Work is still crazy, this last week has been hectic I have been going in early and coming home late. Probably putting in 12 hour days (which is hectic for New Brunswick office work). Christmas and preparing for Christmas is a stressful time and I think I should spend part of this post recognising the effort it takes.

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Julie is the rock that ensures the home keeps working efficiently and effectively. She has organized the house, made sure all the christmas presents are brought and despatched to far off places. She makes sure we don't run out of food, clean clothes, toothpaste, razors, toiletrolls and all the other things that it takes to keep a family thriving and surviving. I think it today's world the recognition of good housekeeping is very undervalued.

So we are approaching Christmas well prepared with very little effort on my part. I can hear you all muttering "whats new", pah I will have you know I did hang out the Christmas lights on the tree outside and today I will be cutting down two christmas trees (It is deemed manly work by wielding a chainsaw). The two trees are because Kathryn wants one for her new home.

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What else is happening in the Whelbourn sphere of influence here in Eastern Canada.

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Gemma has been busy revising and preparing for her exams; she is studying, English, Biology, Anthropology, Classics and Art (which looks like more classics to me).  I have to admit she has really buckled down to revision and I am sure it will pay dividends for her when the marks come in.

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Kathryn came home(our home) for dinner last night and then we had a  family evening playing Uno and Yahtzee. Both good fun and not requiring too much intellectual participation. I didnt win at either game (perhaps I should have used more intellect).

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Another of life's obvious things, is that eating and game playing together help to form and maintain the family bond. We always insist that the TV is turned off and we sit down to dinner at the table. It is almost a ritual that I interrogate each person  asking them how their day went as we eat. Something that many people seem to be losing as they move to processed foods/TV dinners and the family seem to split up immediately as they all go about their different interests (even watching different TV's in different rooms?).