We all pitched in to get the house decorated for Xmas. More importantly to get the food ready for the big dinner. This was the first time the whole family had been together at Xmas so it was a big deal. The setup and chatting before dinner were really fun as we all caught up.
We went up to Babicka's house for her actual birthday and we helped her start decorating for Xmas. The girls played around the property and inside the house. The girls found a dead mouse and gave it a funeral which was a solemn affair. After dinner we all looked at the lighted village which SV and Babicka set up earlier and that was a nice way to end the evening.
After their singing numbers we all went outside and the girls played on the playground. They really enjoyed having it to themselves because usually at recess it is super busy. SV also enjoyed looking around the school since she never actually went there. The chicken coop in particular caught her attention.
Each year at TJ had rehearsed a musical number and they all performed it at the winter festival. We all got to be there and watch all of the performances. They were all good and the girls did a good job. Although MV was annoyed because her year mostly played the glockenspiel and didn't really get to sing.
We went to the winter festival at the kids' school. KT and SV ended up volunteering by making hot cocoa. The stand proved to be quite popular and they had some fun. We also looked at some of the art the girls produced which was hanging up. MV and EV made more art at the library as well for good measure.
We took an evening to put on some music and a fire on the tv as we got ready to decorate our tree. We sent most of our decorations from Sydney so it felt like our tree from home. The atmosphere was very similar to Sydney and made it was a lovely way to reconnect to our past Xmases.
Once we found our tree we all took turns sawing it down. We did in such a way that it the main part of the tree could regenerate by growing a new main trunk. It was a fun experience going out and finding our tree. On the way home we stopped in at Red Hawk for a late lunch and to celebrate a bit. Once we got home we found that the tree was a touch too tall, oops. With a little trimming we made it fit though. Having a live tree in the house was lovely as it started filling the house with a pleasant smell.
