Christmas at home

We're getting ready for a Christmas at home with no travel.  Of course we'll miss family and friends dearly,  but look forward to a quiet, cosy one,  just us.

Santa also popped by early to deliver Vera a big girl's bed!

Our Christmas tree

Momma and Moffa's Visit

I’ve been meaning to write up the last couple of weeks, but it’s been such a busy time that I hardly know where to start! I’ve been well acquainted with the M1 and the A1M as I have been steaming up and down to Cambridge, every week it feels like! My mum and dad, hereafter referred to momma and moffa (Swedish pet names for mormor and morfar, grandmother and grand father) – arrived from Sweden via Manchester on Wednesday 27th and with a big suitcase in tow! Vera got to stay up until they arrived and it was wonderful to see how well they got on immediately! On Thursday 28th, after a leisurely breakfast I took Mark to the train station, as he was going over to Dublin as his mum was having an operation the day after. Around lunch time we got the wonderful news that we had completed on Dewar Drive! Finally! What a year it’s been and so many twists and turns and tears and stress with all the house selling and buying so the news were received with a great sense of relief! Mum and I went to the estate agents to pick up the keys and popped by the house. It seems that the seller had forgotten how to clean for the last couple of months but had left a bottle of champagne and a box of chocolates. On the Friday we went for a drive in the peaks to Chatsworth House, which had been decorated for Christmas. Amazing stately home, but an enormous amount of people and queues. Vera was very good and after our walk through the house, we went to the animal farm and playground. Bitter wind, but Vera enjoyed it all the same! On Saturday it was momma’s birthday so we surprised her with some chocolate muffins that Vera had decorated and a few gifts. Vera and moffa baked traditional Swedish saffron buns and early evening Mark returned and we had a lovely and relaxed birthday dinner. On the Sunday we had a lovely fish and chips at the Cricket Inn pub in Totley and Mark and I went to buy paint. Mark started painting the house and I was cleaning. I worked Mon-Wed, as this time of the year is the time of the annual performance reviews with very strict deadlines. Momma, moffa and Vera went to the park and also on a train trip to Hathersage and mum and dad also helped with carpet and window cleaning, whilst Mark painted frantically! Thursday 5th December was the big moving day and we had booked a local company and a full packing service. So while Vera had fun at nursery, I was making endless cups of tea for the removal men, including Martin from Slovakia who was mad into Belinda Carlisle (!). Our moving day happened to be the wettest and windiest day with a big storm hitting Britain, but everything went well! At 1pm they had packed everything and loaded the van, and I dashed to get lunch and feed the “workers” (mum, dad and Mark!) before the unloading started. We managed to unpack a lot over the next couple of days and mum and I even managed a trip to IKEA for some extra storage and other bits and pieces. It was great to spend a day with mum like that, so rare these days! On Saturday afternoon we drove to the pretty village of Castleton and had another nice pub meal, before we walked up to the Peak Cavern for a Christmas Carol Concert by candle light. Everyone got mulled wine and a mince pie and all the lyrics for the carols. A brass band played and the whole audience sang along. I recognised most of the carols and it was very Christmassy in the cave! Vera was very good, helped by “medicine” (sweets) for her cough - which she faked convincingly! On Sunday morning, Momma, Moffa, Vera and I went to the Abbeydale Miniature Railway to go on the mini trains and meet Santa. We queued for a little while, but when it was Vera’s turn to go into the grotto she was too scared to meet Santa. But it didn’t matter, she got her present anyway and some fika. Once back and revived by some pancakes, Mark and I headed out to buy a Christmas tree. We never had the space for a real one, so it was extra special to buy and decorate one in our new home. Later on in the afternoon, we lit the second advent candle, had some Swedish glogg and adventsfika whilst listening to Christmas music with Vera running around and decorating the tree. A blissful moment and so precious so share with momma and moffa! On Monday, I was working again, more reviews, and momma, moffa and Vera went to Weston Park Museum, where Mark met them for lunch and they also got to see the University buildings where Mark works. On Tuesday 10th, we said a very sad farewell. It was so lovely to have them here for so long!

Apple in my munnen

Language is a wonderful thing! On our way home from nursery today Vera said: "I've got an apple in my munnen". I say mouth, you say munnen. Dada says mouth and momma and moffa says munnen. I love the fact that she is starting to grasp that they are words for the same thing and also patterns who is using what word!

Mormor and morfar visiting! )

I'll write more in a bit, but here are a few photos of mormor and morfar visiting!