Christmas Day

I've been on an unplanned break, with the cold that started just before Christmas hitting me with full force shortly after, leaving me wasting valuable quilting days - 3 of them in bed! I have lots to catch up on and am going to do so in order...

James and Eleanor started Christmas Day by checking that the reindeer had eaten their magic food - they had; but are notoriously messy eaters, and missed a few bits!) while patiently waiting to do their stockings - which they then opened with great gusto! In this house, Father Christmas fills stockings, but the presents are from us - Father Christmas had packed them with Schleich animals, small soaps, hankies, card games, Lindt chocolates, flashing necklaces, new torches and more - plus teddy clothes and hair stuff for Eleanor, and Matchbox cars for James.

The teddy clothes were a big hit, although James was sure this itsy weeny yellow polka dat bikini would fit Eleanor...

At 11, my parents, one of my grandmothers, and my sister and her husband and baby arrived, so we could start opening presents. James just loves his cousin Edward, and spent a lot of time holding him:

Eleanor was less inteersted...

James and Eleanor bought me a turtle. After their shopping expedition with Simon earlier in the week, Eleanor came running in shouting to me that they'd bought me, "a really big turt"! then clapped her hands over her mouth! I was most perplexed - but it turns out it was exactly what she'd started to say! James later admitted they'd wanted it for themselves, and Eleanor spent most of the rest of the day with it!

We didn't think she'd fit in this box herself...

let alone with the turtle as well...

Our family opens presents one at a time, which takes a while, so we took a break for lunch. I don't have any photos of the meal from my own cameras, but we started with a fresh tomato bruschetta, and Simon made a delicious roast turkey, using our own variation of Daddy's stuffing recipe (including mixed-grain bread rolls, macadamias, sage and dried peaches, yum!) and Mummy brought Christmas pudding for dessert. I made  a flower arrangement for the table - but it turned out larger than anticipated, and we removed it from the table while we ate so it didn't hinder conversation! We're lucky enough to have both holly and ivy in our garden, so I incorporated both of those with the orchids and lilies I'd ordered, and the lisianthus Simon had bought me:

After lunch James opened his main present - the big airport lego set he'd asked for:

And we gave Eleanor a big teddy (doll) pram:

Frtunately both have turned out to be good choices; James loves following lego instructions, even though this was aimed at children a little older than him, and Eleanor's teddies have almost lived in theiur new pram!

I also got this lovely snowflake pendant:

With Simon's family interstate this Christmas, we didn't have to leave the house all day, and had a nice, quiet evening.