Crumpled Home » christmas

Pony Camp!

Luke — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 03:07:53 +0000

It’s a little quiet at home right now. LR is away at horse riding camp and the normal level of intensity at our place has dropped a bit – although only a little bit, the RJ reality distortion field is still fully operational.

Pony camp is an amazing place — I get all fluttery just thinking about it — a magical land where you spend all day riding horses, cleaning and scrubbing horses, feeding horses, and (be still my beating heart) shoveling horse manure and cleaning out stalls. Mom insists that this is little girl heaven, but I’m not totally convinced.

For the first time in her life, she has ‘her own’ mobile phone with her (it’s a spare that we’ve borrowed from Poppa for the week). We told her it’s just for emergencies or if something goes wrong and she needs to talk to us. After giving her one or two instructions on how to use it, we carefully put it in her backpack and waved goodbye.

Five hours later, while deep in the middle of one of my projects, I was interrupted by an unexpected phone call… from LR and a room full of 7 year old girls suffering some kind of ‘emergency’ involving a large amount of giggling. Apparently, she had to test to see if the phone was still working properly…

Regardless, I’m looking forward to having her back when she gets home… as long as she leaves her boots outside.

Just before she left, she drew this on the fridge for us.

The fridge cow will keep you company while LR is away.

December 2011, Photo Wrap-Up

Luke — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:07:47 +0000

With a huge overseas vacation looming, the first half of December was filled with the last days of the school year, some early Christmas celebrations… and a lot of silly hats.

December means the Advent calendar gets brought out. We like to pretend the kids appreciate the tradition and fun puzzles and clues that we leave in there for them...

It's RJ's job to read the clues this year. LR was surprisingly patient.

Oh no! The end-of-year music "party" turns out to be an impromptu concert and no one will volunteer to go first. RJ steps up and breaks the ice with a few of his favorites.

Three songs later, RJ has the room in stitches, finishing his performance with a flourish in classic RJ style.

LR volunteers to play a few of her favorite songs too. Beethoven FTW!

LR won one of the three coveted prizes for the students who improved the most during the year. Well done, LR! You deserve it!

The last game of the year (but not the season). RJ's teeball skills (and patience with fielding) are improving with every game.

Everyone works together building the gingerbread house. For some reason, only about half the materials make it into the construction -- there must be some dodgy contractors on the worksite.

Nice work guys! The finished gingerbread house looks terrific!

Because we went away for Christmas, we had an early Christmas dinner at Grammy and Poppa's.

LR takes the time to read the cards before tearing into the presents.

Thanks Grammy!

Careful there Auntie Jess. It's not safe to get between RJ and his Hero Factory legos. Just carefully put it back on the table and you'll be okay.

Parental win: the kids actually remembered their manners without prompting this year! Now if only we could get them to stop picking their noses.

Christmas dinner. A time for family, a huge feast, and the opportunity to wear ridiculous things on your head...

RJ got first pick of the hats and picked out the crustacean for himself and a spicy little number for Grandma Dot.

LR picks out her favorite, complete with spring-loaded pom-pom action -- essential for tormenting younger brothers.

Everyone helps out during the final rush to the kitchen, delivering the food to the table.

Crumbly destruction and delicious, sugary mahem ensue as the gingerbread house is attacked!

An important lesson learned... Never, EVER let the kids pick the hat for you or you will end up looking silly.

Traditional logic

Luke — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 03:07:46 +0000

(while jumping on the trampoline)

RJ: (bounce, bounce) I don’t believe in Santa, you know.

Dad: Really? Why is that?

RJ: (bounce) Well, there are too many problems with his story.

Dad: Such as?

RJ: (bounce) Well… We don’t even have a chimney in our house. How could he get anything inside?

Dad: Couldn’t he sneak in a window or something?

RJ: (bounce) That’s the other problem! He’s way too fat! He wouldn’t fit and his hat would fall off!

Dad: Fair enough. Then what –

RJ: (bounce) BUT! I do believe in Sinterklaas. He’s the Dutch Santa.

Dad: Really? Why do you believe in him?

RJ: (bounce) Because he has Black Petes to help him out. He is way smaller, and fast. They can sneak in anywhere with the presents. Also, his hat is smaller and round, so it wont fall off so easily.

RJ: (suddenly the bouncing stops) … AND Sinterklaas rides a horse. Who ever heard of a such a thing as a flying reindeer? It’s just so ridiculous!

But only the good girls and boys get some

Luke — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 03:07:02 +0000

(after delivering bowls of rice pudding covered in fresh raspberry sauce)

Dad: (whispering to RJ) I think it’s monkey brains.

RJ: (whispering) No. It’s not.

(a few minutes later)

RJ: (yelling) It’s Santa brains!!!

Dad: But doesn’t Santa need them?

LR: Naah. He’s done that trip so many times, he doesn’t need brains to know where to go.

RJ: He’s so good, he doesn’t need them, and we get to eat them up!

She has a problem with a little light work

Luke — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 03:07:41 +0000

We took advantage of the long weekend to get our Christmas tree and ornaments taken down (trees dry out fast here, and end up looking like something out of Dr. Seuss). LR ran into a bit of trouble with the lights, but after some detangling we got her sorted out.

There's a small problem with the lights!

The picture we posted on Christmas was a gingerbread house that Mum and the kids made. On Christmas night, the kids get 5 minutes to eat as many lollies and bits of candy off it as they can, then the battered remains get put in the rubbish. Thanks to LR for the green laser effects on the xmas tree!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Merry Christmas!

Luke — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 08:00:42 +0000

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Merry Christmas to everyone from all of us!

Pudding up with the grandparents

Luke — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 03:07:40 +0000

In Australia some families (ours included) carry on the British tradition of the Christmas pudding. It’s a magical beast, vaguely like a fruitcake (in the same way a rhinoceros is vaguely like a lamb), but heavier, denser, drenched in brandy and delivered to the table covered in blue flames. Fantastic stuff.

One of the traditions when making the pudding takes place after the ingredients have been put together and mixed. Everyone in the house gets to stir the bowl and make a wish. This year, the kids (LR, RJ and their cousins from Melbourne) helped out.

Grammy: And after we mix everything together, we each get to stir the pudding and make a wish!

LR: Why do we get to make a wish?

Grammy: Because the pudding is magic.

LR: Why? When does the magic get in there?

Grammy: After you put everything in and mix it together.

LR: (inspecting the bowls of ingredients in front of her) But where does the magic come from? Is it in the ingredients?

Grammy: No. It just happens after it’s all mixed together.

LR: … but…

Grammy: It’s like birthdays when you cut the cake. You just get to make a wish, okay?

(Unsatisfied with the explanation, LR drops the issue and adds it to her long list of the nonsense that adults insist on believing.)

Sorcery! Witchcraft! Complete and utter rubbish!