On Saturday evening, I took the girls to the Lantern Parade at CS Lewis Square. I made them a couple of quick lanterns with lantern tree decorations and battery tea lights put inside. Of course, one of my kids pulled the holly off hers before we even made it out of our street, but it was still functioning as a lantern 🙂 It was freezing outside and we wrapped up warm. The girls were excited to see a giant elf and Santa and gave them high-fives and insisted on taking pictures of them 🙂 Then, led by a sleigh, we walked with everyone in the parade to my daughter’s school for fireworks. We had a quick meeting with Santa and one of my kids refused to stand beside him 🙂 We watched the fireworks display and then headed home. I was numb from the col afterwards, so once I got the girls warmed up and in bed, I made myself some Bailey’s hot chocolate to drink beside the tree 🙂 Sometimes I like getting frozen because you appreciate the contrast of returning to the warmth indoors afterwards.
At the weekend, we also went to the transport museum. They had decorated some of the trains with lights and there was an artist there that supplied the girls with paper and crayons to design their own Christmas cards. He gave them some colouring pages to take home too 🙂 There was a festive trail on, so we looked out for the Santa sleighs along the way. I still think the floor with the trains in it is my favourite part. There’s something really peaceful and nostalgic about being there. I like looking at the old advertisements on the signs at the train platform too 🙂 The girls love playing with the rivet machine in the Titanic part, although they always end up squabbling over it! I like looking in the old shop windows too 🙂 We saw the floors with the trams, buses and cars too. Then we went outside and the girls ran in the grass to burn off some of their energy 🙂
We walked to the Land, Sea and Sky centre and they had renovated it. The girls posed with a little car they took a liking to 🙂 There was a tractor and a green screen, so they could ride it and it showed them on the screen driving through different scenery. They thought it was hilarious 🙂 We found the last of the treasure hunt clues and handed it in. I think the girls are convinced we are going to win the prize… They had a final run in the grass and then we went home.
My daughter helped me to make mince pies when we got home. They were very homemade looking but tasted good. I made a jam one for my fussier eater 🙂 My daughter made the pastry lids of the pies for me and did the filling 🙂 We had a really peaceful weekend, which I needed after the madness of the week, especially with Christmas approaching. I’d quite happily hibernate until January 🙂
The Funky Thrifter 