Mum's Birthday

: : Present from Maria : :

On each of our birthdays, Mum makes us a 'birthday dinner' (in past years we have chosen what to have, this year Mum just made something she knew we liked), dessert, a cake, and gifts (everyone gets to give something). For the last few years, I arranged something for Mum's birthday. This year, though, her birthday fell on a Wednesday, meaning I was at work, so Monique decided to coordinate something (as a surprise for Mum), with help from the little ones. Dad and I received numerous emails and calls throughout the day, with various questions. I received one email asking, "Bianca, how do I hide the emails from you so Mum doesn't see them?" A call involved talking to me from a bedroom, hiding the phone and running to the kitchen to check the instructions on the roast chicken packet, then back again to the room to tell me what they were. I think the girls learnt a lot that day (lol) but they did quite well, considering. :)

After work, Dad and I made a rush trip to several shops to buy presents. Then came the task of smuggling them inside and getting them wrapped, at the same time dodging children who wanted me to help with dinner and make dessert.

(Mostly) The girls made a roast chicken, roast potatoes, veggies, and gravy; for dessert I made blueberry crumble cake. When Danielle called me earlier in the day, I told her to make a quadruple batch of chocolate cake and put it in a large dish. Unfortunately, I didn't think to specify to use the one egg chocolate sponge recipe, so she followed the one titled chocolate cake. Basically, one dozen eggs were used, instead of four individual eggs. lol.

: : New cake server! : :

: : Presents : :

We gave Mum her presents after dinner, then had dessert. The cake had been made at the last minute so wasn't out of the oven until quite late; we left it for another night.

: : Blowing out the candles : :

December 25 --Christmas Day!--

We got up and organised, then left for my uncle's shop - Eltham 4 Square. He has a massive room, with ajoining kitchen, etc above the shop's storeroom.



The side of another building out the back of Uncle Mike's shop.



A view of the front of the shop

Mum got the vegies cooking, and the rest of us talked a little bit, and waited for the food to be ready =).

Eventually(!) the food was ready and we all sat down to a late lunch of roast pork and chicken, bread rolls, carrots, peas & corn, broccoli, various salads and roast potatoes. Unfortunately some of the little ones' appetites had been kinda ruined from all the snacks they had eaten before lunch!
During lunch wasn't exactly quiet with lots of talking, party poppers and christmas crackers.

A while after lunch we did pressents - the giver wore a pair of 'Santa' pants and hat - this wasn't exactly quiet either, with shouts of delight, etc....!
I recieved

• A necklace with a heart pendant - Uncle Mike and Aunty Sonia
• Gold bracelet with ruby and hankies - Nana
• Cool Charm body spray, handbag and hand cream & mini emery board travel pack - Uncle Marty and Aunty Denise
• Uncle Bill and Aunty Melissa did one pressent for our whole family - a family pass to Wellington Zoo.

And I have a funny feeling I might have missed one or two..so if I remember I'll edit this.



In this photo, Nana is giving out pressents.
Recieving the pressent is Maria, held by Jarrod.
 Behind them is Aunty Sonia with Lucus - her son-  (just turned 2).
Continuing from left to right, Danielle, Dad, Diana, Mitch
 (17), Kurt (15), and at the front - Uncle Mike.



Lucus' new car, Harry (7) with his new boxing gloves



Diana's new stroller



Okay, I'm pretty sure dessert was next, and I got roped into helping prepare it (no, Aunty Melissa, I didn't mind =)).

Pavlova, trifle, chocolate brownies, christmas pudding, custard....dessert was a hit same as usual! 

We sat around talking for a while longer, then most of us went for a walk... Uncle Bill started randomly waving at all the cars that went past! We got lots of weird looks! At one point there was guy sitting in the drivers seat of a car on the opposite side of the road, facing us. Well, we waved at him, but he continued to stare straight ahead with a straight face, like "I  am NOT going to look!" Uncle Bill yelled "Oy!" Still nothing. Unfortunately it is no where near as funny here as it was at the time, we all started laughing!

After the walk we started to clean up, and Uncle Mike gave Christmas stockings to everyone 12 or younger (well, 11 I guess).
After we left there, we drove around Eltham a bit, and as they had filmed a movie or something there, heaps of shops were done up to look really old, etc... here's a photo of one, although I think this one was more for the name:

So then we went back to the backpacker hostel, and everyone played with their new toys, had supper and went to bed.


Bee

Boxing Day (Saturday)

Hey!

On Boxing Day Mum came to Nana's, and we did the washing.

I think I went shopping with Nana and her friend Yvonne, and that was about it.

Mum made mashed potatoes, vegies, some meat (can't remember what), and gravy for dinner.

Bee