Cake and Yule log

Guess who is 95 tomorrow! (Party at Homepine 2pm)
My little helper Ira (uh!)

The Yule log we made for the Winter Solstice- Please come back Sun!

How to make a snow reindeer

Tools and equipment

Plastic spade

Large tomato cut into quarters

2 stones

2 small branches

Make a mound of snow and firmly pat down

Take your spade and carve out the spaces between the legs

Mould more snow to build up the head

Add the antlers, eyes and nose

Sleigh ride!

More snow

We went for a walk in the snow this afternoon; partly because it looked so beautiful, partly because of the great sound it makes when you walk on fresh snow and partly to wear out a 4 yr old boy with a fractured wrist who really would have preferred to go sledging!
The wrist didn't stop him throwing snowballs!

I just love the church in the snow

and we had to see the castle in the snow

and then home for mince pies and hot chocolate!

Ice Art

Snow Art to follow (after the blizzard has finished!)

Competition

Tonights competition was to decorate a chocolate biscuit ball

Ian and Harry made snowmen and Abbie and I made Christmas puddings.

Please vote for the winner.........

We three Kings of Orient are.......

Just waiting for Harry to learn the alternative version from his friends at school (or from Ian!)

Lego Christmas tree

Having to wait until the weekend for their Christmas tree, Abbie and Harry resorted to decorating the lego tree with tinsel!

Bedgebury Pinetum

This is Admiral Abbie and Captain Harry defending their ship by firing snowballs at "Ian the Pirate"
This is Ian the Pirate trying to overcome the fearless sailors

This is Captain Harry happy that his ship is safe

and this is Ian the Pirate enjoying a cup of ship's brew (a consolation prize?)

Our visit to the beautiful Bedgebury Pinetum

http://www.bedgeburypinetum.org.uk/

The Gruffalo?

Footprints in the snow........

Lots of snow!

Harry still in his pj's in the snow this morning
It's this deep!

After school we went sledging

Harry and Hugh wanted to make snow angels

Abbie racing her school friends

Hugh and Harry having a rest

Ian trying out the boggie board method of sledging (very fast!)

The journey home from school

lan the Reindeer

Beautiful views

This weekend....

This weekend we made miniature snowmen; inspired by hats found in Abbie's doll's clothes box. The one on the left is supposed to be an owl and the one on the right a motorcycle snowman. I think he has suffered a whiplash injury at some point as his head has shifted to the right!
Abbie was not happy when I bought her some Peppa Pig boot socks in Sainsburys- I quickly learned that Peppa Pig is not for 7 year old girls.
At least her feet were warm when we went sledging.

Harry can be very funny. Today he came through and said to Abbie come and see my magic trick. There was a cardboard box on the table and he said I can make a cat appear; he opened the lid and out popped Pippi! (Pippi loves cardboard boxes!)

Harry decided after seeing Santa in Folkestone with Mrs Santa that Abbie from now on should be Santa's wife in their games!

Abbie was not impressed!


We had a great time sledging down Roundhill this afternoon; you can usually guarantee that if there is not enough snow at home there will be more in Hawkinge.

The back of Roundhill is a good gradient and about the right length. You can park at Crete road west and you are right next to the slope. This year both Abbie and Harry were fearless and Abbie spent time coaching Ian how to go faster!

Ian, Abbie and I last went sledging there when Abbie was only 18 months old. Ian met Abbie and I and Anita and Steve straight from work (yes those were the days that Ian had to leave the house to go to work!) Anyway it was dark and Ian was wearing a suit and work shoes with no grip which made climbing up a steep icy hill quite a challenge!

Please can we have some more snow!

Reindeer and snow!

Who needs to go to Lapland when you could meet Reindeer in the snow at the Christmas Parade in Folkestone this morning!

The only problem is Abbie now wants a pet Reindeer (only a baby one!)

The loft and practising for Mia's party

Abbie practising for Mia's ice skating and bowling party tomorrow.

Harry had a go too and managed to do a comedy slip where both legs were horizontal and he fell on his bottom (the only bit without padding!) He was fine but annoyed at Abbie who wouldn't stop laughing!
Ian has been busy insulating our newly boarded loft; it looks just like a space station and no we are not going to grow plants up there!