The reason I started a new blog on Christmas Eve

It was when I realised I have very little recollection of our twins as babies, or Max (3) as a baby that I panicked.  We now have yet another (our surprise!) baby, which makes four children in our house, and I know I won't remember much of her babyhood either.  It's OK though, we have photos and video footage to prove they were teeny tiny once. What is it that makes this time blurry?  Sleep deprivation?  I am certainly experiencing that now!

Anyway, to kick off, this will be a short one.  It's Christmas Eve and I couldn't go any longer without recording some of our days for the future.

At the moment Baby Saskia is sleeping, it's lunch time, Max is stickering a book, the girls have just delivered reindeer food (from their teacher at school) and Kool & the Gang are playing for us on Sonos, which I've set to Pandora radio on the "John Farnham" station (how Pandora got from John Farnham to Kool & the Gang I have no idea).

We (I) just made shortbread - my Aunty's mum's recipe (which is written out below) - for Santa.  Pressies are under the tree.  Which is twinkling with its lights and tinsel.  I am going to pick up some treats from the French deli for Christmas Day tomorrow; I'm not cooking, yippee! Steve finishes up at work today and we've got two and a half weeks of time, glorious time, to fill with not much.

Camping beckons after New Year's Eve - madness I tell you - so that will also be an adventure to write about.

Saskia at 9 weeks old

Sofia, Olivia and Max with shortbread for Santa

Aunty Sarah's family Scottish Shortbread Recipe

I added lemon zest (two lemons-worth) to these ones.

250 grms butter (at room temperature),1 cup of icing sugar, 1 tspn vanilla essence (optional),1 cup cornflour, 2 cups plain flour (sifted)

Cream butter and icing sugar until white and fluffy, add vanilla if using it and mix well. Add cornflour and mix well, finally add the flour and continue to mix well. Turn out onto floured board and knead well into a firm dough. Press out to form a thick flat round and cut into desired shapes. Cook in slow oven (150-160oC) for approx. 45 mins or until on a rack. When cold store in airtight containers.