The Christmas Market

What's Auntie Erin's annual trip with out a day in Edinburgh at the German Christmas Market???!! We saw the play 'stick man', had lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe ( where the kids got plates shaped like guitars AND free drink refills---just like America!), then wandered around the market for rides and face painting and a train ride home....so much fun, but such tired kids. 

Potty training attempts

He thought it a great game of drink Ribena, sit on a towel and watch BBC I player (shows are only 10 minutes long). We did well, but then had to leave the house...we'll try again next week. 

Thanksgiving preparation

Seeing how it's not a holiday here, a lot needs done the night before.

More birthday presents

Another Saturday night spent sewing birthday presents for kids parties...reversible Frozen handbags. 

Erin's here!!!

We met Erin at the gate...and knowing us all too well, had a box of 50 Dunkin donuts munchkins for us.  We love Erin :) it's like Christmas when she comes!

Family Sunday walks

Here comes the fog

Fireplace

Moments that make you think

So a few days ago, while clearing the dinner table Isla asked 'why do you throw away all your wrappers and bags when you go to McDonald's? At our school we have lots of stacks for all our plates and cups and we have to scrape extra food into the bin and they wash the dishes.  Why doesn't Mcdonald's so that?'.....um, because it's and American company and Americans aren't bothered by waste?? Was sort of at a loss for an answer there. Perhaps I should help her write to McDonald's!  

We've also been enjoying John Denver on the way to school... Nothing in the world is funnier than this dance Fergus does when 'The fiddle song' comes on..he get clapping and jiving. Hilarious. ('Thank God I'm a country boy)...isla prefers 'Grandma's feather bed' and I can wow my children with the fact I know all the words . Between that Simon & Garfunkel, Vince Gill, the Dixie chicks and an occasional Frozen tune, we rock the Volvo every morning and afternoon :) 

This morning's nature show

On my dog walk this morning I got a lovely view of birds flying in formation. I thought it was too late for starlings but not sure what else flies like that. You could hear their wings beating. 

More baby quilts

I finally finished another quilt (I took a few nights off to watch a crafty class on 'using your walking foot'--I'm fly like that ;) it was my favourite fabric of all time--Michael miller's pirates. I'm happy it's going to a good home ;) First Time Grandparents for a tummy time mat. 

Greatest cleaning tool ever!!

All to the soundtrack of top hat 

Tap shoes...they are magic. Kids love the limestone floors so want to tidy up and dance while they are cleaning up :) God bless neighbours who give you hand-me-downs!!

A day outdoors

After what seems like forever, we went down to the farm for a full family day of fun. Daddy was helping his brother pull out downed trees and we took to worm hunting (and making worm-ariums like we read about in mom's old Girl Scout book.  We pulled up moss on the tennis courts, walked the loop, dug in the tractor tyre tracks, used charcoal from our bonfire to draw on the little hut, visited the chicken, ate lunch with the whole family and of course had a laugh. There was a fabulous sunset and Auntie Claire picked up the glass bits she and daddy made at their class a few weeks ago. Kids went to bed clean (after their bath!) and tired from a day of fresh air. It's fabulous having two old enough to walk everywhere and be excited about seeing trees crashing down (some wind blown ones needed taken down). Kiwi was banished to the tractor can, but with the heater on, she didn't mind and curled up in the driver's seat while they worked. 

Late Night Birthday Gift Sewing

Finished!! One hexagon cuddly quilt and John Deere tote for it to fit in. Just in time for Rosie's birthday party today 

Sensory fun

Snow, paint frozen into ice Cubes, salt , plastic sheets and glitter.... How fun a craft!

Pleasant Saturday Surprises

What a day! After dropping Number 2 at a birthday party, I ran into Perth--and being nosy saw some tents by the concert hall...I saw people waving scottish flags and wondering what they were protesting I wandered over--to realise they were the 'yes' vote and it was the SNP conference....and who was just wandering over to talk to them but the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon. I still can't get used to running in to rather 'national' politicians randomly on the street here. It made me chuckle. 

I found daddy this card and it made me smile too..

Then after dropping the girls at singing this morning I came back to find the bell ringers performing infront of the Cathedral and being filmed. It was a lovely surprise. I picked up the girls and before we went to the bake sale for Malawi, we went outside to listen. Their primary school has a volunteer grandma who teaches the kids so I thought it was good for them to hear some great bell ringers. 

And lastly, there is a little joke in the family that daddy's grandmother once summond a waiter at the Royal Hotel in BofA by shouting 'Cooeeee' ...so this made me laugh when I saw it in a shop that had recently moved premises, just a few doors down. 

Giving up

 

When you are already late to school and you come upon the Shepard walking his sheep down the road, you just have to give up and accept that you are going to miss the school bell!

Busy Mondays

Seems we do all our errands while the girls are in school. My lunch date is great company---there is no eating in the new car so we went into McDonald's! Now he is obsessed with 'sit down' restaurants and tried to make me 'big chef' while em was 'little chef' for making dinner as he got a notepad and tried to make a menu and shouted at the girls to come to his sit down restaurant for dinner.

Cloud cover

The view of the house as we came over the hill today at 1pm...

Bon-fire Fun

We had a great night last night, with out second annual 'BBQ/Guy Fawkes Night' celebration. Grannie's handyman built us a bonfire of old wood from the farm (complete with a safety fence and 'spare burn' pile!), and we had a fun night eating sausages, sausage rolls, s'mores, pizza and 'toast.'  The moon was so bright the kids played 'tig' with Grannie and could step on their shadows. The goat house proved a hit again this year ( as there are still clays in it) when playing 'hide and seek', and the kids made their own fireworks by collecting glow sticks and launching them into the air. The rain held out just late enough for us to be about done when it started. Everyone went to bed tired and slightly smokey smelling, but red cheeked from the fresh air and exhaustion. A definite 'do again' family activity.