nativity x 2

Both Liam and Malachy were cast as *angels* in their Nativity plays at school this Christmas.... Don't ask me why!! Oh but they did look cute...

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malachy's music school

So here is the first of the 2008 Christmas recital posts... in May 2009 (I know!)

We went to see Malachy's open class with his teacher Catherine (Liam's first music teacher too!) at the Dun Laoghaire Music Centre, where Jaime, Liam and Malachy all take music lessons.

These kids really get into it :)

Malachy received a Certificate of Achievement (woo hoo!) for his first completed term of the "Children's World of Music" introductory course.

Proud as punch, he was!

In the end, we all got to join in. I think Lorcan's already looking forward to starting classes!

winter outings

Amidst all the Christmas preparations -baking, shopping, wrapping, gifting- we still found the time to go on some family outings in the cold, festive month of December...

(click on collage for larger view)

These were taken on a trip to the zoo in December.

Clearly the penguins, the snow leopard and the arctic owl didn't seem to mind the cold one tiny bit!

We just wrapped up warm and drank hot drinks to keep ourselves going :)

... oh and played in the playgrounds, of course. Nothing like movement to warm little bodies up!

The orang-utan sat cosily under this heater inside his house.

Lorcan was very impressed!

They had a nice little tête-à-tête!

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And these next shots were taken in Howth in December. We went to get our last-minute Christmas seafood shopping in and the kids were delighted to find there was a little Christmas funfair (and ice rink) set up on the seafront!

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pre-Christmas things

At the Sunday Farmer's Market in Dun Laoghaire.

With Isaac in the playground.

With Jacqueline in the People's Park!


Peekaboo :)

By the fountain.

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At Malachy and Anita's Winter Solstice Party!

Our host: Malachy (Senior!)

Oscar!

Pirate Lorcan (happy to be dressed up by the bigger kids at the party!)

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Home-made Christmas goodies that we made as Xmas gifts -and some to keep (ahem, scoff ourselves) too!-

·amaretti

·chocolate and almond biscotti

·mazapanes

·and a cool new cookie jar to put them in!

Xmas preparations around the house!

*This year we changed up our traditional Advent calendar surprises. Instead of chocolate sweeties, we received daily messages from Father Christmas!

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Visiting Santa and the Christmas Fair held at the kids' school!

Once again, Mummy and Daddy helped to get Santa's Grotto ready for the big event :)

*the boys brought Santa their letters and gave them to him in person!

The look kind of daunted by the whole experience, don't they?!

Lorcan woke up from his nap just in time to get a hug from Santa!

And receive his pressie!

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We decorated our house with Christmas lights and put up our Christmas tree. That's the spirit!