december was a busy month!

Cast your mind back...
Yes, we know it's almost Easter and we're still posting photos from Christmas, but... c'est le blog!

Here is a glimpse of what we got up to in the run up to Christmas 2007:


The all-important "letters to Santa" were carefully thought out and drawn up in plenty of time for the big fat bearded guy (better known to Lorcan as "Danta") to get everything prepared.

With all the excitement, we had our tree up earlier than ever this time! And lots of other fairy lights twinking around the house too.

Early in December, Daddy went to Barcelona for a few days and took our camera with him (the nerve!). We resorted to using Liam's Digimax while he was away and the results were'nt all bad! Bottom left are the miniature handmade Christmas cards that Liam made for his friends at school :)

We made sweet gifts for the kids' teachers too! These cute boxes contained a selection of yummy Christmas cookies.


Mmmm

Ssssshhhh! Don't tell the kids but it was Mummy and Daddy who decorated Santa's Grotto at Liam's school this year!

This is Liam at his school's Christmas Fair... waiting to see Santa.


I couldn't resist snapping these drawings on the walls of the school corridors. The theme was "when I grow up I want to be..." and some of the creations are simply hilarious (I hope this is clickable to enlarge!).

Lorcan was a little wary about the whole "visiting Santa" business!

Our turn next....
Then it was Malachy's turn to look a little uneasy!

Although when the presents came out, he relaxed straight away!

So the countdown was officially on... (and it tasted like chocolate!)


Bob the builder sits triumphant atop his tower creation.

This is called 'parallel play'... and it's a lot less noisy that 'playing together'!!!


Since they didn't come over to Ireland for Christmas this year, the Supple clan sent us some snaps of their growing girls!

* * * * *

Chronicle of a Christmas Cake
(not to be confused with Christmas Pudding, which we also made at home this year!!)


Traditional Irish Christmas Cake should be made at least a month in advance of the big event. It contains all sorts of dried fruits, nuts and moisture (i.e. booze!). It's baked in the oven for 4 to 5 hours (!!) and then wrapped up and stored till Christmas, opening it up from time to time to "feed" it with brandy and keep it moist and cheerful :D

About a week before Christmas, it is coated with almond icing. And then a couple of days before Christmas Eve, it is covered in Royal Icing and decorated to make it nice and Christmassy.

Tradition calls for Santa to be the first one to try the cake and that's exactly what we did here! We also left out a class of milk and a carrot for the reindeer.

Scrump-diddily-umptious.