Farm on Wheels

A lot has happened in the past month, including Mom's two-week visit, Brenna's 2nd birthday, Easter and Ellen and my birthdays; however, I'll start with our visit today to the Farm on Wheels organised by our neighborhood management team.  A trailer pulled up carrying a donkey, three rabbits, 2 lambs, the most gorgeous grey hen and her four fluffy chicks and Sandy the rat.

Up close with the rabbits

 Petting one of the sweet chicks

 I love Brenna's excitement in this picture.

 Mommy Hen and her babies.

 The girls got to feed the hen and chicks.

 Brenna loved feeding the lamb. Ellen chose not to... no surprise.

 

 Brenna confidently petted the lamb and, after a little persuasion, Ellen did, too.

 Both girls were happy to pet Sandy the rat.

 Sandy had a little climb on both girls!

 We played on the nearby playground until I deemed it too cold to continue playing.

Pancake Day

Today is Shrove Tuesday, aka Mardi Gras, aka Fat Tuesday, but in the Bolton house, it's simply Pancake Day!  Unfortunately, Jeff missed out on a delicious pancake breakfast due to being away for work for a few days.  Ellen always enjoys helping me make pancakes and enjoys eating them, too.  Brenna wasn't interested in actually eating the pancake, just dipping a piece in the maple syrup and licking it over and over... *sigh*.

I was asked a couple times today whether we ate traditional English pancakes or American pancakes.  Light, fluffy American pancakes, of course!  Britons like to make thin pancakes (crepes) and top it with lemon and sugar... uh, no.  Give me a drizzle of maple syrup any day!

Our First Snow!

Happy New Year!  Now that Jeff and I are almost over the flu, Ellen over the tummy-itis that she had and Brenna a milder version of the flu and an ear infection, our life has returned to normal this week.  We've had such mild weather this winter so far, but it's turned cold enough to snow this week.  We had our first snow this morning, but it was a slushy snow and melted almost straight away.  However, there was still enough mushy snow on the car for me to gather a bit in a bowl to bring inside to the girls.  They were so excited!  A little ball of icy snow and they were dancing around the lounge!  More significantly, this was the first time Brenna has seen or touched snow, so I had to take a video of her first experience with it.  Tonight it is supposed to snow overnight for a real snow, so we'll see what happens!

Cookies, Cupcakes and Reindeer

Since we had many cut-out cookies leftover to ice, we invited our friends Gemma and her children, Amelia and Max, over to ice the remaining cookies.

 

Our darling daughter decided it was more fun to disintegrate her cookie instead of icing her cookie, though she loved icing it the day before.

A week or so later, Ellen asked to make Christmas cupcakes. So, like the amazing mommy I am, I made her red velvet cupcakes... from a boxed cake mix! I did, however, also buy Christmas cupcake cases and snowmen chocolates, as requested.

 The finished masterpieces!

 So stinkin' cute!

On Christmas Eve the girls donned their reindeer antlers to play "Reindeer Den"... because reindeers live in dens, duh.  We dined on reindeer food (sliced bell peppers, cucumber, apples and clementines... because that's what reindeer eat... don't question it!), and read Christmas books, including listening to Great Grandma read "The Night Before Christmas" that she sent last Christmas. Snow also fell in the lounge and it was freezing cold... brrr!

Christmas Day

Our Christmas day was filled with mountains of gifts, heaps of wrapping paper and family from afar. Ellen was so excited for Christmas morning, and as much as Ellen and I tried to explain to Brenna that Santa Claus would be bringing some presents,, we're not sure what she truly understood.  However, both girls understand that a couple presents and their stockings are from Santa and the rest of their presents are from family members who love them dearly.

Ellen is showing Jeff her new Tangled DVD from Santa found in her stocking.

 Brenna is hugging her chocolate penguin.

 The girls are opening their stockings (Ellen is sitting behind Brenna in this picture).

 The girls and their stockings.

 Opening more presents.

 Brenna is opening her Minnie Mouse Pony Stable toy from Santa.

Ellen opened her Frozen create-your-own snow globes from Santa.  Actually, Jason and Angela bought it for her, but when we went on the train to visit Santa at the beginning of the month, she asked Santa for two things: Ariel snow globes (she got the Frozen ones, and fortunately didn't complain it wasn't Ariel) and a twirly skirt Cinderella doll.

 It's the twirly skirt Cinderella doll!

Cutie Pie Brenna Boo.

 Color-on Lambie from Doc McStuffins from Grandpa.

 Santa pancakes for Christmas breakfast.

After breakfast we went to the Christmas service at church.  Ellen and Brenna are aware that Christmas celebrates Jesus' birth, not just presents and Santa Claus.

Play-Doh style salon from Mommy and Daddy.

 An Anna doll from Mommy and Daddy.

 Princesses Ellen and Brenna modelling their new tiaras and sparkly dress-up shoes from Mommy and Daddy.

We had our Christmas lunch at about 2:00p.m.  We had ham, buttered carrots, roasted Brussels sprouts, chipolatas (mini sausages), orange and cranberry stuffing balls and glorious potato dauphinoise (creamy, garlicky, cheesey au-gratin potatoes) and salted caramel cheesecake that Ellen helped me to make on Christmas Eve.  I bought posh Green & Black's vanilla ice cream for the girls and for Jeff and me to have with our Christmas pudding later in the evening. 

 At 3:00pm the Queen spoke about light in this dark world and how Christ offers everyone hope.

 On Boxing Day, Brenna opened two remaining gifts while Ellen watched in her new, larger Elsa dress.

 Brenna's new (extremely noisy) Toot Toot garage.

Of course we had a nice Christmas and we hope that one day more family can spend the day with us.