The Fairies Next Door

The fairies brought a tea set for the old Barbie dolls.

The fairies are bringing something to the house next door just about every morning through December.

One night a tea set appeared -- one that the old Barbies could enjoy while they, too, wait for Christmas.

This morning we filled the tea pot with water and did a lot of delivering water to anyone who was thirsty after breakfast.

Even Betty joined in the festivities, drinking out of cups that can't hold even a teaspoon of liquid.

Quite cute.

Michael races the hippo up the ramp at the zoo.
The hippo played this game for 20 or more runs.

Another of the fairy gifts was the Christmas tree.

Not the artificial kind, but a fresh tree that reaches to the top of the ceiling and is now covered with lights.

There is a line of masking tape on the floor, to show children where the last possible limit is that they can step up to, before they have entered the No Trespassing Zone around the Christmas tree.

That taping is probably for Betty who ignores it, anyway.

What really works for Betty Blance is keeping the decorations up high on the tree --higher than she can reach to take them down.

"I want a hippopotamus for Christmas."

The fairies have delivered educational wipe-off laminated boards that help with the alphabet or with numbering.

Michael is always wanting to know which number comes after 34, or  after 72, or before 16.

Now there is a chart in their house that can help with that mystery.

... Alice dressed for family picture day ...

Miranda bought some elderberries at the market and made a drink that is heavily spiced with the smells that I associate with a hot apple drink: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, honey and cloves.

The colour is a deep wine.

There is a feeling that Christmas is in the air.

Rebecca has been commenting on the crispness and dryness of the snow that she walks on as we travel the short distance in the back yard between the two houses.

Michael fell into the snow as he was running from his door to mine one morning.

He had to return back home for chill blains can happen seemingly instantly when the weather is as cold as it has been for the past few weeks.

There are colder temperatures than -21 celcius, but the weather does seem quite cold to us.

Arta