It's Beginning to look a lot like....

CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!! My favourite time of year.
Our tree is up - photos tomorrow - took them tonight and haven't got a good enough camera to capture it all in nightlight. But, we have been busy making Christmas cookies, getting costumes together for the girls' Christmas shows - Juliette is the 'Star' in the nativity....hmmmm!
I always have the tree up by my birthday, but knowing what next week is like, I know I'll have no time to get it up, so me and the girls did it today after rehearsal. It's beautiful. We bought an 8ft tree. I need to buy more decorations I think though, as I usually only have a 6ft, but our room is so big and huge ceilinged (is that even a word? No, but hey!)

We go back to school on Sunday - and the week is FULL ON. For me, anyway. Two weeks to go before the the curtains of Les Miserables open so things are pretty manic. Add to that, four after school parents' evenings, two after school department meetings, rehearsals almost every day in between, the school Festive Fayre, School Christmas concerts, ballet, jazz class and gymnastics (for the girls of course) to try to organise dropping off and picking up, Year 8 and 9 reports to write (125 kids) etc. life is CRAZY!!! Are we doing too much? YES!!!!!

Andrew has been a play widow for too long - and it's going to get worse these next three weeks....will we all be glad when it's over? Yes!!! My husband and little girls will recognise me again. I'll actually be home to play with them! Andrew included!!

I did forgot to mention the girls go to clubs now. At a health and sport club called 'CHAOSS' - some acronym for centre of health and social sports or something like that. Annalise does Jazz/Modern dance on Mondays, and Gymnastics on Wednesdays whilst Juliette does Ballet on Wednesdays. When she turns four, she can do gymnastics. They LOVE it. It eases my guilt as well as I'm away at school so much and because the classes finish at 4.15 or 5pm I or Andrew can pick them up on our way back from work so that's nice.

We also bought a bar yesterday - a really modern one, black wood and chrome and glass - it arrives in a week so will post photos of course of it once it's in place! Very exciting - we miss out Jakarta one.

My birthday is a week today - we are celebrating it in reminiscent of Omani Scottish times - by going to the St Andrew's ball, which coincides with my actual birthday - Marilyn, you will be pleased we're back into the Calsoc!