Monday 5 December 2011

Step into Christmas

Sharon had been due to go to Newcastle on Saturday but that was cancelled so she had the joy of taking the boys to the Christmas Fayre down at Pentland. I wisely stayed out the way, having dropped Sean and Finn off at the golf and headed off to do some Christmas shopping on my own. After lunch, with Sharon's foot operation looming, we decided to take the boys into Winter Wonderland in Princes St earlier in the month than usual, as Sharon will be incapacitated from next Wednesday.

We parked behind the Pleasance and toddled up and over the Royal Mile to Princes St. Sean was complaining about cold feet so I took him and Finn to buy ski socks then we rejoined Sharon and the wee two who had already had a ride on the carousel. Rowan, predictably, was a livewire and difficult to keep on a leash in the busy Saturday afternoon crowds. I queued with him and Sean for the "ferry wheel" as Rowan kept calling it. We finally got on it and swung high up above the gardens and Princes St until we were level with the roof of Jenners. Still not as high as the Scott Monument though! Rowan loved it. I had to keep a hold of him to stop him sticking his head out the cage. It was pretty chilly when we stopped, stranded at the top of the wheel, to let others on and off.

Next, we all went on the carousel, but only Sean got on a horse. Finn is a reluctant particpant in any sort of ride at the best of times so he only wanted to sit in a bench seat. The rest of us joined him. We wandered through the German market but, rather than go for the burger option, thought we'd go somewhere for a family dinner. However, most of the festive shoppers seemed to have had the same idea. Every restaurant we tried was mobbed! Rowan resorted to wailing every time we were turned away while a hungry Sean was little better. "We're like Mary and Joseph being turned away from every place!" he sobbed as we traipsed along Thistle St.

We gave up on the meal option and I cracked on back to the car, returning to pick up Sharon and the refugee children just as the rain started to come on. As an alternative, we phoned ahead to the Chip Inn in Oxgangs and ordered fish suppers, including a gluten-free one for me! We returned to the house to wolf them down in front of the TV, a rare treat for our boys, while watching Strictly Come Dancing.

On Sunday we headed over to Klondyke Garden Centre to pick out this year's tree. It was duly stuffed in the back of the Sharan and driven home where I decorated it with the help of the boys. As annual markers go, the construction of the Christmas tree stand, screwing in the long bolts to pin the trunk in place, lying prostrate on the floor reaching under the tree, is one of the stronger ones. With Marie arriving today we're all set for Christmas, but Sharon's operation comes first.

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