23 December

...and we still have snow.

white Christmas?

The snow may melt yet--it's only Monday and Christmas is still a few days off. But there is plenty of snow on the ground--enough to make a snowman and have a snowball fight--and it's still here. Temperatures are still cold enough to keep Frosty from melting, which is fun.

The kids are enjoying having snow, and I am learning to drive in it (as if being on the other side of the road wasn't enough to deal with). Some Christmas presents has to be given early, since everyone needed those warm, waterproof gloves and mittens in order to participate in winter wonderland fun! So Father Christmas has one less gift for everyone's stockings--all for a good cause, though!

shepherds

There really ought to be pictures. There is a short video, which will be available on Facebook as soon as I can get through my last class at Durham University, tomorrow. 

Thomas performed in his first nativity play last Thursday evening--as a shepherd. One of the fun things about being in Durham has been Catholic school. (Because the school system is organized quite differently, the government supports religious schools; so we are able to have a free, Catholic education for Thomas. And, if we're still here, for Iain.) So the school Christmas performance involved the Christmas story, sung and acted by the 5-, 6-, and 7-year-olds.

It was every bit as cute as you'd expect, with the angel Gabriel played by the tallest girl in class (whom Thomas thinks he'll marry), with brilliant, dark red hair and just the right sort of wings. Mary wore the requisite blue dress and wandered around with Joseph in the usual manner, looking for a place to stay. And she didn't drop the baby, either. They sang 'Away in a Manger' and all seemed 'fit for heaven' already, as they sang the last verse. 

So this weekend it seemed appropriate to find the boxes of Christmas decorations, which we did. And get a tree, which we also did. This morning, I arranged the lights and rearranged the lights, until the two strands we had looked like enough. Then I wrapped our translucent gold garland round the tree, over and over until it hung just right. Lewis wandered in at about that time, and commented on its appearance, describing the garland as 'diaphanous'. 'You know what I mean?' he asked rhetorically. 'Yes,' I said, and a split second later Thomas chimed in, 'well, I don't.' 

I suddenly remembered why I like having children.

sick day

No, thankfully I am not sick: it's Thomas's sick day, so I have a day off as well. That means catching up on emails and paperwork for me, movies and sleep for Thomas. Works for me.

The weather outside makes sitting inside by the fire seem like the right thing to do: it is gray, wet and cold. I am working on my fire-building skills, not among the set I learned growing up by the beach in southern California. Today I managed it on the second try, and it's warming the room nicely, and I appreciate the cold properly.

Two more weeks until the end of the term, and I am looking forward to the break. Look for photos from the various events December holds!

Iain

The photo says it all: he's moving, he's happy. He tells elaborate tales and remembers the names of movie characters, friends at school, our parish priest back in Atlanta. He scribbles, and explains his drawings in detail. He asks his siblings what they did at school, and poses questions like, 'What did you have for lunch today, Anna?' At church last Sunday he said the Hail Mary with the rest of the congregation (despite usually fidgeting and refusing to say prayers at home), and paid attention to the Eucharistic liturgy, making observations that were astounding. He loves school, and is happy to get home again. He puts things away. (That may be the biggest miracle of all!!) He really does seem to be growing up.

...but he's totally uninterested in potty training. Oh well, you can't win them all.

Farm shop

We visited a farm shop a couple of weeks ago. Lewis is running out of charcoal for the Big Green Egg, and I wasn't keen on another day trip to the Edinburgh area--which is where we picked up the last lot. Not that I mind Edinburgh, of course. Not only is it a lovely city, but it has a Starbucks. Still, it is a long way to go even for charcoal and a latte.

So he found a farm shop on the far side of Newcastle that seemed to carry just the sort of charcoal he needed. (If you want to know, you'll have to ask him, or check out the Big Green Egg website. It's hard to say which would represent the Egg and its surpassing greatness with more enthusiasm.)

Of course the farm shop itself, though really lovely, was not the ideal place for Anna, Thomas and Iain to let off steam. The end of a rainy morning inside is a good time for a trip to a playground or a walk on the railway paths. A neat and rather upscale farm shop--not so much. Lunch was not our greatest success, either. But the thing about Thomas, Anna and Iain is that they like being outside as much as their parents do. A path seems almost magical in its ability to bring out the best in all three children (not to mention their exasperated parents). And there are Anna and Thomas, doing on the path what they refuse to do on those occasions when a simultaneous smile in the direction of the camera is required.

So much for the cute Santa photo: this is about as good as it gets.

first frost

A couple of Saturdays ago, I went out for a morning walk, and the trees and grass sparkled with frost. Amazing--the fall is slipping away and I still have to get busy with the Christmas shopping.

Part of the reason the time is flying is that I started a new job on November 2. It's only half-time, but with what I was already doing, it fills up my schedule pretty completely. So I have neglected the blog, all my friends on Facebook, and the housework. The kids have each had a bout of illness, too, which doesn't help. Fortunately, their bugs were extremely short-lived and not passed on to the grown-ups.

What we have been up to otherwise is, of course, a long story, covering the last six weeks or so.

We carved pumpkins:

And we took a wonderful family trip (with Tommy) to Hadrian's Wall:

...and we keep on doing the usual sorts of things--building towers out of Legos and blocks, creating ever-more-intricate railroads, walking on the railway paths and playing at the picnic ground.

The next few weeks promise to be busy with work, birthday parties (two next Saturday and one on the 29th of November), and a Thanksgiving celebration on the 28th--we don't have Thursday off! Just in case you're wondering, Atlanta friends: we still miss you! Look for a card, eventually, and send us your address if you think we may not have it. We'll send you photos and love across the ocean in time for Christmas (and Hanukkah), I hope!