Hands up who wants to move Christmas?

• Gifts for teachers - check
  
• Christmas pudding made - check
  
• Interstate Christmas Gifts posted - check (mostly)
  

Just over a week ago I had a mild panic about Christmas.  Who in their right mind thought it was a good idea to have Christmas AND the end of the school year so close together?  Really, couldn't we maybe move Christmas to late February then we could have the whole summer to plan.

And of course some daft-minded companies schedule their annual performance reviews for right now.  

But anyway I think I'm mostly under control.  

Except for Christmas Cards.

Every year I send out Christmas cards by the 1st December or thereabouts.  I wonder what will happen if I don't send any this year?  Do you ever wonder how many of the cards you get are simply 'reply' cards.  Perhaps I'll see who sends first... a little childish but it'll be our little secret.

But you know I won't be able to help myself.

It's like New Year's Eve.  I said I wasn't going to host a New Year's Eve party this year.  But, you know, I actually like having a NYE party - so I've sent out invitations.

The 9yo finishes school tomorrow and he told us tonight that he will be getting a certificate.  I'm not sure whether that means he gets a certificate at Speech Night or at their final assembly. And we have no idea what the certificate is for.  Either way we are extremely proud of him because it's his first year at a new school where he had to learn a whole new routine and make new friends.  It's been a great move for him.

Our 11yo, Blossom, has her presentation assembly on Friday.  She has been announced as a Prefect/Leader for Year 6 next year (I'm not sure what to call it, the school are using the terms interchangeably).  The School and Vice Captains will be announced out of the prefect group at the Assembly.

Just to ensure that we are not bored this week Blossom's school band is playing the carols for the local carols service on Thursday night and she has her 3rd grade clarinet exam on Saturday.

Like I said earlier - school end or Christmas has got to be moved.  I vote Christmas because I'm quite fond of the summer holidays.

The EasternMax Olympic Cycling Tour

Just before Christmas there was some speculation about what Santa was bringing when these were found installed on the Volvo.

Sure enough, good old Santa came through with a bike for each of us.

Over the last couple of days we've had fun exploring the 35km of bike trails at Sydney Olympic Park. This is a great way to see the Olympic site as well as the old athlete's village (now the suburb of Newington) and the surrounding parks.

There's nothing like a two-hour bike ride to make you feel like you deserve another piece of Christmas pudding.

I hope everyone's had a great Christmas and Boxing Day. Now, the countdown to NYE - a big event here in our part of Sydney.

Merry Christmas everyone!

We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Good tidings we bring to you and your kin;
Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Oh, bring us a figgy pudding*;
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer

We won't go until we get some;
We won't go until we get some;
We won't go until we get some, so bring some out here

We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The EasternMax clan wishes you and your kin some figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer

and

a very Merry Christmas!

*not to be confused with a "friggin' pudding" :)

"Thousands of lights were burning on the green branches..."

“Thousands of lights were burning on the green branches, and gaily-colored pictures, such as she had seen in the shop-windows, looked down upon her. The little maiden stretched out her hands towards them when--the match went out. The lights of the Christmas tree rose higher and higher, she saw them now as stars in heaven . . .” Hans Christian Andersen

We usually set up our tree on December 1, however this year after some discussion the kids agreed to set up the tree on November 30 so that daddy could be there to help. I think this is the first year that I haven't directed the placement of the baubles - that was done by the kids, as it should be. I am now the house Christmas photographer. The official tree-trimming night is accompanied by loudly-played Christmas music.

We have owned this [clearly fake] tree since Blossom was a baby and each year we choose a new bauble each, often from the David Jones Christmas Shop. Apart from those that have been given to us this tree represents 10 years of bauble-buying. I love the eclectic mix and buying the baubles slowly means that each one is beautiful and has some meaning to each of us.

Once, pre-kids, we went to a tree-trimming party where the invited children decorated the host family's tree from a large box of baubles. I love the idea of this but shudder at the reality of fifteen children grabbing baubles and fighting for a space on the tree. It was, however, a great night that the invited kids really loved.

I'm happy with our simple ritual and love the look of the tree sitting with its lights twinkling between the lounge and dining room.

Do you have a tree-trimming ritual?

' Twas the night before Christmas (again, this time with photos I hope)

... the advent calendar was full

... the ham was glazed

.... the carrots were put out for the Reindeer

... and the first window of the Cricket season was broken

Merry Christmas!

PS. Ooops, sorry I don't know where your comments went. But, thank you to those who did comment on this post previously - a Merry Christmas to you too!

KelpieBlossom made this...

... scarf for her class mascot (the mascot is a stuffed toy owl called Grandpa Hooty).

It's all wrapped up in tissue and Christmas paper ready for her to give to him tomorrow.

Virtual Christmas Card

This year I sent out Christmas cards designed by the kids and included an A4 sheet showing "Our year in Pictures".

Here is yours. It was a little tricky to select pictures that qualified but you'll get the general gist.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Merry Christmas from the EasternMax family and may you have a happy, safe and healthy New Year.

Seasonally Inappropriate Radical

Today I was meandering through the David Jones Food Hall in the city, following, with amusement, behind my friend who was striding with purpose, Christmas menu in hand, asking pointed questions about the availability of Yamba prawns, the origin of the displayed scallop meat and where she could obtain loose Vienna Almonds.

At this point I scuttle closer, peer over her shoulder and enquire about her planned Christmas day feast. 'Oh', she says, 'I'm trying allsorts of new things. It's just us and the kids this year so I can experiment with impunity.' The list detailed scallop wontons, a crispy prawn salad, and hazelnut semi-freddo.

I've been seeing this a lot lately. Experimenters.

What happened to the traditional Aussie Christmas? Forty-five degrees Celsius with Roast Turkey, Glazed Ham and Christmas Pud with Custard and Icecream.

Am I the only traditionalist left? Come to my house and you will suffer in the heat like a good Aussie family should.

It's not that I'm completely stuck in stone. As the years have gone on new traditions have crept in. Firegazer introduced the glazed ham; my SIL introduced an entree of prawns AND an icecream version of the Christmas Pud (which is, admittedly, pretty good). These all seemed to fit with the general gist of the sweaty Australian celebration. BUT I stop at those other new-fangled ideas - the seafood Christmas, the picnic at the beach or anything else that is vaguely seasonally appropriate.

But, it seems that I'm not the traditionalist after all. My traditions now belong to the perspiring minority. No, now I'm a seasonally inappropriate rebel. A REVOLUTIONARY.

Forward the Revolution!

:-)

Good Grief, A Wreath

Our 9yo, KelpieBlossom is very keen on Tara Dennis and the Better Homes and Gardens team. There has been many a project that Tara has "instructed" KB to do THIS WEEKEND or even RIGHT NOW. And this festive season we have hit fever pitch.

A couple of weeks ago KB, as instructed by Tara, started making christmas decorations from the wrapping paper to be found in the current issue of BH&G magazine (she buys this in preference to tween magazines). This weekend she felt the extreme need to make a wreath for the front door. We have a Holly bush in our garden so I said "go for it", thinking that would be something to keep her occupied for a while.

So here how the project went:

KB: All I need is a coathanger made into a circle. Could you just do that bit.

Mum: that sounds like a dad job to me

KB: Daaaad, can you make a circle thingy from this coathanger?

Dad rustled around outside with pliers and wire until he produced a perfect wire circle.

KB: Actually, dad I think we might need TWO circles.

Dad rustles around outside with pliers and wire until a second perfect circle is produced.

KB: Actually, dad, I think the two circles need to be wrapped in winding wire.

Dad: I don't think we have any.

KB: Let's go to Bunnings

Dad: It's after 5pm on a Sunday.

KB: Why don't you ring them?

So KB and Dad whip off to bunnings. They come back with winding wire, and a Crunchie Bar each.

KB: Mum can you help me get the Holly?

at the Holly bush:

KB: It looks a bit prickly, can you cut it for me?

later:

KB: It looks a bit prickly, can you attach it for me?

later, after Mum has wiped all the blood off her fingers from attaching Holly:

KB: It looks a bit prickly, can you tie the ribbons on?

Once it is finished KB's brother Padawan Learner comes over and says:
"Wow, KB, that looks really good, you're really clever"

Definitely CEO material.

Is 1 December, Has Fake Tree, Is Done

Santa, we ready.

Christmas Pudding is done

After 'resting' overnight and simmering for 5 hours today this year's Christmas pudding is ready.

Now I just have to get my head around the seemingly hundreds of gifts I need to buy (make?) at this time of year. Not only do we have Christmas gifts to get but most of my family and friends seem to celebrate their birthdays from November-February.

At least my own children are middle-of-the-year babies.

A relatively quiet weekend

After the frantic pace of the last couple of weeks it was lovely to have a relatively quiet weekend.

On Saturday we just hung around the house. Not sure if I even left the house. Hmm, can't remember. Today we had baseball in the morning and then quiet activities throughout the day.

I made this scarf in Collinette Shimmer 5 (Sea Breeze). It's part of a gift for a friend's 40th birthday. Lucky girl is going to Paris, New York and Colorado as part of her birthday festivities. I'm not jealous. I'm not jealous.

I also finished off these scarves and put the fringes on. These ones are in Collinette Point 5 (Monet). One each for KB and her buddy Fashionista, because they like to dress the same, and one for my Perth-based goddaughter.

I took time to admire the Hydrangeas in our garden. Not sure how we managed to get such a good colour spread this year.

Got an early birthday surprise from ArmyWife. I have been coveting this book and can't wait to have a really good look through it.

And I've managed to make the mix for this year's Christmas pudding. I'm running a bit behind with the pudding this year but I've made it much later than this before. Tomorrow the pudding spends 5 hours simmering away....yum can't wait until Christmas when I can eat it with loads of ice-cream and custard.