Christmas Workshop

We awoke this morning to find that mischievous elf-on-a-shelf astride our newly constructed gingerbread house. He's getting the blame for the fact that it's looking a bit saggy in the joints, but he is still reflecting a happy little corner of Christmas cheer.

                                  

Grandenny and Tristan enjoyed a guys-day-out touring Safari World and visiting the water park. Our outdoor boy misses the freedom of life on Lake Murray and loved the long drive out of Bangkok, past the rice fields to the wilds of the animal park. Tristan got to see crocodiles, lions and tigers and bears (oh my!) and even got to pet giraffes. Grandenny was called out of the crowd to be part of the show and got kissed by a dolphin. Yech! We all agreed that would be his last kiss of the day. 

                                   

Abi gave her mommy a photo book that Grandmoni had brought from the States of her childhood memories from their years of living in Ukarine. While the guys were out taming the widerness, we girls dialed up the Christmas music and set up our Christmas workshop. The tins are now brimming with buckeys, seven-layered treats and pine bark. In our doll shop, we fashioned adorable little housecoats from baby blankets using only the snip of scissors and tying of knots...no sewing...and ouila(!) a robe! We topped off the afternoon with a real for sure, giggly-girl tea party.

                         

Reminiscent of traditonal Christmastide favorites when the Scheidtlings were growing up, we gifted new copies of The Baby in a Manger and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever to the Smithletts. Gigi is working hard to co-ordinate her little round self into doing the motions to Away in a Manger, and the big kids get very tickled with the antics of the Herdman kids in the chapter book.

We are pretty sure the fireworks in the night sky were meant in celebration of the Thai King's birthday, but as we gathered pajama-clad children on the porch overlooking the skyline, we felt they were just for us.  Although the weather may be steamy and the surroundings do not look like a Currier & Ives winter wonderland print, we are glad to be here in joyful recognition of our KIng, the One whom we celebrate this season.