Now that the birthday is behind us, bring on Christmas

Last Sunday the Fudge Clan celebrated our first born's birthday in style.  Three generations, spouses and an uncle gathered for brunch at our favourite restaurant in Centennial Park.

How satisfying it is to see the handmade gene passing down to the youngest family members.  Our seven year-old granddaughter provided her own birthday card for her aunt ...

... and Birthday Girl was equally delighted with the hand-knitted scarf in Spring colours, hot off her sister's knitting needles.

Now that the birthday is behind us, I can at last talk of Christmas.  Usually around the first week of November our middle child (who also answers to The Organiser), sends out the first Christmas Wish List email.  Tradition has it that her sister immediately sends out a response complaining that the Birthday Wish List surely should come before the Christmas Wish List.

A respectful distance has been observed since the birthday, and I can now officially slip into Christmas mode.  Mind you, with strong orders for Christmas dresses and garlands in my Etsy and MadeIt shops, the mode is well and truly worn in.

I've just shipped off the last custom order of clothing, so now it's back to the assembly line for the Christmas Tree garlands.  With a bit of luck I will have caught up with the orders by this time next week and then I can plan the Christmas pudding and cake.  And there lies another tradition.  My late mother's cake and pudding recipes are legendary and she would be thrilled to know that they are now being used by her granddaughter, and in time no doubt by her great-granddaughters.

Back to last Sunday, where Centennial Park never ceases to surprise and delight us with the lovable and sometimes the downright quirky.  This family of pugs (what do you call a group of dogs?  Pride? Herd? Mob? Gang?) comes under the lovable banner.  They were anxiously waiting outside the restaurant, hoping their owners would bring them something tasty for being so good.

And here is the quirky - the pigeon's contribution only added to the quirkiness.

The title, We Won, intrigued us all.  What was this Rugby player from the late 1800s wearing on his head?  Dog turd was the most popular response.  The children loved that idea, but was quickly dismissed.

And what were these cherubs up to?

No matter, it was a fine monument and one that caught the imagination of the children.  Curiosity got the better of me and I did find the explanation here.  Ah, an artist from the past with a delightful sense of the absurd.  Thank you sculptor Tomaso Sani for completing our perfect day.