Merry Christmas / Iloista Joulua
Christmas holidays begun last week when Emma's school semester got over. The last week of school was filled with the most amazing Christmas programs most of which we parents we also able to enjoy. Starting from the Junior School Nativity Musical (three performances), there was a formal whole school Christmas dinner followed by music-drama "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (acted by the teachers & staff as a treat to the children), Christmas carol service outside in candlelight under the bright star sky where parents and neighbours where also welcome (I got tears into my eyes when Emma, dressed as an angel, holding a candle sang "Away in a manger" - the Carol service outside in candle light with some 500 people together really felt like something that can make THE Christmas tradition - like having Christmas morning rice porridge at my grandmothers place with all my cousins, uncles and aunties used to be for me). The children had also Christmas parties (with party food!) in the classrooms on the second last day with Santa Claus visiting as well. The dedication and creativity of the teachers at Hebron school is simply outstanding!
"We are very careful little angels..."
Christmas has been slowly arriving home to the Hill View Farm in Mavanalla. I did not do any Christmas decorations to our Ooty apartment but have been enjoying to decorate the newly renovated house in Mavanalla on weekends. During the weekdays we have baked gingerbreadbiscuits (all that have been made are already eaten up so need to do lot more still) and made Christmas cards in Ooty. Saara was not much interested in the baking but she did some heavy-gluing artworks. Everybody has enjoyed eating the gingerbread dough!
My big Christmas wish came true yesterday - Nigel managed to arrange carpenters to make us a 'recycled' dining table. Made of an old door and some roof-supporting poles that became useless during the house renovation. The carpenters considered my idea and design very strange but I really like our big dining table that fits ten and has a story as the door and poles are from the time when Nigel and his father were building the original house.
The Table of Stories - waiting for polishing & Christmas dishes
My parents and sister will come on the 21st December and stay over the New Year. Christmas menu will have some of the traditional Finnish Christmas dishes; swede casserole, carrot casserole, beetroot salad but also some new ideas and modifications according to what is available here (couscous & fruit filled capsicums, nut&tofu bake...). For my father's sake will have ham as well but only from a can... Santa Claus gets here only at night so we'll open presents in the Christmas morning and have rice porridge made by mother and British Christmas cake as always in Nigel's family.
Christmas tree - will be real tree, a cypress - like we always have it. I stocked quite a lot of Christmas tree decorations last year from Finland and now that our roof has been raised we can have even bigger tree than before...
