Eli decided he wanted to see what it would be like to be Cinderella for a while

We’ve built a tradition of having a friends get together and building gingerbread houses which has normally just been the mommies and the children, but this year we decided to make it a whole day, whole family Christmas party and gingerbread construction event….starting with brunch and ending at bed time. Eating, playing, building, swimming and talking ruled the day, and a great day it was.

Breakfast (which was preceded and followed by swimming)

While the little ones slept John had organised for the rest of us to make garden darts

After collecting sticks, spray painting them, taping on feathers and adding embellishments it was time for a game of garden darts.

Me first!

Surveying the playing field

Taking aim

Tea interlude while the children collect the darts. Thanks John for the perfect filler between breakfast and gingerbread building

The friends of Duminy Street

Preparing the building materials

The gingerbread queen! Thanks for all the hard work preparing the houses Karen

Yummmm….I think I’ll just have some of these

Sweets, sweets, sweets…I love sweets

Do I get one of those houses??

Construction instructions…

…and focussed building

I just woke up, what’s happening down here?

Gingerbread village (which had some construction issues), starting front left:

• Jack’s house, with an assist from Master Builder Michael
• Diya & John, featuring a loft room
• Asher’s house
• Grace & Duncan, with gingerbread man inside the house [back left]
• Eli, Donné and Aunty Mel’s gingerbread tent
• Caleb & Michael’s sturdy masterpiece

Christmas crackers after supper

Thank you to Aunty Mel for the giant eggs and the humongous trifles. Thank you to Parkers for the super yummy gingerbread, and thank you to the Bradshaws for the entertainment.

Grace’s school concert was finally on today after delays due to wind damaging the back drop last week. It was the story of Georgia Rose who goes to the city to explore – a kind of variety show threaded together with Rose’s story. The whole show was very entertaining and funny, with everyone performing well. We could all see that lots of hard work and practice went into it, and all the children seemed to have a wonderful time performing. Here are some snippets…

The leaf dance (to California Dreaming by the Mamas and the Papas)

One Direction, “The Best Song Ever” – I really should have taken a video of this, as the boys really put on a show

At the circus, with Grace’s Indian dance and the animals

Living statues at the museum (“Hide and seek” by Imogen Heap)

The mime dance

Well done to Roxy, the whole team involved and all the children who worked hard to put on a very entertaining show