Pine Christmas Concert

Pine's Christmas Concert was a tough one for Louisa - her last.

There was singing by the whole school:

well almost (that's Mac and Declan mid song - see Mathilda's stern face). (See the little girl in the shiny two piece right under the microphone in the top picture - she's a mermaid in the little kids play - and is secretly pregnant - it's never mentioned in the play but she rubs her tummy every so often.)

And this is Max as a purple blob in the middle kids play. (It was an easy costume at least.)

And Louisa as a dinosaur made of shade cloth.

Then came the major event of the night - the grown up play - Alice in Pineland. With a twist. Katymae went into labour that morning so she and Maris were spending their night going to and from the hospital - which meant we were short two major characters. I became the white rabbit instead of Maris and Mathilda was the Queen of Hearts instead of Katy. (Tina took Mathilda's place.)

Jesse was Alice - and was amazing.

Tom was the rapping caterpillar.

And Peet stepped in at the last minute too - to be Tweedle Dum to Fraser's Tweedle Dee.

Drew was the Cheshire cat and Patty was a very cute dormouse.

Then came awards, goodbyes and quilts (made this year by Patty and Caryl - for which I am most grateful). The came the tears - we hurried to clean up and managed to distract Louisa momentarily by talking about Mack's imminent arrival.

Airport

Saying Goodbye to Alec was actually not much fun. But we're smiling on the outside.

It's funny to see such a little group compared to when Tom left - we're missing Daniel, and ANne was home recovering from her hip operation - but that's only two leftand it looks much smaller.

David Gray - who has been Alec's friend since they were in preschool - and who grew very tall - left on the same plane.

Not sure who's cuter - Alec or the little boys.

We gave Brenton a copy of this photo for Christmas - and made him cry - you can count on us for a merry Christmas!

Mack Brace Element Kuhn

Introducing Mack!

This is a beautiful baby. We visited Katy for an hour and a half and Mack spent the whole time awake and looking at us - happy as can be and as content and pleased to be here as I have ever seen a baby be - good thing too after the awful birth. Katy was in serious labour for many hours and was sent home from the hospital 4 times - and told to work harder. Finally a doctor happened to have a look and saw that Mack was breech all along and within 2 minutes she was having a c-section. It's true that all's well that ends well but it was quite the trauma.

Mack is a serious impediment to any work getting done around the Element household. Maris is completely in love.

So are we.

Mathilda's Party

Mathilda and Patrick had a Christmas Party - complete with swimming in their magnificent pool, wood fired pizzas in the pizza oven Patrick built, and Patrick's band playing pub songs late into the night for dancing and singing along to. And Mack was there for our entertainment too.

I think they are our coolest friends! There was a band after all.

Goodbye Alec

Alec's mission farewell was a happy affair, shared with David Gray who he has been friends with since they were five and who left for his mission on the same day.

Lots of friends and family, baked potatoes and toppings, five hundred home baked biscuits (Jesse worked all day and talked Beth into making her delicious honey biscuits), a fire with marshmallows to roast and a balmy starry night.

Alec was there too - photos will follow.

Noosa North Shore

The week before Alec left we let Peet have another day off school (good thing the student services ladies and I are best friends), and organised everyone for an overnight camp at Noosa North Shore. Four wheel drive access only so we took Alec's car and Roger's. Jesse and Alec went up early and found a camp site away from the few other campers there. Roger took Louisa and Max up at lunch time - it was the first day in Pines new building - and Peet and I drove up to meet them after Peet finished at school.

It was divine.

Jesse was in the middle of exams and crammed in some study.

There was fishing.

We didn't take a tent - just a tarp and we all slept under millions of stars.

It was a fabulous two days - we walked five kilometres down the beach - and back - at night to the bushfires burning in the national park, ate chicken rolls for dinner - no cooking, swam in crystal waters a stones throw from the camp, and talked and played and generally had a lovely time.

Now we just have to wait two years till we can do it again - with the whole family anyway.

Glasses

Max is the latest kid to catch the glasses virus that seems to be afflicting our family and friends. So far we have Robert, Louisa, Lauren, Madisen and Max - all within the space of about a month.

Max loves them and does seem better able to concentrate, which is their primary purpose.