Friday, December 26, 2008

Christmas

Wow Christmas came round fast! Christmas Day started very early for me as I was singing at a carol service at 11pm so didn't get home till about 12:20am. Then has to check that Santa had put presents in Tyler's pillowcase ;). The wee dude woke up at 4:33am (!!) but I got him back to sleep and then actually had to wake him so that he could open his presents before Chris went to work. He was ecstatic with his Ultimate Omnitrix and Battling Transformers, plus loads of other bits and pieces.
We went to Mum and Richard's just before 10am to open presents with the Howards and Betty & Dennis and we were all blessed with lovely gifts. Then Helen and I went to Elizabeth's for our yearly ritual of christmas cake and sherry. Back to Mum's for a wonderful Christmas dinner with ham, turkey, new potatoes etc followed by plum pudding with custard and cream, and shortbread and mince pies. Mum gave us all individualised Christmas crackers which Tyler loved. Chris was able to leave work early enough to have some dinner and open his presents with us.
Here's Tyler in his new shirt from Nan:

Tyler and cousin Stephen:


Monday, December 01, 2008

Busy busy busy

Goodness it's almost a month since I last posted! Into the Christmas run-up now, so it's all go. Tyler is really getting into Christmas this year. Every morning as soon as he wakes up it's "Count how many sleeps till Christmas" and I have to do it with my fingers. Today we opened the first door on G-A Betty's advent card (thank you Betty!) and Tyler got the first gift from our advent hanging. In each pocket I have tucked a piece of paper with a picture representing some part of the house, or object in the house. A gift will be hidden at that spot. Today he found a doctor's kit in his gumboot :)

Last night A Capella had its Christmas concert. We did John Rutter's 'Mass of the Children' and as well as the organ we had percussion, a flute and a lovely children's choir with us. I was the soprano soloist and I think I did ok. I also did a duet 'Love Came Down at Christmas' with another soprano. This a link to an article and photo in the Southland Times the other day. http://www.stuff.co.nz/southlandtimes/4775068a16895.html

Tyler is settling really well in the pre-school room at daycare. He is very conscious that he is now a big boy and corrects me if I say we are going to Surrey Park by saying "No! I go to Pre-School!" He loves singing the National Anthem in both English and Maori. When he first started singing it, the line 'from the shafts of strife and war/kia tau to atawhai' came out as 'taa ti ta ti ta ti ta ti ta ti taa.

He has had a bit of a growth spurt and it is awkward getting trousers to fit him as if the waist is the right size the length is too short. He is still chanelling Spiderman on a daily basis, and is Ben 10 mad. Any game/DVD/book which involves swordplay also gets his vote.