CHRISTMAS PREPARATIONS

First ... there's the BAKING .......

 

Alastair and Ishie at their own kitchen counter icing Christmas cookies that I had baked earlier.

Of course, there is the sampling "to make sure it [the Betty Crocker icing]  hasn't gone off" !  It's a sort of ritual we have: the knife goes into the container first off and then a lot of licking goes on ... then we get down to business!

A whole cherry on the top goes a long way to brighten up the serving plate.  The kids love to carry the plate carefully about the room, offering their wares to the admiring adults.

And the SHOPPING ........

Off we go to the shops for that last Christmas present.  In this case we headed to Duncan's Yacht Chandlers for something for (big) Alastair.  Exactly what we wanted was there on the top shelf all packed nicely in its box.  Santa's elf, all 6 feet of him, was, as always, very obliging in an establishment where we have been customers for many, many years!

And lastly ... the CHRISTMAS CARDS .......

Mairi brought over gifts and Christmas cards from them all.  Here is Ishie's (nearly 6 years old) on the left and Alastair's (nearly 5 years old) on the right.

Ishie's printing is on the top card: letters well formed and making sentences.  Alastair's been learning his letters and is now putting them together.  He appears to really enjoy the physical process of holding and pencil and "drawing" the shapes.  He takes his time.  I wonder if he will form an interest in drawing, or maybe calligraphy?  And he is not even 5 years old yet!  (Ishie is more bizz, bizz, bizz - let's get this finished!)