Gingerbread House decorating, it's a Christmas tradition. I've actually done it every year, except one, since 2003. I think six years of an event means it counts as a tradition. This year, as we were back in Australia, I figured it was time to include the boys in on the tradition.

The boys were great. They were very patient while Andrew and I made the icing and the boys even helped with the sifting of the icing sugar. Leo thought that icing sugar was flour and yucky tasting before Andrew suggested that Leo taste it (I had gone along with the flour comment). After that we had a hard time keeping Leo out of the icing sugar.

Oscar loved the decorating bit of the gingerbread house process. He loved making patterns with the lollies and was keen to cover every single part of the house. I think we did a pretty good job.

Leo wasn't so keen on the decorating and was more interested in the eating. He soon lost interest when we stopped letting him eat the decorations. He did announce that he was going to eat some of the "cake" when we were done. Luckily we convinced him to wait at least until Daddy got home so that Oscar and Leo could show off their creation. (Then we put it out of sight and out of reach of Leo's very sweet tooth).



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Andrew and I are off to Romania for a few days to hang out with Clare, Brendan and Dracula. Here are a few photos from the Bells' trip to London for you to look at while we're gone. I especially love the one of the boys with the bobby. They both look really guilty! I wonder what sorts of mischief they were up to before this photo was taken.






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So what did Oscar and Leo find most exciting about their ride on the London Eye? Not that it's a ride on a giant ferris wheel (albeit a very slow ride). Not that it takes you up very high in the sky. No, it was all about how many buses and trains you could spot from the top. Our ride on the eye was punctuated with transport related exclamations. "I can see TWO trains Jessie!". Oh well, at least they enjoyed it.



A few days before the ride on the London Eye, I had been wearing this t-shirt and Leo asked me to tell the story of the shirt. So I told him about the mouse and how the mouse had the job of making the ferris wheel go round and round.

What do you think the Leo's first question was when he saw the London Eye? He asked me, "Where is the mouse?".

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London: Thursday evening - Spring. Sydney: Thursday morning - Autumn.

"Annie, Richie and the boys came over for Stuie and Louise's wedding. They stayed with us for a bit in London and then we all headed up to Scotland for the wedding. It was great hanging out with my sister and Richie in London. It was also fantastic to show the boys where we live.

The pace was a little frantic though. We showed them the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. We took them to the London Transport Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. We also treated them to a ride on the London Eye. I think the highlight for both of the boys was riding the tubes. Oscar was happiest when we spent the afternoon riding the tubes and is very proud of the fact that he has been on almost all of the lines.

Even though I love my family very much and we were very sad to say goodbye, we did breathe a little sigh of relief when we waved goodbye at the airport. In this photo, Annie looks happy and a little bit tired and the boys are crazy with excitement. I think it sums up the trip nicely."




Check out Sue's day at noodlebowl.net and her photos on Flickr.

A day sailing on Sydney Harbour in the sunshine with my family. A day that will make it harder to go back to cold and grey London (in just a few days too *sob*).













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