Hectic days and a weekend away.

As is often the case at this time of year, things are rather hectic here.  K is, rather reluctantly, moving on from Brownies, but is unsure whether she'd rather go to Guides or Scouts after Christmas, so last week tried out both.  She's still not sure and is returning to Scouts for their final session before Christmas before making her decision.

We also go up to see Nana and Little Grandad at this time of year for our Little Grandad's birthday and Christmas visit.  To go over Christmas itself would be a bit much for them, so this is a way that works well for all concerned.  While we were there we made some more Christmas cards, similar to the ones we made at Fun Club last month, although this time I made fewer holes.  The girls came up with quite a few different designs, with no input from me.

A selection.

I also found a few cards left over from Fun Club, which have more holes along each side of the two triangles that make up the star, and both girls were also keen to do some of the more complicated design.

M at work.

And K.

Jolly holding one that M had just finished.

We stayed until Monday morning and then set off to go straight to Asfordby, for a Christmas craft and present making session.  There were bath bombs, various decorations and our cards to make along with some general box modelling and play.  K & M each spent quite a while threading tiny beads onto wire to add as tinsel, to turn a pine cone that had been sprayed green into a Christmas tree decoration.

It was very chaotic when we got home as we needed to start emptying the girls' playroom ready to be decorated.  There is an awful lot of stuff in there!  Fortunately most of the crafty stuff could stay in the 'doodle drawers' but we also have three big shelves that needed to be emptied.  K & M aren't keen on change, which combined with tiredness, didn't make for the most cooperative of atmospheres, but we made a start and got enough done for A & me to be able to move the furniture that could stay, including the ridiculously heavy piano, into the middle of the room.  The decorator isn't starting until Wednesday, but A is away until Thursday night, so it needed to be done before he went this morning.

Today was the usual busy, busy, busy day.  Piano lessons this mornings, some Christmas tunes at M's request for her, a couple of Christmas pieces and continuing with what she was already working on for K.  Then gymnastics after lunch.  While the girls were doing that, I played Carcassonne, after a fashion, with a French toddler which was fun!

We then popped to the shops, very reluctantly and stroppily in M's case.  K wanted to go to the charity shops to see if she could find some green clothes, for a fancy dress costume she is putting together for Scouts next week.  I'm not allowed to know what she's going as until the costume is finished, but the theme is CBeebies, so I'm rather intrigued.  We found a pair of green jeans in adult size 8, which are a bit long and rather too big round the waist, but are a good enough fit that with a belt they'll be fine and a small adult jumper, which again is on the large size but not ridiculously so, which is rather scary!

The girls had korfball this evening, and a friend takes and picks them up, so I had a bit of time to myself to do some LLL work.  They've been in bed for quite some time, but it's coming up to 11 o'clock and since we've got a busy day again tomorrow, with Christmas shopping and ice-skating in town and then swimming lesson in the evening, I think it's time for me to go and sort them out!