Christmas 2011

Emma and I enjoy a moment together watching cbeebies

Michael and Emma enjoy the kids table at Clair and Lee's

Neil and Maggie help out at bedtime 

Michael, Emma and Great-Grandma Adam enjoy a festive moment

Michael demonstrates some new skills

Emma takes a break from the tiring christmas present opening regime

Grandma helps Emma out with her new Dora book

Granddad looks on in jealousy at Neil and Maggie's siamese slanket

Emma enjoys her shopping trolley

Michael enjoys his new towel poncho.......

....as does Emma

Granddad helps out at the kids table.....

..then gets a little confused with the application of the pig slipper....

....luckily the girls are on hand to display the proper use of the slippers

 

Michael tries to get in on the iPad action 

Michael and Emma having fun at Balmedie beach

Michael takes on the sea

Emma thinks about a future in bomb disposal

A visit with Granny Sinclair (Emma pouting like a princess)

Scott pops by for a visit

The much, much, much discussed reindeer cake pops

We had a great time over Christmas. 

We went up to Aberdeen to spend the christmas period with Sarah's mum and dad. Michael and Emma were really excited. There had been much concern on Sarah's side given that Emma had just got the knack of going to sleep without much intervention and that having her sleep in a new environment may upset that, but it all worked out fine. Grandma had prepared a room for Michael and Emma, and they got to sleep on opposite sides of a double futon, which they loved. There was a major tantrum on the first night when Emma wanted Michael's lava lamp, but eventually they both settled down and it was all fine after that.

The Adam's had generously agreed to have christmas on christmas eve to allow us to meet with the Blacks in Dundee on Christmas day. 

The celebrations started with the usual present opening ceremony with the Adams. Michael again distributed the presents. This year it was sometimes difficult to distract Michael and Emma away from what they had just opened to open something else, as they wanted to play with everything immediately. 

The food that followed was all fantastic as usual. 

On Christmas day itself we went to church in Aberdeen, then came back to the Adam house for a quick rest before heading off to Dundee to meet up with the Blacks. It was incredibly windy, but luckily we arrived at the same time as my mum, dad, Scott and Isla, so they were able to help us get all the stuff up to Clair's flat (the lift wasn't working).

There wasn't enough space at the table for all of us to eat, so we made a little table for Michael and Emma. The food was great. You haven't lived until you've had some macaroni cheese on christmas day with your more traditional christmas fares which we spent a lot of time trying to convince Iain of. 

The present opening was over comparatively quickly. Michael and Emma opened all of their stuff first. Isla's in the habit of giving one present to the boys and another to the girls. This year all the girls got double slippers in the shape of animals. Sarah got the dog. As Isla explained, this was because both Clair and Sandra hate dogs. 

Michael insisted on watching Kung Fu Panda 2 on the way home. We'd wanted them to sleep, but that wasn't happening. I eventually conceded defeat and let him watch it. 

Michael spent a night with Neil and Maggie which went very well. He spent a lot of time playing on the Xbox Kinect playing sports games. He also started playing Kung Fu Panda on the xbox, which he ended up playing a lot. 

Emma seemed to enjoy playing variations of 'Ready Steady Go!' (where you run with her down the corridor) and Hide and Seek. She loved playing it in Clair and Lee's flat on Christmas Day, and loved playing it in the Adam household. She even played football a couple of times, but really liked playing with Michael's lego. 

The kids went to Balmedie beach in Aberdeen one day between Christmas and New Year. It had been a surprisingly warm christmas period (the third warmest on record apparently). Emma really enjoyed the sea, and her wellies were saving her from the sea until a big wave came in and she decided to sit down in it. That explains why she ended up looking like something out of 'The Hurt Locker' wearing Grandma's jumper.