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?)