Carolling

We enjoyed a rare outing to a church on Sunday, attending the family evening carol service at St. Katherines in Strathearn Road as guests of Ruth and Norman Martin. I enjoyed the service, probably as the children, with the exception of Sean who read a book and didn't really enter into the Christmas spirit of things (which he has been extolling me and Sharon to do since late November - I have been pointing out to him that things like carol concerts are festive staples), were whisked away to watch a video after fifteen minutes or so. Finn did sit and listen while he was present and tried to sing along to the hymn. The behaviour was an improvement on our last attempt to attend Christmas Day mass at St. Marks in Oxgangs, when Sean, Finn and Rowan had to be taken out. "Why are we even here?" I recall Sean asking loudly, which was not an invitation to philosophical or theological debate, merely a rude protest at not being home with his presents.

Prior to the service we were at the Martin's house in Greenbank Village, for pre-service drinks and nibbles. Angus especially enjoyed the sausages! Finn and Rowan enjoyed having a run around too, playing with Grace, the youngest of the Martin children.

Saturday was such a miserable day that, once I'd dragged all four to Gracemount for Angus and Rowan's swimming and we'd had a look round Costco, we returned home and didn't venture out again. The boys were fascinated by the ladies icing huge sponge cakes in the bakery area of Costco. We could probably have spent the rest of the day there. Sharon, meanwhile, was overseeing a training session at the Carlton Highland Hotel and then, afterwards, intercepted the potential mugging of a woman in her fifties on North Bridge, acting first then thinking later. She had a bit of a fraught day, all told.