Merry Christmas Chicks

Here are the children in summer clothes and Christmas gear - just to prove it really is warm here at Christmas. It certainly makes most Christmas carols sound more ridiculous than usual ("Walking in a winter wonderland" - what?). We are heading down to my parents' house today and there will be ten around the Christmas lunch table supping on oysters, lobsters, Moreton Bay bugs and any other seafood delicacy my mother can find in the local fishmongers. Australia virtually shuts down for a couple of weeks at Christmas and New Year and most of January is pretty sleepy with the children on their summer holidays and most families hunting for a spot on the beach. On Boxing Day (December 26), I will be going to the Test Match at the MCG with Dad, Dean, my brother-in-law Duncan, and 90,000 other people. Most of the day will be spent in the Long Room where we are required to dress up in suits and ties despite the hot weather, but where we can drink good beer out of glasses not made of plastic, and have the best view of the game. By the end of a long day (a day at the cricket is from 11am to 6pm), we will have watched the world's best sporting contest, have resolved most of the world's problems, and I will probably have attempted to climb over a fence or two.

So everyone have a very merry Christmas and we will drink you all a toast on Christmas Day.