'Tis the Season

We're keeping really busy trying to cram all the festivities we can into a few short weeks before our big trip 'home' to America:

The girls followed English tradition and wrote Christmas cards to all their friends at school.  Even Emily wrote all her own (with some spelling help from big sister). 

Matt took an extended lunch break one day last week to come see the Preschool Christmas play.  Emily was a Reindeer.

Lana's workshop is in its full annual Christmas production mode:

Hairbows: sold at the school Christmas fundraisers.

Lacemaking:

(started classes in Sept. at the Peterborough College of Continuing Ed). The lace pictured above is a bookmark made in the French "Torchon" style:

Christmas baking (for various social events):

We squeezed in a family outing last Saturday to ride on the annual "Santa Train" at the Nene Valley Railway.  NVR (here in Peterborough) is home to the original Thomas the Tank Engine (as well as the Santa Train) and is home base for several authentic steam locomotives.

The girls got to visit "Father Christmas" before boarding the train.  He gave them each a gift, then we boarded the train for the 50 minute ride into Peterborough and back. We enjoyed fruit juice, sweets and mince pies along the way. Santa came through and gave the kids a pep talk about being good and asked them to make sure to leave some goodies for him on Christmas Eve.

After a day at the railroad, we cozied down at home and waited for St. Nick to pay us a visit (which he did):

The tradition of Saint Nicholas Day, usually on 6 December, is a festival for children in many countries in Europe with a variety of traditions involved.  You can read all about the variations of this 'celebration' here.  In our family, everyone puts out a sock (just a regular sock) and St. Nick fills it with fruit, nuts and sweets if you've demonstrated good behaviour.  Otherwise, you get a rock.  Or a stick. 

Beware of confusing St. Nick with Santa Claus; they are distinctly separate beings.  It might help you to think of St. Nick as more of Santa's 'investigative reporter' who helps Santa determine your position on either the Naughty or Nice List.