Monday, 22 December 2008

Events @ Nursery

December is an exciting time for young children. Even the nursery was bursting with activities in the short 2.5 weeks of term time they had left.

On 3 Dec, Ethan went to watch a children's play. The children all went in a bus (how exciting!) to a theatre called North Edinburgh Arts Centre to watch 'The Ceilidh Tree'. Parents could join as volunteers, to help with taking care of the children. Too bad both Jianming and I were too busy, and Ethan -well, Ethan couldn't remember the show or narrate to us much. He remembered more about being on the bus and told us something about a hammer and Tristan's mother.

The nursery also had this postal service for children to send Christmas cards to one another (by placing the cards in their pigeon holes). Here shows Jianming trying to get Ethan to at least write his name for the cards for some of his best friends - Tristan, Leonard, Cole, Joseph and also those that had given him cards.

The set of Christmas cards he received and the Christmas tree and the Christmas Tree Advent Calendar I got for half price in Dec:


On 12 Dec, the school had a Christmas carol session where parents were invited to attend. So Jianming went - and took pictures of Ethan dressed up as soldier - using my handphone as he did not have the camera with him. The children would dress up and act as various characters while Christmas songs were being sung.

On 17 Dec, they had a Christmas party! Parents were invited for the last half an hour. Jianming told me Ethan's cheeks were stained with chocolate when he got there. There, Ethan got his first Christmas present from Santa Claus. Well, his second, strictly speaking, he had some sweets from another Santa Claus in another event which I will talk about in another blog entry.

Christmas present from Santa:


Sometime in autumn, the teacher, together with Ethan, planted a daffodil bulb in a pot. It was his to bring home, and he is to water it occasionally and to wait for spring. Well, we await in eagerness.

Tuesday, 2 December 2008

Coming Out

The changes in a month! From a sleepy baby at birth, to a rather sleepy but still docile baby at two months, to a crying monster now! Jethro is demanding more attention, more carrying time, sleeps less and wakes up when put down to bed after cuddling him to sleep. Deja vu. And I thought he's quite different from his brother... Well, managed to capture more of his smiling face:


And of course, Ethan wants to be in the camera too, whenever he sees me take pictures of Jethro:


November's rather full of events, from Remembrance Sunday on 9 Nov, to Christmas Light Night on 27 Nov to Visit for Free Weekend celebrating St Andrew's Day on 30 Nov.
Jianming took Ethan to see the Remembrance Day procession. The photos did not turn out well, but here is one of Ethan dressed up in medieval costumes in the museum they visited after the procession:


Ethan brought home a bread that he made (kneaded the dough) with the teacher and other children in the nursery, fresh from the oven and warm still. We were rather excited. It tasted rather good too (better than the ones Jianming made):


One Saturday, Jianming 心血来潮 (was suddenly full of energy and enthusiasm) and took Ethan for a walk along the Salisbury Crag again:


Light Night at Princes Street:


I have not been involved in many of the outings but on 29 Nov, I could not resist visiting new places during the Visit for Free weekend. This time we went to Linlithgow Palace, with its vast lake reflecting the bright blue sky. I quite like the little town of Linlithgow, quaint and local.






I also went out for awhile with them to Princes Street Gardens on 30 Nov. We looked around at the German Market and later Jianming and Ethan stayed on for the Nativity Carol Concert while I took the little one home. It was cold and the music was loud, not particularly suitable for an infant.


This winter promises to be colder than last year's. Already, we can see frost and even snow in the morning and it is freezing cold outside, even without the north wind. Somehow, this makes it feel more like Christmas.

Heard this song at last year's Light Night. It's an oldie, but I only first heard it in 2007. Really like it so am sharing the lyrics with you. Youtube has a rather good quality version of the song. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Merry Christmas Everyone performed by Shakin' Stevens

Snow is falling, all around me
Children playing, having fun
It's the season, love and understanding
Merry Christmas everyone

Time for parties and celebration
People dancing all night long
Time for presents and exchanging kisses
Time for singing Christmas songs

We're gonna have a party tonight
I'm gonna find that girl underneath the mistletoe
We'll kissed by candlelight

Room is swaying, records playing
All the songs, we love to hear
All I wish that everyday was Christmas
What a nice way to spend the year

We're gonna have a party tonight
I'm gonna find that girl underneath the mistletoe
We'll kiss by candle light

Snow is falling, all around me
Children playing, having fun
It's the season, love and understanding
Merry Christmas everyone
Merry Christmas everyone

Oh merry Christmas everyone

Snow is falling, all around me
Children playing, having fun
It's the season, love and understanding
Merry Christmas everyone

Snow is falling, all around me
Children playing, having fun
It's the season, love and understanding
Merry Christmas everyone

Snow is falling, all around me
Children playing, having fun
It's the season, love and understanding
Merry Christmas everyone
Merry Christmas everyone
Merry Christmas everyone