"christmas" cookies

Just look at the glee on the faces of these two... i'm not sure who is having the better time.

The tell tale sugar goatee...

So i came downstairs after doing something that must have been related to a baby, studying, or bathing (since there is room for little else in my life at the moment) only to find these two giggling like two hippies in a dorm room. I'm not sure i've ever seen two people have more fun than these two making Christmas cookies. Schuyler kept sneaking dough (and mouthfuls of pure sugar crystals) and getting in trouble only to catch her mum doing the same thing. The result was kind of what i imagine Jackson Pollack's cookies to be like but they tasted just fine. An unexpected side effect was having to cope with Schuyler's first gigantic sugar rush - she was a manic lunatic. A great memory.

boxing day

So great to have Uncle Will, Auntie Lou, and cousins Dexter and Hoogs around this Christmas.

final four

As the hours wind down on Christmas day, the kids return to human form from the screaming monsters they had become... and the parents do the same.

christmas dinner

Kim and Wardy Baby's first Christmas in Bermuda in eight(?) years... a very long overdue return. Anne Freeman was subjected to the Bermudian contingent plus the very welcome return of Will and Lou and family to the Bermuda Christmas dinner. Speeches were forced on all parties which included an ill-timed one on Regrets from yours truly and the kids disrupted any attempt at a coherent conversation but the food was marvellous (and Elsie Young inspired) and the company was as always great and, to top it all off, Schuyler punctuated the evening with no less than five (!) number 2's on the potty and one number 2 on dear Auntie Ardleigh's leg. I think Santa scared the crap out of her. Merry Christmas.

christmas continued

Schuyler appears to love Christmas more than Charlie this year...

Kim and Wardy baby get Schuyler a pad of her own...

which comes complete with a family... who look very Californian (she's waaay too thin for having had two kids and those boobs are so obviously man-made).

sharing christmas

dressing up

baby's first christmas

Mama and Santa's favourite. Of course, Santa doesn't have to change his diaper at 4am.

Still sticking with the blue eyes and the joker smile. Looks good on your Mr. Charles.

Charlie got a giraffe from Santa. unfortunately, it squeaks which means that Magic takes a greater interest than Charlie. Here he is in Superbaby pose (with his one fist up ready for flight).

Ah siblings at Christmas... the calm loving moment right before Schuyler decides she absolutely must pick up him and carry him and we leap in to pry her surprisingly strong and tenacious little hands of the poor lad. One day, Schuyler, I promise you can hold him. Maybe fifteen years from now.

schuyler's christmas morning

Santa loaded up stockings for everyone. Above, Schuyler is unveiling the free paper diaries you find in bookstores - a favourite drawing tablet for her and a frequent addition to her bag when she is prancing around the house.

Yay! Animal Crackers!

Ahh... Schuyler's ersatz iPad - a Fisher Price book-cum-games-cum-drawing-pad device that Santa brought her. She loves it (although it is probably a bit old and complicated for her). Mrs. Claus was also good enough to load pictures of Schuyler's family on it.

Maisy books are a hit with the S lady.

happy holidays

Schuyler Young as photographed by Lucy O'Brien. Wings are model's own.

'twas the night before christmas...

So the kids had finally put some clothes on and sprinkled reindeer food and carrots out in the yard and put milk and cookies out for Santa (along with a note letting him know that Dexter and Hugo were not in Sydney but in Bermuda this year) and they were quickly unravelling into overtired messes. So we wanted to chill the quickly unravelling kids out and read 'Twas The Night Before Christmas. Unfortunately, none of us owned the book. Fortunately, Google and YouTube did. So in a very 21st Century Christmas, Uncle Will and Kim put their computers to good use playing the famous book and other Christmas stories. I tried to read a Mr. Men's Christmas Carol (darn that Mr. Stingy) but them things are loooong so i could not hold the attention of the young'uns (although Dexter gamely kept listening until the end).

romping around the christmas tree

Skyping Auntie Shan and the gang in Australia.

Despite the record low temperatures and storm forces crazy winds, the kids decided that birthday suits were appropriate for Christmas which was only helpful when bath time rolled around.

christmas eve

Kim and Wardy Baby dressed the condo to the nines which brought out the best in the Christmas spirit.

time to go

As you can see, the kids were... ahem... slightly reluctant to leave the Scarrington party.