Christmas captured by Ella's new camera

Ríodhna Christmas morning
Originally uploaded by Ella's Ma

Princesses Christmas Dinner

Invisible food
Originally uploaded by Ella's Ma.

After that busy weekend we had a few short days in creche and then it was Christmas Eve. That's a strange day. You're waiting for Santa and excited and wondering when it's going to start snowing. We had a good day though. Playing with all our old toys. And lots of people arriving. Mammo came with bags of presents for under the tree and food for Christmas Day, Mark and Jill arrived to make mulled wine for the grown ups to drink. Emma and Jamie called with Clare to help them drink it. And don't forget about Ross.

checking out baby clare
Originally uploaded by markandjill.

So we spent the afternoon squealing with delight and insisting on both running to the door to see who it was every time the doorbell rang. Especially Riodhna who hates to miss the front door and was very exicted thinking it was Mark every time. She's a bit obsessed by Mark at the moment. If she hasn't seen him for a little while, she wants to call him on the phone for a chat just to catch up.

checking the new wheels
Originally uploaded by markandjill.

Anyway back on topic, we managed to get to sleep on Christmas Eve, only a little bit later than usual. And Santa Claus came. When we woke up in the morning at half eight, there was no snow. I couldn't believe it. I thought there had to be snow. But it turns out that because Santa and the reindeer also use magic, they don't need snow in every country they go to. Santa had drunk his milk and left only a few crumbs and rudolph ate most of his carrot. Riodhna finished it off for him!

Santa brought loads of presents for both of us. I got a princess camera and a princess dress and polly pocket (the surprise I asked for) and some books and some jigsaws and sleeping beauty dvd. And that was just from Santa. I got loads of other lovely presents and clothes and everything from all my relations and from friends. And Riodhna got a red and yellow car, a princess dress, peppa aqua draws, some books and little mermaid dvd. And loads more from friends and relations. So we were very lucky. And we were opening presents all day. Or so it seemed.

Of course on Christmas day as well as getting a lot of presents, you also have to have lots of visitors and eat lots of food. We did all of that. Mark and Jill couldn't stay for dinner because they had to go to Mark's family. We never had Clare for Christmas before - although she's got quite big, this year she was still smaller than the turkey but I bet by next year she won't be.

Our busy party weekend

She'd love a car but she's to shy to ask
Originally uploaded by Ella's Ma.

It's nearly Christmas and it's been a funny December. When I last blogged I was starting to feel sick. Then we all got sick one after another - loads of coughing and colds and temperatures. Me, then Ríodhna, Mammy and Daddy, then me again, then Ríodhna again. So we've seen a lot of Mammo and Emma as they took turns with Mammy and Daddy staying at home to look after us. I had to go the the doctor as soon as I was sick to get medicine to make me better because I had to be better to let the other doctor fix my ears in the hospital last Monday.

It was a strange day. Mammy got up early and woke me. We weren't allowed to have breakfast and we went to the hospital. When we got there I went into a room with beds for 4 children and curtains around all the beds. I put my pyjamas and got back into bed. We had to wait while lots of doctors and nurses came to see us and ask me and mammy loads of questions but there was a tiny tv by my bed just for me so I could watch tv all morning. Then a nurse called us and we went down to the operating theatre. I played with some toys outside while I waited to go in and then when we went in there were loads of people there. They were all very friendly and I was very good because Santa's helpers were outside the window - I sat in Mammy's lap with a little pink mask on my face and she cuddled me and I fell asleep. When I woke up a nurse gave me some stickers and a certificate for being so good and Mammy came back and looked after me. The nurse said I couldn't have a drink or eat for ages and we'd seen all the tv programmes already so instead I coloured and we played snap and matching cards until I was allowed to eat. I had milk and a cheese sandwich. I've never eaten a cheese sandwich so fast in my life. It was yum.

After all that I got to have a nice week at home. First with Mammy, then with Emma and with Mammo and I only went back into creche on Friday for our show. I couldn't miss the show. I can hear but I decided not to tell the news in creche - it's a bit of a secret! I was glad I came in because Santa came in too and I got a bright pink mirror and clips and Ríodhna got a blow up snowman.

I'm glad we were all better for the weekend. We had lots to do. On Saturday morning we went to see The Snowman, all of us and Grace and Phoebe with their Mammies. It was really exciting. Santa Claus was at that show too. We had some lunch afterwards too. That night Ross minded us while Mammy and Daddy went out with their friends.

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Today was extra super busy for me. First we all went to the party at Mammy's office. Santa Claus goes too. I got my face painted but Riodhna was too small to get hers done. A clown made balloons for us - I got butterfly wings to match my painted butterfly face and Ríodhna got a dog with sunglasses holding a flower. We watched a magic show and then we went to see Santa Claus. Daddy was standing in just the right place so this year we didn't have to queue at all - we were second in. Santa knew about my operation and that we are back living in my house now and I told him what we want for Christmas so I think we're sorted now.

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After that while Ríodhna had her nap, I had to go to a Christmas party in Gearóid's house. That was fun. Everyone was there. There was an entertainer who painted our faces so it was just as well I had cleaned off the first butterfly. She painted our nails too and we played games and Anna was there too - Anna has gone to work in a different creche now so we were delighted to see her.

And as if that wasn't all enough, the four girls and their mammy and daddy are moving to Switzerland after Christmas so we had to go to see them to say goodbye. So we went to a hotel and talked to them and chased around some more. And ate some yummy food there. Ríodhna played a new game with Mammy which involved going over to a window at the other side of the lounge, sitting there, waiting for Mammy to sit down and then jumping up and running back to our seats again. Bossing her around all the time - she does a lot of talking to tell people what to do now.

We were really ready for bed tonight after all that.

Checking out Hamleys

Checking out Hamleys 3
Originally uploaded by Ella's Ma.

There's a new toy shop in town. When I was little, before Ríodhna was born, my favourite toy shop where you could try out all the toys was called Daisy & Tom. Ríodhna was there but she was too little to use the slide and tries out the toys. Today we went to try out the new replacement toyshop.

Verdict: not bad. We rode on rocking horses, read books and I had my nails painted while Ríodhna sussed out all the baby dolls and pulled off every single animal in a display of pet shop pets to show them all to Mammy one by one.

It was good fun but then we tried to go to get pizza and we had to leave because I really felt sick and just wanted to go home to bed.