Monthly Archives: December 2011

Manifold Mag [Music]

My first article about ‘Music that Inspires you’ is published now online! I (Bonnie Rose) am a weekly contributor for The Manifold, an online magazine. Thank you to Johnny Kenneally, a coworker of mine at Peewees .co.uk, who is featured this week as my model. Make sure to check every week for my next article! xx Bonnie Rose

http://themanifoldmag.com/post/13972609575/music-music-is-to-my-soul-what-air-is-to-my — with Bonnie Rose Aherin.

The Boy’s first Nativity

My boys got to experience their first ever Nativity play here in England.  Ronan got to be one of the Three kings and his younger brother one of the shepherds.  Dressed in their homemade costumes we met at our church where his school was holding their Nativity Christingle.  The kids were so cute, I loved hearing them sing the songs, and they had a lot of fun.

St. Nikolaus & the Shoes

I have picked up many a customs and traditions along my life as a nomad.  One of these is St. Nikolaus, from my time living in Germany.  On the Eve of December 5th, children put out a boot or shoe outside of their front door.  In the morning the children find that St. Nikolaus has filled it up with gifts and sweets after checking to see if the children were ‘good, polite, and helpful the last  year’.  The boys woke me up as they were opening up their goodies from their shoes.  There were candy canes, lego figures, toy airplanes, and a helicopter.  It is a nice tradition I have enjoyed thus far with my kids.  ‘Morty the Moose’ left some moose paper for the boys to make paper chains with today. They enjoyed the craft and we will have fun growing the chain through out the month.  

Maddox holding the candy and toys left in his shoe.
St. Nicholas came and filled the boys shoes with candy and small toys. 
Crumpets with jam and clotted cream
Ronan and Maddox at school. 
Lamb with sweet potatoes and roasted veggies.
Step One: Folding the wrapping paper in strips.

Step 2: Cut along the fold to create long strips.
Step 3: Cutting into smaller strips

Step 4: Fold strips into loops and tape to secure.  Add another strip into the loop and repeat.
Step 5: Hang up on the wall

Our hanging decoration.

Our Polar Express Christmas bells from  Christmas 2008
Bows, cookie cutters, bells, ornaments, and lights. 

Candy Canes in London before headed back home on the train. 
Yesterday my partner and I took my boys to London for the day and I posted photos from when we played in the leaves.  Here are the rest of the photos from our adventure out in London to experience the Christmas atmosphere.  We started at the German Christmas market where we enjoyed hot cocoa that tasted like melted chocolate bars, ate yummy goulash soup from a bread bowl, and got to sample one of my favourites, German Rittersport chocolate. The boys were read for a lot of photo ops and so this blog post is quite picture heavy.  I ended with our time at Hamey’s, the toy store in London and some of the beautiful Christmas lights seen around town.  I hope you enjoy, as we had a lot of fun together in London. 

Merry Elfmas from Ronan & Maddox

Ronan and Maddox in the Winter Wonderland, the German Christmas market
The Moose that sings and talks!
My three men!
Love all the Christmas ornaments and crafts. Especially the Owls and Moose.
 Gluhwein anyone?
The Hot Cocoa tasted like melted chocolate bars. 
Maddox loved all the animal puppets. Here he is begging for one, “Puhlease!”
Walking down the street of the German Christmas market in London
Potato Pancakes? Yes please!
Ronan and Maddox with the Ringing Father Christmas
Ronan and Maddox with the skiing Father Christmas
Ronan and Maddox with the Nutcracker
Maddox with his German chocolate
Ronan and Maddox with the Snowman
Ronan and Maddox with the snowman familia
Maddox with Father Christmas
Ronan with Father Christmas

Mummy giving a Shaka with Father Christmas! Aloha! Mele Kalikimaka
Hard Rock Cafe has their tree up
The Ritz
The main shopping street where Hamey’s is located.
Boys playing with fake snow at the Hamey’s toy store
Ronan and Maddox really enjoyed all the Harry Potter items at Hamey’s Toy Store
These airbrush pens at Hamey’s Toy Store really won the boys over. They both love crafts and art. 

Ronan and Maddox each got a complimentary blow up ball.  They thought it was magic! 
My favourite store!
My favourite window of Tiffany’s
London at Night

Leaves in London

All week we have been talking about taking the boys to London.  Originally I was going to take them in the morning and go to the National History Museum to see the dinosaurs. Unfortunately I lost my debit card the night before and was not able to leave for London until my partner returned from work on Sunday.  Despite our late start, the four of us headed on the train into London ready for an adventure.  We started the day with some warm pastys, pizza, and sausage rolls and then headed over to the Buckingham Palace.  Last time we came here they had scaffolding all over the place, so it was really nice to be able to take photographs today.  It was quite cold out and so we were all bundled up in our coats, hats, and gloves. Our next stop was Hyde park where I had wanted to recreate a photograph from my childhood.  Though making plans are fun, today was definitely the day to learn flexibility and to be spontaneous instead.  Upon arriving into Hyde park we noticed a mass amount of fallen leaves and so I will be blogging out Autumn leaves again.  What can I say?  I am still quite excited about experiencing different seasons after so many years of just ‘Summer’.  The four of us made huge piles of leaves and Maddox was first to tunnel inside and be covered up.  Ronan joined in the fun and we started getting a lot of really cute photographs.  I think they had the most fun running and diving into the piles of leaves.  Then again any chance for a spontaneous leaf fight will bring smiles and giggles to young and old.  Afterwards we went to the German Christmas market and Hamley’s Toy Store.  I will blog about these tomorrow and leave you with some of the best photographs from the first part of our trip to London. 
Ronan & Maddox playing in the London leaves. 
Ronan having a meltdown moment in front of Buckingham Palace, because his dad took his pizza out of his hand to hide it from the camera.

Ronan and Maddox diving into the leaves!

Playing in the leaves with my two boys!

Ronan getting ready to aim and fire leaves at his dad while Maddox gets an armful. 

Ronan takes fire from leaves that were thrown by his dad.

Not even the photographer (myself) is free from the leaves. Maddox is ready to throw leaves at me as I point my camera at him. 

Christmas Tree

 Today was the first day that we started playing Christmas songs at work.  Luckily they are laced in with the regular songs, so I think they will be enjoyable through the Holidays without getting over played.  When I stepped outside of work tonight, I noticed all the Christmas lights were up down the street in Burgess Hill.  It was very beautiful and seeing Christmas lights are one of my favourite elements of the season.  Upon coming home I decided I was in need of some holiday cheer. So the boys and I put up our Christmas tree.  I found this one the other day at a charity shop, originally from Marks & Spencers, for only 5 quid.  The boys and Ryan had gotten decorations from IKEA on their shopping trip today and so we got to decorate the tree together after dinner.  We have a red and silver theme this year, and it looks very Christmas-y in the corner.  I do miss my Blue and Silver ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ tree from Hawai’i.  But I look forward to building up our Christmas decor while we are living here in England.

Burgess Hill is lit up with Christmas lights. 
Ronan and Maddox decorating our tree
Our Christmas Tree 2011