Christmas 2015

Christmas 2015 was Ben's most exciting yet.  The build up to it began ....ehhhh .... well it began in January 2015 as soon as the tree went down.  For all of 2015 Ben insisted on watching the Polar Express ...... nearly every day.  So everyone was mightily relieved when Christmas 2015 actually did arrive.









It's the first week in December and Ben is out at Glenavy Garden Centre picking this year's tree.  Firstly though he's spotted Frosty yer man ..... the snowman! 

Ben has brought his binoculars today .... just in case there are thousands of trees.

'This one Mama, this is the one I want', said Ben











After picking the tree it was time for a spin around the wee Christmas shop. 

Ben loves this place ...... so much so that he would often make Jude or Marguerite stop the car when driving past so they could go in for a walk around.











It is a great wee shop altogether with all sorts of gadgets and mad stuff.














Later Ben was excited to get all the decorations out.  Here he is playing with the Nutcracker.












Last year Marguerite, Jude and Ben brought the tree in and then spent two hours (or more) trying to get the thingy on to the bottom of it (the stand) ..... ehhh .... they were trying to set the tree into the stand while holding the tree upright!  Wha? This year with a stroke of luck Kevin and the kids appeared.  Within minutes Kevin had the tree out the patio doors, laid down, the base screwed on, back in through the doors ..... and bingo ...... as if by magic the tree was up ....about 7 minutes it took Kevin!! 

Ben was a great help as he gave Marguerite a hand decorating the tree. 

And before you knew it ......











...... the tree was up.  About two feet had to be cut off the top so it would fit in.  You just can't beat that moment when the tree goes up!!

December was quite mild and so Ben got to enjoy playing outdoors for longer than expected.  He just loves getting on his garden swing.  He particularly enjoys it when the swing bumps into Jude.  Ben falls about laughing as poor auld Jude is rolling about in pain!

There were two of these pics and sure you couldn't pick which one was best so both are included.  You are guaranteed a laugh when Ben's on the swing.

Back to Christmas.  Next step on the build up to the big day was a trip to Santa's Village in Aghalee.  Here's Ben and Marguerite in the sleigh. 

There were toys and whatnot laying around and sure Ben wasn't long finding this cool laser thingy and bright yellow googles. 

This is a nice pic.  It's Mama Claus, Ben, Jude, Marguerite, Santa Claus and an elf!

Seriously you can't make this stuff up, it was basically a farm shed done up and folk were charged 16 quid per adult ..... wha?  Seriously for 16 quid you got a cup of tea and a mince pie.  Ok Ben got a toy too, but 16 by two (pay back your one) well that's somewhere around 32 quid by my reckoning! Am I complaining too much here? Does anyone else think that's a tad on the steep side?

Ben lapped it up though.  He was in the zone big time and wasted no time in getting his letter posted off to Santa with his special requests written all over it.  Ben asked for a snooker table and a drum kit! 

Like I said, Ben was in the zone.  Here he is chatting with Mama Claus and still rocking those cool yellow glasses.

It was around this time he started asking for a laser and googles for Christmas also ..... in addition to the Drum kit and the Snooker Table. 

Ho-ho-ho ........ finally Ben got to meet Santa for the first time this year.  Marguerite and Jude probably loved this bit more than Ben judging by the smiles on their faces! 












A few days later and it was time for the Tree lighting /  gingerbread man party.  Ben had been looking forward to this for days!  Leah, Riona, Cormac, Adam, Ruiari and Grace all came over.  

Part one of the evening saw everyone decorating the gingerbread men.  the best decorated would win some prizes. 















And before long the beautifully decorated gingerbread men were being lined up ...... some better decorated than others! 

Ben wanted to eat them first and had to be told he couldn't until after the competition.










Everyone was hard at work ...... fully focused ..... thinking of winning the superb prizes! 














Adam won first prize, a 5 pound note (which was quite amazing as Adam was 11 months here .... some folk suspect that he may had had a helping hand or two from someone)!  Leah won second prize the Malteasers, and Riona won third prize the chocolate Santas.  










Ho-ho-ho! 

Having fun at the party and taking a well earned break are: Riona, Marguerite, Emma and Leah. 













After the Gingerbread men had been decorated (and eaten) it was time for the 'pass the parcel' game. Sure this is always great craic and tonight was no different. 











The funny thing about this 'pass the parcel' was that Ben thought every gift was his, when in fact there was one each for everyone. 













Pizza time! 















Riona and Leah were well pleased with their gifts.














De-ne-ne-ne-ne-naa-aaahhh .. batman!! 

The annual Santa day in Belfast saw Ben having his fourth annual Santa pic.  These are all stacked up and hanging off walls and parked on tables and all sorts of places in the house ....... just think what the place will look like when Ben's Ten!!   

And then it was Christmas Eve.  This kind of coincided with Jude's camera coping an unfortunate one and so he was unable to take too many cool pics of the day.  A few were salvaged though.   Like this one of Ben with his cool new train. 












Now there's a pretty looking cake.  Ben was more interested in the wee Santa than the cake mind. 

On Christmas eve Ben carefully left some goodies out for Santa Claus. 

Santa's goodies were: a cup of milk, an orange, a mince pie .... and a carrot for Rudolf. 

So everyone gets to open one gift on Christmas Eve, Ben's was the train set.  It's only a small set but perfect for Ben and big enough to scoot around the tree all over Christmas.











Though Ben was often more excited to see the train fall off the rail. 

Next day was .......











....... Christmas Day.   Ben slept in to 8.30 which was about as good as you could hope for to be honest.  Then he scooted into the living room to find his cool snooker table among lots of other goodies.

Besides the snooker table Ben's had asked Santa for a Drum Kit.  Not a toy one ........ 

....... no, a super cool proper 'hands-over your-ears' big one. 

Here is Ben playing (well banging) his new kit for the first time.  How Santa got that one down the chimney and down the hallway into this room without waking folk up was a miracle.... but he did it.   







The rest of Christmas m

orning went like this  - 'Daddy ...... you want to play snooker?  Then, 'Daddy .... would you like to play the Drums? Then, 'Daddy ..... you want to play snooker? And so on.   

Ben emptying his stocking.

Little Drummer Boy!

A few lessons would be required from Dada on how to hold that cue!

Ben also likes activity play things and games like work benches and the like and so he got a surprise cool Kitchen with hundreds of accessories, Shopping trolley and the heap.  Ben quickly got into the swing of making a nice cup of tea and a sandwich or whatever you would like.








When Ben started asking for a Drum Kit and a Snooker table Jude couldn't figure out how he came to decide on those two gifts.  Like did he just dream them up?  Who knows.

He did receive some other smaller gifts ..... such as Spiderman ........













....... and this class remote control car!

Happy Christmas Ben! 

       

Back up in the main living room and Marguerite is opening her gifts. 














Ben is dishing out the presents!

















And opening some himself as he went along ......














....... even if they weren't his!

Then just as Ben had began playing his drums again .......

....... in walked his Granda. 

'Hey Granda, look what I got', said Ben.

Then much to everyone's surprise Michael sat down and started drumming ..... not banging the things like Ben and Jude had been doing all morning but actually playing the drums ...... with a beat and a sound worth listening to.  Hidden talents and all that!  Wha?

Later on Christmas Day the party shifted to Brooke Drive ....... where thankfully Jude got a class new camera from the 'secret Santa'. 













Ohhh ....... Ben also got this cool race track from his Granny and Granda Crossan. 

The previous owner of this house called this 'bottom' living room the Music Room and Marguerite and Jude have struggled to give it a name besides the 'bottom room'.  The Drum Kit added to Jude's cool new music system (parked up there on the chest of drawers) mean there could be life in that name yet. Maybe another instrument will clinch it. 

Here is Ben playing away with his wee train set over Christmas.

Ohhh ..... remember the visit to Santa's village prior to Christmas?  Well remember the bright yellow goggles and the laser?  Well look on the mat there.  Santa couldn't find yellow goggles apparently but these one's were just as well liked!

'Choo-chooo'.

Ben certainly had lots of fun over Christmas and throughout 2015 ............ roll on 2016.