{enjoying} the company of our friends from 3 Kids and a Gluestick today – the boys and their daddy came over to our house this morning, and then all the family came with us to our church fair this afternoon.

{painting} glass tea light holders with our friends (very therapeutic and relaxing!), and then selling them at the fair.

{feeling} a bit stressed at the fair because it was overwhelmingly crowded and busy, but at least I hope that means a lot of money has been raised.  Also feeling grateful for the kind words and actions, and good company, of several friends today who helped me more than they will know.

{eating} very little food all day (me and Paul) / far too many sweets (the children) and then restoring the balance with Paul’s delicious kushari.  I must get him to blog the recipe.  I think the ingredients cost less than a fiver, and it fed seven people last night, and the six of us tonight.  And it is one of the nicest things in the world to eat.

{drinking} hot lemon and honey from Paul’s stall at the fair, and later one of the many bottles of wine he won on the bottle tombola (I assume they did rather well – I haven’t asked him how much he spent…)

{wondering} why we have such a big Christmas tree.  And also why Owl is still awake at 11.30pm, and does it mean we have to abandon the 8am swimming lessons in the morning?

{snapshots}Owl has raised £10 for charity by offering bottles of homemade lemonade for the auction of promises at church – it was his own idea to offer them, and he sold two for £5 each.  The children also raised £5.50 by selling the tea light holders.  We are very proud of them!  Monkey bought a knitted snowman on the toy stall to give Rabbit for Christmas.  He was very upset when she saw it and couldn’t manage to wait for Christmas, but he kindly gave it to her anyway.

In other news, Rabbit is happy because she has been asked to play Mary in the nativity play at the church we go to when we visit Granny (my mum).  All the boys are going to be in it too, and the big three will also be taking part in Scrooge the musical in January.  Tiddler is okay with the fact that he is going to be an angel in his preschool nativity, but he’d rather be Mary!