Burns Night 2015

My husband's sister has hosted a Burns Supper every year for more than a decade now.

 

The format hasn't changed over the years. A haggis dinner is provided by my sister in law and the guests bring along puddings. Once the food is over there is usually a Scottish quiz and then after this it's time for the music - a few solos if anyone is feeling brave enough and then communal singing and playing of Scottish folk songs.

 

It's a chance for us to dig out our kilts.

 

 

James (15) was going to wear his dad's kilt but decided at the last minute that it was still a bit too big.

 

 

Fraser wore a kilt for the first time.

 

 

 

His one is actually the one that my youngest brother wore to our wedding! He was only 18 months old when we got married.

 

 

 

 

You should know by now that Calum (12) always has to take a few selfies of us when we are doing something special!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our boys love haggis!

 

 

 

 

 

The pudding table is always impressive.

I made another of my chocolate finger and M&Ms cakes to bring along.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Scottish Quiz required us to name these famous Scots. How many can you get?

 

 

 

 

Look who was on the winning team!

 

 

 

 

 

James has been looking at Scottish music in music at school just now and has just finished doing a group performance of a Jig, where he played the piano. He used Calum's accordion to play it at the Supper and was accompanied by dad on the guitar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then it was over to Calum (and dad on the guitar again) to accompany the singing of folk songs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And at the very end, Alasdair (5) wanted to show everyone his violin that he is going to start learning.

 

 

Calum started learning it when he was about 8 before switching to accordion, so it's still a bit on the big side for Alasdair (I think it's 3/4 size but can't actually remember!) but he's determined he wants to learn it.

 

 

 

Maybe next year he will be playing a tune for everyone too.

 

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Weekend things

Every year our calendar for June is crammed with happenings. I think June and December must be the busiest months of the year for us!

 

This weekend started as June is supposed to continue. I'm also hoping the sunshine continues, although it has been replaced by heavy rain today and the forecast doesn't show a return to sunshine any time soon.

 

Anyway, enough about the weather and back to our weekend.

 

It wasn't crazily busy though, and actually began with a rather relaxed Friday afternoon in the garden.

 

 

 

 

Fraser was quite content to sit in his little shady patch and look through his toy basket for a while, while I sat in front of him in the sun and tried to catch up on my crochet memory blanket. I'm still not caught up but I did get a few more squares done!

 

 

 

 

It was so lovely in the garden that even the biggest boy was persuaded to come out and join us all.

 

 

 

 

Saturday was the day of our local gala day. Each year the Gala committee sets a theme and this year it was 'all things Scottish'. The boys always take part in the Gala with their Boys' Brigade Company and they have something of a reputation to keep, having won the prize for best float for quite a few years running! This year their float was a Forth Rail Bridge made out of bamboo sticks and pulled along by the boys dressed as famous Scots.

 

We made a dressing up police man hat into an explorer's hat with some white packing tape for David's costume. Then we tea stained some paper and made it into a map of Africa. Does anyone know which famous Scot he was going as?

 

 

 

After dropping the older three boys at their float, we found a space to watch the parade and waited patiently.

 

 

 

As the sound of the pipe band that leads the parade began to reach us, Alasdair turned to me and said, 'Aw I love that noise!'

 

 

 

 

Second in the parade are always the little gala queens and page boys, their trailer pulled along by a big tractor.

 

 

 

Then the next float is always the one that has been given first prize.

 

And it was the Boys' Brigade and their bridge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And just in case anyone doesn't know what the real rail bridge looks like....

 

 

They did a pretty good job!

 

 

Our famous Scots were Andy Murray, David Livingstone and Eric Liddell.

 

 

 

 

The rail bridge even had the Flying Scotsman train going across it.

 

 

 

 

The gala day parade takes place at lunchtime so that left the rest of the afternoon free for other stuff.

 

Like food shopping, and Fraser's first time in the big boy trolley seat.

 

 

He didn't last long in it as he's not steady enough to sit unaided on his own yet. In fact, he looks like he's clinging on for dear life!

 

Back home again, and the sunshine had given way to torrential rain. A perfect excuse for Calum and David to indulge in their new hobby. One that is shared with nearly every other child their age just now - loom band making.

 

 

The green bands are a lovely apple smell.

 

 

 

 

 

No Saturday would be complete without a spot of baking. Especially as we had some people round in the evening.

 

 

 

 

And on Sunday my hubs was speaking at a church in Stirling.

 

Stirling is such a pretty, green part of the country and really not far from us at all. Only a 40 minute drive.

 

The boys think that Striling castle looks like a mini Edinburgh castle!

 

 

 

The church service we were at is held in the lecture theatre of a museum so after the service we topped up our Scottish history knowledge! With the 700th anniversary of the battle of Bannockburn coming up in a couple of weeks, there was a special exhibition about it with some things I'd never heard before. Did you know, for example, that parts of the US Declration of Independance are based on the Declaration of Arbroath (written after Bannockburn) as there were a few Scots involved in drawing it up?

 

 

 

David (8) wasn't so interested in the Scottish history but this, the world's oldest football!

 

 

 

 

We spent a lovely afternoon with a family from the church and enjoyed a beautiful walk near their house.

 

I have no idea what type of tree this is, but isn't it huge?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was every possible colour of rhododendron growing.

 

 

And some more unusual trees!!

 

 

This week is looking busy too, although the weekend looks a little less busy than last. So far anyway.

 

Now, sunshine, don't stay away for too long!

 

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Burns Night 2014

On Saturday it was Burns' Night and, as has been the tradition for many years now, my hubs' sister hosted a traditional Burns Supper.

On the menu was, of course, haggis....

...but because she always invites a few folk of other nationalities who may be a little squeamish about the real thing, she always has a vegetarian option too.

It is tradition for the haggis to be piped in to the table before it is 'addressed'. Since Aunty Anna doesn't know a piper, James usually plays his chanter instead. Actually, the chanter he is playing below belonged to his great grandfather who was a great piper.

Addressing the haggis is just someone reciting Burns' poem 'Ode to a Haggis' before it is sliced open and served.

Here is one little man waiting patiently for his haggis.

Our boys all love haggis so we eat it much more often than just Burns' Night and St Andrew's Day.

Accompanying your haggis with Irn Bru is optional. If you're reading from Canada, I hear this has just been banned over there!

The boys had their kilts on again (except James who doesn't have one that fits, or Fraser!) but I need to teach them how to sit properly in a skirt!

Fraser was in great form, despite the crowd of people in a strange house. He always gets a bit unsettled and itchy at dinner time but then is all soothed after his bath, creams and bandages so I did all that before we left. He spent the evening watching the goings on with his big curious eyes. And smiling at all the ladies!

James might not have had his kilt on but he did get to wear his new, and very much loved, Captain America t-shirt.

After the haggis, neeps and tatties there was plenty of choice of pudding.

Oh look, there's that same little man peeking over the table again!

After all the food is finished there is always a sing along of Scottish songs. Calum accompanied some of them on his accordion.

It was a fun night that everyone enjoyed.

Every year as we leave the supper my sister in law snaps a photo of us all. It's fun to see the changes in even just a few years.

This is us this year....

...and only 3 years ago!

I'm not sure which boy has changed the most in that time!

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