Some photos! (I got it working!)

Anna and George all smart for their school Speech Night.

Oh. It won't work again...sorry about that folks! Not sure if it is something to do with our new connection here, or whether it is to do with Blogger. Will try again tomorrow.

But while I'm here, I may as well update you on the comings and goings of the last few days. We got a Christmas tree - a real one, although they are not the same sort of pine as we have at home. It is called a New York pine, and is probably the most perfect shape Christmas tree we've ever had (if it doesn't fall over - it is leaning forward rather menacingly at the moment). With the children we have made and decorated christmas cookies and hung them on, plus dried slices of orange in the oven, threaded them on ribbon and hung them on also. Nigella Lawson would be proud of me. Along with the tinkly lights, the tree looks lovely - and I would put a picture on here if I could!

Yesterday we puppy sat two puppies for the local pet shop. As pet shops here do sell animals, it is possible to look after them over night - and given that we can't have a dog as yet (apparently, according to Andrew) it is a good way of reminding oneself that frankly Andrew is right. They were fantastically cute, and the children were smitten immediately, but obviously they were both incontinent and needed constant supervision. I managed to get them settled to sleep by 11.30pm and they woke up and started crying at 5.30am. A reasonable night in the old days of babies, but I am soooo over all that! Anna named them Hazel and Bray. I think you should take this as a compliment Hazel! Anyway, we took them back to the shop at 9am this morning, and I imagine we will do it again some time....

I still have a couple of gifts to get, and now I'm feeling like time is running out. I have the world's largest pile of ironing, which has taken over the guest room, and I am conscious that my sister and her family are already on a plane to get here. As we have a full calendar of children coming and going over the next few days, I can feel the panic setting in. I've got to wrap everything too...aaagghhh...it was only a few weeks ago that I was feeling smug because I was so ahead of myself! I rested on my laurels! I got complacent! OMG - I need to get to the mall NOW!