) in clipped tones resonating with the received pronunciation of a 1950s BBC presenter.

I bought this book

Chums, Beatrice and I love it.

*****

Now, continuing the ladybird theme...

Bea had also received an invitation to a party...

So just as Susan and John headed off to Ann's party...

Beatrice and Mummy headed off to Grace's party.

Of course, this book is a little "dated" now, so Mummy didn't tie Beatrice's ribbons, rather she drew a black nose and whiskers on her face...

There were of course party games...

Pass the parcel...

The Farmer wants a wife...

and party food...

Of course there was birthday cake and the singing of "Happy Birthday"

Grace blows out the candles too...

The End.

(Or click here if you want more)

This is just my list of happy.

Reading aloud

John 1

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was with God in the beginning.³Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁹The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him. ¹¹He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹²Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – ¹³children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

¹⁴The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

This always gives me goosebumps!

Gingerbread houses

Like this...

or like this....

(Guess which one Beatrice and I made)

Reading or reciting "The Night Before Christmas"

...or even listening to Mrs Claus read it.

Decorating cookies for Santa

Listening to a brass band play Christmas Carols in Victoria Square.

They played "See Amid the Winter Snow". I cried.

Pantomimes

Oh no they don't!

Oh yes they do!

Meeting Cinderella and the Ugly Sisters

Angel costumes

Nativity plays

~~Caesar's~~ Max's wreath of leaves was epic but the highlight of the nativity play had to be one of the wiremen galloping on his toy horse to the front of the church, bottle of frankincense in one hand and robe gathered up in the other.

The Christmas tree festival (with friends)

Continental Christmas market that sells long ropes of liquorice and crepes with nutella.

Winter walks

Stripy straws

Christmas dinner

Boxing day

Wrapping presents

(This one is for the dog)

Unwrapping presents

(Bea helps unwrap one for the dog)

When the grandparents arrived at our house on Christmas Day, Bea was eagerly telling them all about the gifts she had got. Dilly refused to be outdone. In a puppy-like fashion, she bounced about squeaking a plastic penguin and wagging her tail. This is dog speak for "look! I got a new squeaky toy too! Isn't this fun, I love squeaky toys"

A plate left by the fire on Christmas Eve with special cookies, a glass of milk and some reindeer food sprinkled on the grass with a side of carrot.

The Boxing Day discovery that the reindeer had eaten half of the carrot!

A little sparkle of Christmas magic.

Amid the chaos of discarded wrapping paper, husband engrossed in his Iron Man book.

Angel face skirt

North Pole Party

(just like last year, or the year before)

Elf Costumes

Christmas Carols

Decorations for the tree

and of course when Bea fell in love with our newest Christmas decoration...

Advent calendar

This year it was filled with squinkies.

The arrival of Cindy Lou Who

(our Elf on the Shelf)

Beatrice is only allowed to watch Christmas dvds in December, so Cindy Lou bought her a new one to herald the beginning of the festive movie season. Who knew that advent was both a season of preparation and "The Grinch"!

(A potted history of the elf on the shelf starts here, then goes here and finally here)

Walking with Dilly and Beanz, wearing new Christmas fleecey things.

Growing families of Sylvannian Families

Bea's collection grew somewhat over the Christmas period. I am delighted.

Thomas and Beatrice holding Santa's hand

The flying fairy.

One of the MANY gifts from Auntie Andrea. This fairy, with a somewhat unsubtle buzzing noise, performs a perfect vertical take off. She will then fly around the room. Should she begin to drop from the air, you can encourage her to soar by holding your hand beneath her. All is well until she crashes into a wall, or a window, or a radiator much like a demented budgie.

When the flying fairy crash lands into a little head and gets entangled in the bed head.

The intense concentration required to style hair.

Dressing for Christmas Dinner.

And by that, yes I do mean dressing as a medieval princess.

Easy to fill Christmas lists.

This year Bea requested a little Miss Muffin doll, a small pig with a horse to look after him and some Barbie clothes.* Total cost ; < £20

*She didn't bother asking Santa for a Barbie colour and design studio as she knew someone else was getting her that for Christmas.

The giant puppy that Santa brought. It was simply too large to be stuffed in the stocking hanging at the end of Bea's bed, so that jolly old elf tied a piece of string to the stocking and wound it around the landing until it ended on the turn in the stairs where the giant puppy slept.

This puppy seems to have a sleep inducing quality.

Seeing "Frozen"

Not seeing "Frozen".

On Christmas Eve we arrived at Glengormley Movie House to see Frozen. However, no one had warned (or perhaps they had) the Movie House about this and they were shut. So we looked up film times on husband's phone and headed off to catch the 1.40 showing at the Odyssey. Unfortunately when we arrived at 1.35, we were told that they actually started it at 1 and THE INTERNET WAS WRONG!!!! Imagine! We then headed off to Dundonald to wait in the queue to be informed that the film had been sold out. When we suggested to the girls that they could see it later in the week and go instead to Mcdonalds, their cheers implied that this was an acceptable plan.

New jamamas.

That's what we call pyjamas in our house.

Not to mention cashmere bed socks too!

Seeing the hobbit. (Plus a lovely meal before with Mr Fisher and Mr Johnston)

Reading Pride and Prejudice again.

Festive food.

Also "making" festive food...like Christmas cookies.

The Stompie Slippers

Lazy mornings

Adventures with friends

The Christmas Dancing Show

Visiting Bethlehem.

A beautiful Christmas bride

Reindeer buns

December birthdays.

The black shadow is Beanz admiring Jonathan's birthday cake.

Shortbread.

Especially the eating of. With full cheeks.

Pulling crackers and the silly surprises within.

Christmas ham.

This year Nigella's ham with coke recipe seemed to have a bit of a double meaning, but that is not why we boiled our is cider...we just fancied something new. But you just can't beat a Christmas ham, studded with cloves roasting with honey and whiskey.