Jean Programming Again :) (by sarah)

So I resigned myself to the fact that Alaric would turn the new TV into a giant computer screen.

Of which my main concern is that he will work on it rather than going down to the 'lab' to work, but instead he set things up so Jean could play with Turtle Graphics which is a new version of an old thing he has implemented. Basically she has to actually programme in order to get a little turtle to draw. She has produced me some lovely flowers and a house and things 🙂

The pictures she's created are on Al's laptop so he'll have to pop them on here when he gets a spare moment (haha). She is using Chicken Scheme and using a programme called Simple Graphics which is what Al created initially though I believe it is open source and others have since added stuff 🙂

She also started to 'compose' scenes for photography today - which was a shock to me!

New Years Eve At The Snell-Pym’s House (by sarah)

We were gifted an X-Box Connect for Christmas but did not have a TV ours having died a death a few weeks previously and being an old one just for DVD watching anyway it still wouldn't have been any good. We looked at was best for playing this sort of thing on and I took the money I had been saving for a new camera, my birthday money and Jean's vouchers she had gotten for her birthday - Al put in some money too and we went and got ourselves a new TV from the super market whilst doing our food shop.

Of course we then couldn't get all of us and the TV in the car so I had to walk home (40 mins) - it was tough as I didn't have my stick with me but I managed it! I couldn't talk when I got back but it was worth it! a) this means I am improving again and b) the TV is fantastic!

So we set the X-Box up and WOW! We hadn't really been following electronic gaming as we thought we wouldn't be able to afford a system for a good long time yet so it has been just amazing! It had already been suggested to me that I should get a Wii or something for physio therapy purposes and now I see why!

This is jean on one of the games

We can NOT thank Santa enough for this present!

Alaric spent the remainder of the afternoon trying to extract a half edited novel and a completed poetry book off of one of my old laptops for me - unfortunately it didn't work but he says there are still a few things he can try.

We had a take away Pizza as I am giving pizza up until I lose some weight! And watched Bill and Ted on the new TV and again just WOW! It was fantastic - I sat and knitted and the girls snugged with Daddy and we all agreed that To Be Excellent To Each Other is a good thing to aspire too. Jean's comment at the end when Rufus says they will get better was, 'Well they will, Mummy has' 🙂

Mary was very excited to be dressing up in a pretty dress, the little angel outfit we were given for Jean when she was little.

She is a rougie type of angel, playing rough and tumble with her sister and attempting to steal Christmas Cake!

She ended up being a very sleepy angel

We then all played on the X-Box again after which we played one of my favourite board games Elixir which is about wizards 🙂

At midnight we rushed into the garden and banged our pots and rang our bell and fire works went off all around us and the neighbours started singing in their house - very loud and merry in serbian whilst we shouted Happy New Year and hugged and watched fire lanterns whilst humming Old Langsi.

We then popped the tired Mary in bed and played the board game until Jean was too tired and then me and Al blogged about our year and discussed our plans for the next year. Oh and we had a home made veggi sushi supper and White Knight with Peppermint Candy Cains 🙂

Boxing Day 2012 (by sarah)

Boxing Day in our house hold is the second day of stockings and the opening of all those presents that there just was not time to open on Christmas Day!

This particular Boxing Day it was discovered by Jean that everybody's stocking was full to bulging except... Mummy's :/ So I wouldn't be sad she sneaked in some chocs but didn't want to lie to me so told me. She reckons Santa must have forgotten as there was no coal which is what you get if you're naughty apparently. This made me cry because it was so sweet and I am hoping that Santa will perhaps drop off some late stuff say on my birthday!

Alaric cheered me up by presenting me with purple candles which I set out on the table as a centre piece - we put out our favourite table cloth to go with the candles 🙂

Jean got even more books which she was exstatic about along with reindeer earmuffs which she insisted on wearing out shopping today 🙂

Mary finally managed to open her presents - she had been so excited Christmas Day that she'd managed two! One of them was a bouncy reindeer toy which she loves very much and which resulted in a beached Mummy - for some reason I thought that it would be a good idea to try and sit on the thing, Alaric had to come and rescue me and my pelvis has been a bit mobile since but it was halarious at the same time 🙂

And of course Mummy's glittery red shoes were kid napped!

First by Mary then by Jean

Mary then disappeared with them - when we tracked her down she had gifted the cat who was not entirely happy with it though just lay there like the fat lump he is accepting snugs from her :/

Mary seemed most put out with the idea that the cat wouldn't like the shoes!

We gave the neighbours some home made chocs and then settled down to a dinner of left overs 🙂 Jean declared it was the best dinner she could have - brussel sprouts, peas and one of her new books to read - Alaric is now wondering if she is actually a human child!

The book is The Worst Witch All At Sea which Jeany is emotionally engaged with as there is a catnapping and the cat and owner are sad! Her first statement on reading the book was, 'This is like old style Harry Potter only with just girls.'

Alaric played games with Jean on the computer and I wrote story ideas in my new lego note books! We are all alas a bit virally and the baby ended up calpoled and in bed with a mild temperature.

But it was a good Boxing Day even if I ended up having to nap!

Christmas Day 2012 (by sarah)

Christmas Morning and the stockings were bulging at the seams, two dresses lay draped across the fire guard. Jean was almost bursting with excitement and Mary had picked up on this - they had woken us up at like 4:30 am - we sent them back to bed and then I couldn't sleep for excitement and so went and woke them up at first light!

Jean was ecstatic to find the things she had asked for in the stocking and Mary got a little confused and kept trying to put her things back into the stocking! Jean then entertained us with jokes from her Angry Bird book.

Whilst Mary played plinky music on her little plinky guitar 🙂

I was impressed that Santa realised I needed a pencil sharpener and rubbers and pencils and a calligraphy set!

Mary finally got the idea with the stockings... just in time to help Daddy.

The girls were sleepy but perked up once breakfast and more present opening was mentioned!

There was a lot of presents!

Most of them were from our friends and we could not believe their generocity, there were lots and lots of lovely things for the girls but also things for me and Al. My presents ranged from a lovely pocket dragon broach which I wore at dinner, to butterfly necklaces - one of which Jean had chosen specially for me. Then there was a Clangers craft book and so many other things - all I could say was 'Oh wow!' and then it came time to open the package that had turned up on the door step Christmas Eve.

The tag read 'The Snell-Pym Family From Santa' it was a complete mystery and it contained an X-Box Connect! Jean did little happy jumps and Daddy stood there frozen and then started trying to work out if he had a cable to connect it to one of the monitors we have kicking about the place etc... and I cried. I'd tried to make a video Christmas Eve to thank everybody for being so lovely but I had gotten too choked up. Father Christmas had delivered what was wanted but not what had actually been asked for as Jean was worried it was too big a present and I had said on Facebook that such a present would have to be a whole family present.

Jean loves Angry Birds and so the umbrella had to instantly be tried out!

As did the Ju Jistu mitts that she had asked Santa about specially.

Butterflies! I received lots of butterflies as necklaces and wall hangings - Alaric says he is neither for nor against butterflies in the house but that they make me so happy that he wants to just cover the house in them now 🙂

Jean was over the moon at the stack of books she received and we knew that there was just as many to come on Boxing Day too!

She chose a Worst Witch book to start with and was just finishing chapter two when it came to bed time 🙂

Jean loves books

So does Mary 🙂

Mary also loved her little Hedgehog that Jeany had gotten her.

The girls both wanted to put on their new cloths - Jean chose the blue dress which had been mine at the same age - though it had been made longer for me when I was about 10 so is long enough for Jean!

The hat is one of Nanny's which she then put on Mary, a process I don't think Mary appreciated!

But then Mary was really happy with the hat and wondered around with it on for ages!

Mary loves the little Minni Mouse outfit so much that there was a cross tantrum when it had to be removed due to a nappy breach - but this was solved by the fact she saw her new pj's (sent by the same person! Helen her god mother!).

We left the kids watching their new film whilst we went to cook the dinner. Well when I say 'we' I mean Al the elf!

I was busy decorating the Christmas cake 🙂

The Snowflake Cake! It didn't quiet come out the way I invisioned - the two techniques didn't work well together - most of the slump in the wonky cake stand rather than the cake itself though!

I was very happy with how the glittery snowflakes came out though! More on this will appear on our cooking bog at some point!

It was then Dinner time and Jean rushed to the table - anyone would think she was hungry!

We went with a standard fruity starter 🙂 Melon and strawberries 🙂

then onto the leopard pie which I had made little vent tubes for, these represent polyp tubes in colonial organisms 🙂

It worked really well this year and I really enjoyed dinner 🙂

Jean of course was very hungry and couldn't even wait for the crackers to be pulled - she got shouted at! (ok so this is a posed shot taken after the event!).

Yummy yummy for my tummy!

I then made pud as Alaric was exhausted!

See very tired - one Alaric!

Mary never quiet got the hang of the crackers!

We then all went off to read our books whilst Mary napped - apparently I was snoring away on the sofa! :/

Then me and Jean played an epic game of Scrabble where I found the new challenge was to to try and make the board as open as possible and to only use words I could explain the meaning of to her - I am hopeful that in about three years I will have a proper opponent for the game!

Merry Christmas On And All (by sarah)

Merry Christmas on this dreary Christmas Eve!

Here at the Snell-Pym Household we are recovering from mulled wine and minced pies with friends and are about to under take some lovely craft activities followed by christmas food prep!

Until then here is the outline of the Cathedral I have drawn for Percival's Christmas Wish. I have only so far managed two complete drawings both in outline but will attempt some more later on! I have a confession - I'm not very good at drawing buildings - I've never really done it to be honest and it took a lot longer than expected and I'm not entirely happy with it but it will none the less be going up on Wiggly Pets with the story a little later today!