Our Christmas week in photos

First off, Happy New Year to all! I hope everyone's had a lovely festive season!

We had so much going on, you have no idea. Lots of Christmas entries to come. I have so much to share! Warning! Photo heavy entry.


K and I both came down with a yucky viral infection that left us both covered in bright red spots a week before Christmas. Thank god we both recovered in time to soak in the Christmas festivities!

Just before Christmas Eve dinner, we went to catch our local fire brigade Santa Christmas parade!

It's faster if you pedal K!

We came back after and had some frozen watermelon trees!

Photos with the little man were almost all blurry because he wouldn't keep still (hence the playdoh in his hand) or he refueses to look at the camera!

Christmas Eve was just us. Our little family of 3. I made a really simple chicken roast, scalloped potatoes and some organic greens. Here he is, waving to us to hurry up! It's chow time!

 Christmas for us is a huge extended family affair. Most of my mother-in-law's family lives here in Melbourne. And she ranks number 15 in her family. She has 14 other siblings! FOURTEEN. The little ones running around, the teenagers (where by rank, I am, urgh. Their grand aunty, due to the huge age gap between the senior members of the family) all slouched on the couches and carpet (on their gadgets of course), the parentals all gathered around the long dinner table sipping on their wines and gossiping, and us toddler moms sharing our latest parenting woes while trying to make sure our minis aren't scoffing down too much junk food! I love it!

Oh the food! We have some restaurateurs and chefs in the family, so we really do get spoilt at family occasions.  I always forget to take photos because I get too excited wowing at the food, calling out "Who made THIS yummy!?", pleading for recipes and piling my plate high. So I only remember my camera towards the end (where I jump up from my chair, leave my empty plate in its place to take photos of the food. So these were the sweets they were just only just starting to serve towards the end of the evening. No photos of my plate. I was too busy keeping little fingers picking marshmallows off reindeer cookies from me.

 

By the way, this is my yearly contribution. I'm the one that brings the finger lickin good (if I could even say so myself!) sticky date pudding. Short of putting a decorative bunch of mint leaves and strawberries on top, I have resigned to just leaving it look all boring and brown. So long it tastes yum I say!

My father-in-law's homemade silky smooth beancurd dessert - gone in minutes! So good!

Looks plain, but these were worth a mention because there were made by our 13 year old niece. They were so surprisingly soft, fluffy and fragrant! I see she gave up icing them, she made hundreds of mini ones!

Haha, I'm beginning to see a trend here. Plain again, but so melt in your mouth goodness! Fruit parcels these ones.

By 9pm, the little ones were getting feral, tired and grouchy. For some, it was a long drive home. It was an indication it was time for pressies!  The army of kids and teenagers gathered in the large family room and the sound of paper ripping was followed by squeals of excitement that followed.

He opens his first present. His favourite one of all!

Looks like it was no secret that K is addicted to the app =) You should have heard him laugh when he saw it!

He kept getting distracted, soon he was engulfed by his own presents. 

The boys checking out each other's presents. By the way, we got that Thomas book as part of a present for K's cousin, but because he picked it out for little D, he kept stealing it back thinking it was his!

It

It was a very big night for Kayden, we got home at midnight. He was all stimulated and sleep was not an option!  The very next day was Boxing day. After a light lunch, it was presents again. Round 2! K doesn't really get the significance of presents at Christmas yet. He now thinks all presents wrapped up belong to him and he has to open them all! We had dinner that night at his grandparents. And of course, it was Round 3 after dinner. He's abit of a Thomas (& Cars. Not just the movie, but especially the movie) fan. There were trains and more trains, cars and more cars!

This wasn't a present, a hand me down from someone but he couldn't get enough of it!

Mommy and Daddy got some goodies too! I have since put away some of his Christmas pressies. I'm rationing them out throughout the year.

 In short, we had a great Christmas. The little man got spoilt! And so did we. Surrounded by the ones we treasure near and far at this time of the year. Sharing the laughter and smiles. I took lots of mental snapshots too. There is NO dieting to be had. With Chinese New Year coming up in a few weeks, what diet!? Easter choccies have already made their appearance on the supermarket shelves!