Christmas in the sun

I am doing totally rubbish at my Christmas planning. Truth be told I was pretty horrendous at doing Christmas in England where I wish it could be Christmas everyday was playing from about September and trees and decorations were for sale as soon as the Easter bunny had hopped off. But here without the daily reminders that the season is approaching the weather a very pleasant 2osomething degrees I have done nothing to get ready. This is particularly bad as I am sure international posting dates have now long passed and so none of my friends and family will be receiving gifts or cards.
Not that they ever got cards when we lived in England mind you; but now that I am far from their presence and cannot gift them with my delightful company I feel slightly bad about it. If I didn't send a card I could give a hug and a hearty Merry Christmas to all I met.
I now realise they probably would rather have had a card. Even if I just wrote from Gillian on it with no message. I may send something electronic if I can work that out.

We do have a tree up; a very scrawny looking artificial tree from Lulu which the kids were allowed to choose a set of decorations each to adorn it with. So it is a scrawny unco-ordinated tree with flashing blue lights. I actually love it- there is something a bit 1970's naff about it which appeals to me. I almost bought a white one for that truly nostalgic feeling. I remember my cousins having a white tree when I was a kid and I always thought it was lovely.

I am also baking some Christmas biscuits next week with Lexy for a Christmas bake sale at school. The kids have a festive concert at school next week so I should feel more in the Christmas mood then and I can dash out to Bawadi mall and get them all a few presents. Hopefully Santa will find us but it is a bit doubtful. I seem to remember one of the reasons given for how he manages to get round the whole world in one night is that he doesn't visit Muslim countries because they don't believe in him there. Do you think if we get one of those Santa stop here signs he will see it on his way to Europe?

I'm trying to come up with some more ideas to get the festive feeling flowing. We could always go to the cinema to see Scrooge although I'm a bit dickensed out with Great Expectations. We could have a card making evening and the kids could make cards to send to their friends. We could go to the carol singing evening at the Rugby Club. I could get some spices and try turning that bottle of Argentinian wine into a mulled beverage. It all still feels like we're faking Christmas as it doesn't really happen here. I'll start a piggy bank for a trip home next December and wrap it in tinsel.

Lexy's brownies

Lexy has discovered a new recipe for brownies. Now it's not Nigella's but it's not as expensive as hers uses tons of 70% cocoa finest chocolate. Lexy is using 100% cocoa powder. They are really tasty though. So now when I face the wii fit later it will cheerfully tell me I have gained weight and ask me what I think the reason for this is.
Anyway I praised her excellent efforts and asked her if this meant she would cook tea. She is now in the kitchen making macaroni cheese. She will have a go at cooking most things and seems to enjoy it.
I have not loved cooking as much since we moved here. The oven is a bit rubbish and I often feel too hot for anything more than a sandwich. The kids and K are not as phased by the heat as me. They seem just as happy to cook and eat a roast dinner when it's 45 degrees outside as when it's a cold dark november evening in England. I can usually go a steak or some chicken skewers with rice and am quite happy to eat takeaway whenever it's on offer especially butter chicken and naan bread from the curry house.