End of the year and Christmas stuff

The year draws to an end and we have lots of lasts for the year.  Last ballet lesson, last swimming lesson and the school year is winding up.
 

The social calender is filled with Christmas fun with the kiddos.  A rather late night to visit a Christmas display fund-raiser.

An obligatory trip to Kirkcaldie and Stains to see the window displays, visit with Santa and choosing a Christmas decoration each from the Christmas shop.

Mr Dali fuffy mustache

Miss Clean face

 The kiddos were very funny with Santa.  Padfoot introduced himself using his full name and told Santa he eats his broccoli.

Christmas Panto

A quick visit to Te Papa to check out the trolls (The Hobbit movie) - very scary - too scary for Padfoot.  Then on to Roger Hall's Cinderella pantomime with friends.  What fun!  The kiddos loved the Ugly Sisters and the fun audience participation...  Well done Circa theatre.

Pre-Christmas preparations

 Christmas cake bucket mix for 3 cakes - dried figs, NZ dried apricots, prunes, almonds, hazel nuts dried blueberries and cranberries, lemon zest and orange juice and plenty of brandy.

Christmas cake recipe (based on a Mediterranean Christmas Cake recipe I cut out of a magazine years ago - quantities for 1 cake)
1 1/2 C each dried figs, dried prunes, dried apricots
1/2 C dried blueberries
1/2 C dried cranberries
1/2 C each blanched almonds and hazelnuts
zest and juice of 1 lemon and orange
brandy
2 C high grade flour
1/2 tsp each ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and cardamon
200 g butter
1 1/4C soft brown sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
4 eggs

For 3 cakes I tripled the dried fruit and nuts (chopped roughly) and juice in a food grade bucket and marinated 24-48 h.  I cooked the three cakes separately adding a third of the fruit and nut mix each time.
Grease a square cake tin and line the bottom and sides with baking paper.
Pre-heat the oven to 150 degrees C.
Sift the flower and spices into a bowl.
Cream the butter, sugar and golden syrup.
Gradually add the eggs and a little flour if needed.
Fold in the fruit mix and put in the tin.
Bake 2-2 1/2 hours or until a skewer comes out clean.
Cool and turn out on a rack.
I have to say that for our cake I tipped some extra brandy on the top of the cake as it came out of the oven... happy Christmas.

We bought the Christmas tree after swimming this morning and put it up.  Hopefully it will last through to Christmas...  Tomorrow we're off to see the Cinderella Christmas panto.

Spring madness...

  Boogie cleaned up at the local horticultural society spring show.  She won $6 and has been told by me that for the next show she has to grow some of her own flowers!

 Super cool new sculpture (Fallen Robot) by Ronnie van Hout at the Dowse museum.  Apparently, it will eventually be lying in a shallow pond.

 

Oh dear....

One still day on the south coast...

 Father's day breakfast at the Bach cafe, Island Bay on the south coast followed by a fossic in the rock pools.

Padfoot tries his hand at rock climbing.

More winter days...

A relatively fine, late afternoon, wander along the Hutt river.

 Boogie and Padfoot had fun moving rocks around.

 I like these moments, when the kids actually appear to enjoy each others company.

Winter days...

Angels inside on cold days

Outside for a brief moment of driveway fun after the rain

Indoor swimming fun

One hundred days of school

Twinkle turtles

Last lesson of the swimming term  is always lots of fun

Padfoot learns to float on his back in a life jacket.

The rest of the weekend was spent with Boogie's first ballet recital.  She won a book prize for smiling. 

Mid winter swim

Mid winter swim (dash) at Freiburg beach, Wellington at approx. 8.30 am.  The rules are simple - no wetsuits.

Hot showers then off to The Parade Café for coffee and cake (see the boat in the background).

Boogie and Padfoot thought the playground was the best, even though it was a little damp after a lot of rain in the past 24 h.