And so it begins

Today the girls got their advent calendars. (Fergus is still sleeping. He's had a miserable cold all week but I've had to drag him out to take the girls to school,etc. I'm letting him sleep today). We'll see how long '1 a day' lasts....(And they thought making goofy faces was a good idea).

Ebay Gold!

Got the girls woolen lined, German made, REALLY warm 'sleeping bags' off ebay for £10 each. They love them and hop all over the house in them and Isla wore her's in the car. (Her school sells them to have kids nap outdoors in them).

Sunset 3:29

Atleast we're almost at the shortest day!

3:18 November, in Scotland

Yup, the sun is starting to set before 3:30. It's definitely winter!

The 21st block

The last quilt block for my beginner's quilting class. Foundation quilting. It's been a really good experience and lots of fun. I'm really glad I took the course. Now debating if I sign up for Intermediate in the spring?

My Thanksgiving Gift

Auntie Erin brings me the best stuff from the US!

Wet

Cassie thinks every rock you throw is a bird she's supposed to retrieve. Then she gets out and shakes dry...

Getting along

Fun

Erin's always a good sport

Happy Boy

So many rocks to put in his mouth, so little time!

Down by the Riverside

Spent a little time playing by the burn again. Ailsa loves to 'fish'.

More rainbows

We've had a lot of rain this week. Seems whenever Auntie Erin comes we have a week of extreme weather.

Odd sites

On our way home yesterday....

Christmas shopping in glasgow

Gergus got a new hat.

Two new crafts

Tonight I finished a fleece for Isla and finally got a picture of the baby bunting I made for one of Alisdair's employee's new baby that was born today. (I finished the quilt awhile ago).

Twee

Sometimes it's okay to embarrass your sister at the airport :)

Busy weekends

Sunday morning walks

The saying goes in Scotland if you don't like the weather just wait 10 minutes - that was certainly true this morning.

Saturday morning walks

And the obligatory stop at the post office on the way home.

Darkness

By 430 the light was gone...but jumping in muddy puddles is fun in any lightness!

La isla de Isla

Since we went playing in this spot with Auntie Erin in May, we had a massive storm which has changed the river's course. This is all that was left of the old bank.

Friday afternoons in Scotland

We headed out to walk the dogs about 330. By just after 4 it was this dark.

Why I love my buggy

My first fishing adventure

Our sewing room guest

The added bonus of shopping on-line

The girls love blank boxes and giant sheets of paper! (My Thanksgiving order from Stateside Candy came in it).

Proud girl

She was so happy with herself for getting so mucky, she took pictures on the way home from school (I let her as her hands were so black I didn't want her sucking her thumb!)

Mud Monkeys

Why do I bother washing her suit???

Nothing is safe

The boy can crawl and climb and go anywhere he likes. Oh dear!

Baby sign language

'ALL Done!'

'Hello, Bushwear'

Starting them young.

Fun

We went to the attic yesterday and brought down some toys that had 'disappeared' about 18 months ago. It's just like Christmas!! 'New' toys all over--and some other ones have been moved to girl's bedrooms and out of the toyroom. Fergus has started with 'hiya' on the play phones....if only he can master 'Hiya Bushwear', he'll have a job! He already loves the play till :)

'New' toys

The car ball pit seems to be a hit!

Chores

Slightly funny that Ailsa thinks 'ironing' is called 'sewing' (and keeps offering to make people blankets)....maybe I don't do much ironing unless it's tied to quilting (and the iron is right next to my sewing machine).

A late Christmas present

This week our Christmas present to ourselves arrived. A new bed! Ailsa's modeling on top of the bases in this picture. It's a Marriott bed. The delievery guys were confused as they thought they were delivering it to a hotel. It's huge! And perfect for fitting little munchkins who wander in and want to lay in our bed in the morning.

The latest quilt

Unfortunate name

Yes, the newest hair salon and waxing place in Perth is called 'craic n hair'....wondering what they do there...haahaahaa

'Helping'

We had to take Fergus to the doctor's yesterday to renew the prescription he's had since he was 8 weeks old for Gaviscon (for reflux). We weighed him and realised he's dropped down from the 91st percentile to the 25th. The doctor has referred him to the pediatrician in Perth. (It usually takes 6-8 weeks for an appointment to come thru). On our way to the playground we stopped to get him more baby food and the girls chose a biscuit (Oreos). When we got the 1 mile to the playground, this was Fergus. Ailsa obviously had decided to share with him. Guess Oreos will make him gain weight!

Odd-job

We got to see a harris hawk flying around

Ice cream at Gleneagles

So mom forgot the swimming teacher said she was on holiday this week...a certain 4 year old was very upset, so we negotiated some ice cream and a walk around to see the falconry school as an 'acceptable' replacement while we wait for playgroup to be over.

Bonfire Night

We had a great time eating hot dogs off sticks, boiled potatoes (Grannie wrapped them in foil), precooked sausages, parbake rolls out of the fire and topped it off with roasted marshmellows and digestive biscuits. Pretty sure it's a new family tradition...just wheel out the wheelbarrow to the tennis court and voile! (With lots of 'preparation' from Grannie and some try wood and Sunday's paper!)

Back seat drivers

Ailsa insists Charlie go everywhere with us now. She doesn't seem to mind.

Rainbows over Mrs McNicol's fields

Some days, being 2 is just too much

Rainbow at U stirling

Ailsa, her juice box & the wallace monument.

Our little toddler research study. She loved the 'tests' (it was a study looking at toddler creativity's relationship to parents' education level)

More love

Found them again...