Alexander (5½) and Sophie (nearly 3) spent Christmas 2008 in Grahamstown with Grandma, Grandpa and Mummy. Daddy was in Angola and we phoned him a couple of times during the day.
Xander seemed nearly to have decided that I was Father Christmas, until the letters to Father Christmas flew up the chimney by themselves, as they did last year. He still is a little sceptical that it should get to the North Pole so quickly, and that Father Christmas has time to make the presents before Christmas.
Xander's says: "Dear Father Christmas. Please can you give me a Roman camp."
Sophie's is dictated by her, with the signature "SopHi" done by her with only verbal advice and an "S" to copy. The ladder for "H" is because I described it as a ladder and she wasn't satisfied with just one rung. The ladder on the left is because she was quite chuffed with drawing a ladder and wanted to do a longer one. There is no "e" on Sophie because she ran out of interest at that point.
Sophie was given the job of placing Baby Jesus in the manger, and Xander, as one of the strong ones, got to carry an enormously tall shepherd.
Xander was so delighted with his Roman Camp from Father Christmas, he asked me "Can letters get to Father Christmas up the chimney today? Because I want to send a thank you letter."
Sophie had tried on the lion suit many times during its creation, and really, really wanted to wear it before she was formally given it, although she'd never seen the head. So she was very happy to take ownership in time to wear it to church.
At church, Sophie was delighted to see that Baby Jesus, whom she had placed in the crib at the Crib Service, was still there. They both coloured bible colouring-in book pictures of Jesus' arrest and crucifixion during the service, because of the Roman soldiers. Sophie enjoyed singing.
The children played with the piles of playmobil they received from everyone. Sophie dressed and redressed Bubby in her yellow dress from Grandma. They both froze their lolly sticks and shaped ice from Helen and Dominicue and Laura. Xander added up the money he received from Mummy and Daddy, as well as Katie, Jan and Daniel, and his 18 weeks of savings, and worked out he had enough money for the Playmobil Roman Colosseum. After Grandad said that he'd do his best to get it to South Africa in January (and Mummy said she'd get it there in June, if Grandad didn't have enough room), he ordered it online. Xander chose his violin practice "holiday" activity (he has to "pick up the violin once and play something - anything"), as learning to play "Away in a Manger". When I helped him with the first phrase, it seemed difficult, but soon he was picking out the next phrase and the next by ear, with great satisfaction at both his success and the amazed reaction of Grandma and Mummy.
