An early Bird Christmas

We had Christmas in our house yesterday, 9 days early.  Jbird, BabyBird, and I will be on the West Coast Christmas so I wanted to give Soph a chance to celebrate with us.  Oh what a day we did have!

The food was delicious but more simple this year.  We started off with a late brunch of sour dough, omelet (on my new Christmas frying pan), and bacon with shandis* and mandarins.  This progressed to crackers, cheese, and like-minded dips.  Our friend Cassie joined us with Chocolate Charlies*. 

The afternoon disappeared pleasantly as we watched Christmas movies and played with BabyBird's new megabloks set.  There was a moment where I politely moved her away from her new toy so that I could set up the circus tower.  Yes, I was that mother.  We have added to our carol music and now have viola duets.  It was fun trying to teach alto clef to Soph but she still sounded better than both Jbird and I.  We also played through some of my new Irish music book which was a gift from Jbird.

Dinner was just a roast chicken this year.  I have a lovely recipe where the chicken roasts on top of onion slices in a dutch oven.  The moisture created by the lid nearly self-forms a gravy which was perfect after the addition of some chicken stock and marmite.  So yummy.  

We reached a climactic point in our cooking this evening where I was fussing over the gravy, there was food everywhere, we discovered some bread that needed garlic, butter, and toasting, I was simultaneously trying to put BabyBird to bed when I discovered her ceiling was leaking from a flood upstairs (!!), Jbird decided it was time to play Christmas carols on the piano*, AND I had forgotten to remind the guests that our garbage disposal doesn't work so the sink started to flood.  It was amidst this chaos that the garlic bread was forgotten under the grill, and flames started spewing from the oven.  It felt like a scene from I love Lucy.  

  

Things have calmed down now.  We're eating Soph's chocolate self saucing pudding with cream and mulled wine. The others are playing Settlers while I knit the last christmas pressie that I'm making.  

*wine and orange juice

*marshmallow, peanut butter, chocolate, peanuts, and rice bubbles dolloped in a bikkie shape.  

*I love that he plays these but it added to the chaos of the moment

What's going on !?!??

My computer died! And I think I have a disease akin to 'writers block' where I'm not much happy with anything I write: it doesn't feel inspired and it certainly doesn't feel worthy to share.  So I don't and I'm sorry for that.  Perhaps things will change.  I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Itsnoweditsnoweditsnowed

We woke up to snow covered ground and spent the day watching the snow fall outside our windows.  It was delicious to have nothing to do that involved leaving the house.  After a week of 10 degree C (50 degree F) weather and returning to my autumn coat, I could finally test out my winter boots.  My feet were deliciously warm.  Please don't quote me later in the season when I'm sick of the snow and ready for some sun!

Nutcracker-licious

IU presents the Nutcracker every year but I only made it out to see it for the first time tonight.  It brought back memories of the last time I saw it, nine years ago.  Syls and I had flown from New York City to London on the red eye the night before and been completely overwhelmed looking for the theatre while passing all sorts of incredible London sites for the first time.  We arrived at the theatre feeling tired, disoriented, and hot.  The result was that I slept through nearly the entire performance.  Every time I woke up I felt confused about the storyline and would allow myself to drift off to sleep again.  

Tonight was another story.  Instead of arriving right on curtain call, I mistakenly arrived an hour early so I could enjoy people watching while sitting under the giant Christmas tree in the foyer.  I managed to read the synopsis before the performance began so I could easily follow the story line.  My view in London had been peering over heads from the back of the audience.  Tonight I was on the top balcony and could see the entire stage and all of the action.  I loved hearing the well known music.  It's such a magical and Christmassy ballet.  Perfect for getting me into the Christmas spirit.