Babybabybabybaby

Daughter 2 went to work and so it was this sort of day.

So lovely!

How can it be the 17th already?

 I love how busy children can be - concentrating hard on producing something from their heads. Eldest Granddaughter just made a pretty pattern from stickers,

but Grandson made an educational puzzle - with some festive stickers down at the bottom.

These things have happened: Eldest Granddaughter was a bunny at the stable (er, yes)

while Grandson was a more traditional king.

The tree is up; the turkey is bought and in the freezer; and then this afternoon it somehow seemed imperative to reorganise the toy cupboards instead of doing something more sensible in the way of Christmas preparations.

Daughter 2 and Littlest Granddaughter arrive tomorrow, hurray hurray. D2 is then out for Christmas parties at lunchtime that day and in the evening, and will be working in the near-Edinburgh office for the rest of the week, so Mr L and I will be in charge of Littlest (and not much else will get done). Then my brother and his wife arrive on Saturday, our niece and SIL2 on Sunday and the holiday season can begin in earnest. Perhaps I need to think a little bit further about food, and maybe even wrap some presents.

Meanwhile the house is slightly less tidy than usual because of the cupboard reorganisation. Still, deadlines are good, don't you think?

(And, now that I look at the date I see that tomorrow it will be 51 years since Mr L and I started going out together. How can that possibly be?)

Gieing it laldy

I've been spending lots of time finishing off the quilt for my (only, but also - of course - best) niece, instead of preparing for Christmas. However, it's nearly finished now so I really must start getting things organised. I've done the cards and got quite a few presents but there are little things like decorations and food to consider. We'll be 15 at Christmas dinner (two of these fairly small, mind you) and 11 staying overnight - though we might have to farm some people off to Daughter 1's - haven't quite worked it out yet. Daughter 2 and Littlest Granddaughter arrive next Tuesday - I can't wait, but on the other hand we'll be babysitting while she works at the near-Edinburgh office, so not much will get done next week.

Meanwhile Daughter 1 and I took the little ones to the Botanics At Night light show - above.

And Eldest Granddaughter made some Christmas pictures, such as the Three Kings above, one of whom has glasses like her. There's also a touch of Peppa Pig about the noses.

And this, which is apparently a singing snowwoman dressed up as Elsa from Frozen. She's gieing it laldy, as we say here (ie putting her all into it).

And, while it's not actually freezing here, it's been dreich today - the sort of day when you have the lights on all day - but I had a lovely coffee and catch-up with a friend at Queensferry and am now theoretically sorting out various things on my desk which have been neglected because of the quilt. Although of course I've been diverted into blogging instead... .

But this will not do! On! On!

It's coming...

Well, Happy Advent! Doesn't it all come round quickly? Not that the grandchildren think so; but give them 60 years and they will. Still, it's a lovely time of year, made lovelier by this box of Advent presents that Daughter 2 - having nothing to do but look after a baby who doesn't sleep much, and work four days a week in a responsible job - kindly made up for us. So sweet!

This was the first present. Very cute!

We went for a hike with our walking friends on Saturday. We plodded through a slightly rainy and distinctly muddy East Lothian, passing these very typical cottages...

... and coming into Hailes Castle. This is a 13th and 14th century building - somewhat dilapidated these days. Most of it is roofless but the underneath bit - the kitchen? - is accessible and we went in there for mince pies and mulled wine.

And then the rain stopped and we walked on to the Linton Hotel for a very nice Christmas meal. When we left and were waiting at the bus stop to return to Edinburgh, all the lights in East Linton suddenly went out! It would have been very dark indeed if we hadn't waved our phone torches around, and luckily the bus did see us, and stopped.

Yesterday we drove over the bridge to go and see Son, Daughter-in-Law and The Unbloggable Toddler.

This is the view from their garden - very nice but sadly not at all near us. However, TUT really seems to recognise us now and has incorporated us into her entourage. She's a lovely little blonde person, very agile and chatty. I must remember not to get too discouraged when her little sibling (due in May) doesn't want anything to do with us. I'll try to be patient and hope that he/she too will get to know us in time.

We went to a playpark. Here are Son and TUT on the flying fox. It was a happy day.

And today I've posted my overseas Christmas cards. It's a start.