Santa made it to Swanston, no doubt blown on the gale. Angus was up around 0215 but was less than aware of his surroundings and so Sharon ushered him back to bed. Others were up just after six but mercifully neither Sharon nor I heard them until 0715 when we were invaded by four excited boys telling us that Santa had been and what he had left in their stockings upstairs. Oranges again, noted Angus. There were little Meccano sets, pens and pencils, dice, sharpeners, and other arts and crafts stuff, chocolate coins, candy canes and, yes, oranges.
The main event lay ahead though, so, with Sharon and I obliged to climb into our onesies to complete the set, the boys led us through to the darkened extension. Once the lights were on the bounty was revealed next to each boys' Santa Stop sign, made at their B&Q woodworking workshop last Sunday, in the company of Adrian and Sharon. After a false start when the boys pulled the dust sheet off the keyboard (musical) and brought it all crashing down, they each went about their business and seemed very pleased with their haul. Angus was able to open all his presents himself this year and Rowan wasn't quite the whirling dervish of previous years. Finn was happy and Sean was slow, teasing out the opening of his until he was told to hurry up by the others.
Skylanders figures featured highly, with each receiving two to ocomplement the Wii Skylanders Giants game that Rowan got for his birthday. Rowan got a Dungeon board game, a box of Family Circle biscuits (there's a tradition ready to start there), a Sklyanders guide and box for the figures, other books, a food flask and a lip-balm making kit. Angus got some Octonauts toys for the batch, a water pistol, play-doh and a panda pillow pet amongst other books and stuff. Finn got a bird-house, an Angry Birds cushion, gymnastics leotard ("I thought it was a swimsuit!" exclaimed Finn), soap-making kit, pens, stencils and various books as well as a food flask. Sean too got a food flask and, like Finn, a Skylanders pyjama top as well as other tops, a Fairmile Scout hoodie, gymnastics leotard and trousers, Guinness Book of Records, a much-requested battery charger, a watch and other books and odds and ends. No Lego for anyone this year!
Everyone was pleasantly excited but relatively calm, with no tantrums or coveting of others' gifts. Possibly the bigger space in which to operate helped keep everyone far enough apart to do their own thing. After an hour of play, with the new keyboard and Skylanders figures quickly put to the test, we had our first meal in the extension, the old gate-leg table put to use for the Christmas breakfast of pancakes, bacon, fruit and, of course, syrup! Later, Angus demanded a one o'clock bath so he could play with some of his new toys while the rest settled into learning the rules to Dungeon. Time to get cooking!
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