Christmas Cakes

We are crazy for Christmas in this house, and 2011 is no exception. So ont he weekend Hannah and I baked 2 Christmas Cakes. Unfortunately while they were in the oven (for 3 hours) I realised that I had left out the brown sugar and then when I checked the recipe I realised that as well as that I had forgotten to put in the required amount of self raising flour. Luckily it still tasted pretty good. So good in fact that I decided to try again - and not leave out any of the ingredients. Now this is a new recipe that i got off the radio - it is a CWA recipe - Glad Shute's to be precise - so needless to say I was quaking in my inner west birkenstocks. Generations of country housewives in my lineage - I didn't want to let them down....After all I was the first child in my family to be born in the 'big smoke' that was Brisbane circa 1960s and then only because my elder sister had been born with a heart defect and profoundly deaf - so the parents moved to the city in search of better resources and services for her...Both my sisters are very proud of the fact that they were born in country QLD. But I digress....Here are some pics of the first bake up - with Hannah. Yesterday I had another go - Hannah is sick with an ear infection so my other helper stepped in (no doubt encouraged by the fact that during the week he isn't allowed on the DS - so he had some 'spare time' to help out). They looked delicious. We'll try one when the tree goes up in a couple of weeks.

Concerts

It has been a bit more of a rocky road for Hannah in her mainstream dance class this year. She was put up with her age group at the beginning - and it did the teacher's head in because he felt she couldn't remember the routine and he wasn't as tolerant of her choosing to do her own thing. We moved her back to the younger group - same teacher - he is a lovely young man who the kids including Hannah LOVE! I think he was just feeling a bit out of his depth and therefore getting frustrated. He knows Auslan and uses it in class which Hannah really likes. When we were overseas she often mentioned getting a gift for her two dance teachers.

Anyhow the move back to the little class worked well and things settled down. They have great costumes (expensive! but so cute) and a bigger than Ben Hur concert a the end of the year which Hannah was clearly looking forward to - the performer that she is. They have paired her with a little girl who is starting Kindy next year - together they did great! I was so proud of Hannah - she has come a long way and that was obvious on the stage. The number she did the worst on was the ballet and I think that was because the other little girl wasn't in it and so Hannah didn't really know whose lead to follow...but she looked cute anyway.

Now the concert is over everyone is thinking about what classes to put their kids in next year. Me I was hoping it would die a natural death. One of the other Mums was asking me - she was very positive about Hannah and encouraged me to keep at it - as did the mum of Hannah's little partner ... I just don't know. Hannah LOVES it. She is learning and improving. But this is a small establishing studio with ambitions. They were very welcoming of taking Hannah in {unlike the one that didn't call back and when I eventually got through to them declined to even meet her - quite sure she wouldn't enjoy their 'advanced' classes!) but are not really in a position to start making too many adjustments for her IYKWIM. I spoke to the woman at the enrolment counter - perhaps if they continue to pair her with that little girl and perhaps video the routine so she can watch it at home during the week to help her remember? Anyways she was going to discuss it with hannah's teacher... and we shall see... I'm such a sucker - I wish I could just say NO. But then I look at Hannah's precious face and when I ask her about it - she clearly wants to stay... while it isn't affecting her self esteem...maybe....

And now time to prepare for the next concert - this one is her first with a local dance group - for children with a disability.