Advent 17

I'm bursting to share something with you and can't wait until we've completed todays activity! Todays activity is to pick a tree and decorate it, we're getting a real tree for the first time ever so we have to pick the perfect one! I will upload some pictures later when we have picked our tree and when we have decorated it but for now I want to tell you about something special that the kids got today!

A message from santa claus at PNP, not just any ordinary message though, a video message! Santa knew everything about them too!

Here's the message Donald got!

He was so excited, He was nodding his head to whatever santa was telling him and saying 'Okay'

This is Joy's message

Her reaction wasn't as strong as Donald's but she was certainly delighted about it, Donald was telling daddy that santa told him he hopes he has a great christmas and Joy said santa told me that too!

Well, I better get going We have to go pick a tree and the kids have their ice skating test today and Donald has a christmas party at Beavers too I'll add to this later though when we've picked our tree, and I'll add some photos then too.

Later...

What a day! We tried the cardwell garden centre to find a christmas tree and this caught the kids eye!

Eventually we got them moving and round the corner they spotted this!

I reminded them we were here to pick a tree and finally they picked one!

much too big though! Unoftunately we couldn't find the perfect tree at the carwell garden centre so we piled back into the car and drove on.

Picking a Christmas Tree builds up quite an appetite though so we made a quick stop!

Ah yes, nothing brightens up the day like a Happy meal!

Refueled, spirits high, we travelled to Finlaystone! There were some beautiful trees to choose from, We couldn't decide wether to get small and scrawny or tall and bushy, we thought about our limited space and swayed towards small and scrawny but then we thought of our box load of decorations and swayed towards tall and bushy, we asked the kids opinions and everybody wanted something different from the other. Eventually we made our decision and headed back to the car.

We took the tall and bushy, we didn't think it was as tall as 7 ft though! it cost £25.50. We stuffed it into the car and drove to homebase to get a stand for it but the small one wouldn't do  and the only other one was £35! forget it! I tried to convince William to take the tree back and swap it for a smaller one so we could get the small stand at £10 but he refused saying it would be too humiliating.

We were running out of time Donald and Joys skating lesson would be starting soon and it was test day we didn't want to be late! there was no time to try the cardwell garden centre for a tree stand so daddy took the kids to their lesson and I wandered through the town with a sleeping Teo. I was in wilkinsons looking for gift tags and tissue paper and on the bottom shelf something caught my eye, a tree stand for £10 the last one too. I bought it and we took it home.

It was too small. Not to be defeated, William pulled out his tool box, and I've only seen him use his tool box a handfull of times since I bought it for him our first christmas together! He chisled down the stump and squeezed it into the tree stand. It was hard work but finally SUCCESS! our tree was risen.

No time to decorate it though we had to wolf down our dinner and rush Donald to his Beavers party!

While Donald was at his Beavers party we took Joy and Teo to see their cousins! While there one of Joy and Teo's cousins was talking about ages and I said to William oh my god I can't remember what age I am! am I 24 or 25? 24 he told me, and my memory was restored. My wee niece asked me what age I am and I told her 24 but she said I looked too old to be 24 and asked how old I was really, she insisted I had to be in my 30's. I guess theres no polite way to tell someone they look old! I wasn't offended though, I've always known I look much older than I am, I was laughing hysterically. Eventually it came near time to pick up Donald and jokingly I said to her 'I don't have to sit here and take these insults'

Back at home it was well after 8pm by now, we pulled out our big box of decorations and set about decorating the tree! Donald was the most eager.

Joy wanted to reach the taller branches

And Teo wanted to take the decorations off!

Teo was actually having a ball! He was throwing the baubles across the room saying 'Ball!' I was so proud of him, I know most parents wouldn't like their toddler to throw their baubles around the room but I was just so happy he was saying a word 'Ball!' I couldn't be prouder!

Earlier I joked to William that he was redundant because it is usually his Job to string the lights but this year we decided to opt out of lights. I started wrapping the tinsel around the tree but it was such hard work because the tree was so big that I hired william to be in charge of tinsel!

There was only one thing left to do...

Put the angel on top. We used the angel Joy made yesterday!

Finally Decorated our tree was complete! and it nearly touches the roof!

Donald said 'Look how great our tree looks! Santa will have to leave us LOTS of presents now!'
I sure hope so, it was hard work! Time to relax, Tomorrow we'll have to squeeze our advent activity around drama class, dance class, and the sunday school party!