The Lanyons: Lapland UK, 2011

Friday, 16 December 2011

Lapland UK, 2011

Going to Lapland UK has become a Tabby Christmas tradition. This year Tabs and I went with Fred, Bjorn, Petra and Aunty Leanor.

The kids got to help Father Christmas make Teddy Bears for children around the world.

Then they heard a story and got to decorate gingerbread Christmas trees in Mother Christmas's kitchen.

Next they sent their Santa letters in a special express post box.

The kids loved meeting the huskies...

...and going ice skating.

After lunch we saw the "REAL" Father Christmas. Tabs said she knew he was the real one because he didn't have elastic on his beard and he knew her name and that her favorite teddy was called Biscuit Bear and that she and Fred were boyfriend and girlfriend without even asking them!

We saw lots of amazing things today but the most memorable sight [for me] was this crazed reindeer!!! What could have triggered this shocked expression, I wonder?! Weird.

2 comments:

Lissy Sarvela said...: So much to say, so little space....
-Deranged reindeer-hilarious!
-that little contraption Bjorn was riding on at the skating rink-ingenious, never seen anything like it for little tikes
-Father Christmas-I'm with Tabs!!!! iron clad case
-Lapland-funnest Christmas tradition ever!

I loved getting your card. Thanks for the JA cheeky swag. :)

I've missed reading your adventures, so thanks for coming back. (you know we all live vicariously through you).

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Love and miss you.; 28 December 2011 21:28
The Skillmans said...: Oh what fun! I especially loved meandering through your "you might also like..." blogs from Christmas past. Thanks for the fun blog, always a highlight!!; 12 January 2012 02:55

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DAISHA

FEISTY AMERICAN MOM
Pros:
Celebrates all Holidays w/ Gusto
Enthusiastic Tour Guide
Keen Traveler/Road Tripper
Hiker, Camper, Scuba Diver
Thing Searcher
Rambles in Wellies
Picker of Blackberries
Avid Board-Game Player
Unbeatable at Wii Bowling
Sister Skyper
Film & "Theatre" Enthusiast
♥s English Heritage & National Trust
Loves a Good Story
Will Try Nearly Anything Once
Cons:
Failed Domestic Goddess
Cooking
Insufferable Winner
Victory Song & Dance (see above)
Volume Control Issues
Battle-Mode Singstar (see above)
Hyper-Tourist
List Obsessive
Shamefully Unfamiliar with an Iron

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland may be its official title, but most people just call it Britain or the UK (the same way we call the United States of America, America or the US). Technically, calling it the UK is probably more accurate because “Great Britain” doesn’t actually include N. Ireland. The UK is made up of four separate state-like areas; England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The total area for the entire country is smaller than my home state of Oregon, however its population is 60 million (all of the USA = 300 million) so it’s pretty packed.

*British-American Dictionary

At the request of our readers we've devised this fool-proof translation page so that people will quit thinking that "anglophile" is something perverted!

Anglophile = One who LOVES everything English (Anglo)

Baps = Round bread rolls and a nickname for...er...breasts

Battenberg Cake = A fancy checkered sponge cake wrapped in marzipan and eaten with tea.

Big Girl's Blouse = A feeble/ineffectual person.

Biscuit (or Bicky) = A cookie, or sometimes a cracker.

Bits and Bobs = Miscellaneous items.

Blighty = Affectionate name for England as one's home. Orig. used by colonial Indian Army, from the Hindustani bilyati, meaning foreign.

Blimey! = An exclamation of surprise. An abbreviated form of "blind me". Also 'cor blimey'.

Bobs your Uncle = There you have it; a catch phrase expressing satisfactory completion.

Bonfire Night = The 5th of November, Guy Fawkes Night or Bonfire Night is when the Roman Catholic "Guy (Guido) Fawkes" tried, unsuccessfully, to blow up the Houses of Parliament in the gunpowder plot of 1605. He was hung, drawn and quartered for his punishment. But this nasty blood and guts story has a happy ending because now it's a fun family holiday with fireworks, fun and bonfires burning effigies of Guy all over the British countryside!

Bung = To give or throw. "Bung it in the oven."

Candy Floss = Cotton candy.

Cheeky Chappy = Affectionate name for an attractively impudent person or animal, one who may make one readily smile.

Cheeky Monkey = A light-hearted name for a verbally impertinent person.

Chelsea Tractor = A 4X4/SUV which is used mainly in urban areas.

Chips = Thick French fries. They're served with everything out here - including lasagna!

Chubby Chaser = A person who finds fat people attractive.

Chuffed = Extremely pleased.

Corker = An excellent thing or person.

Costume Dramas = A period piece in which elaborate costumes, sets and properties are featured in order to capture the ambience of a particular era.

Cream Tea = Tea with a combo of scones, clotted cream and jam. If you haven't tried it you're missing out on one of life's great pleasures.

Crisps = Chips

Dairy Milk = Yummy British chocolate (sadly, the American version is made by Hershey's - ugh!)

Dodgy = Dubious, shifty, not right.

Easy-Peasy = Very easy. Usually a children's expression. "Easy-peasy lemon squeezy."

Elevenses = Mid to late morning snack.

English Heritage = "English Heritage exists to protect and promote England's spectacular historic environment and ensure that its past is researched and understood."

Football = Soccer

Gobsmacked = Amazed/astounded. Gob meaning mouth.

Half Term = A week-long vacation halfway through the school term. There are three per year.

Hoodies = A hooded sweatshirt or menacing boys who wear their hoods up for anonymity.

Ice Lolly = Popsicle

Kentish = From Kent. Kent is a county is England famous for its oast houses, castles and being the "garden of England". Cities you may have heard of in Kent include Canterbury (Cathedral or Chaucer's Tales), Dover (white cliffs), Chatham & Rochester (Charles Dickens), Royal Tunbridge Wells (Georgian spa town) and Eynsford, of course (where the Lanyons live).

Knackered = Tired or worn out.

Knickers = Girl's underwear

Ladies Bits = Female private area.

Loo = Toilet

Mac = Raincoat

Mincer/Mincing = A homosexual male. From the S.E. mince, an affected manner of walking.

Moreish = Appetizing/tasty. Generally inducing a desire for more. Crisps are very moreish.

Morris Dancers = English folk dancers wielding sticks and handkerchiefs!

Mucky Pup = A dirty person, affectionate use and often applied to a child. "Look at the state of your clothes, you mucky pup!"

Mutton Dressed as Lamb = A woman who dresses in fashions usually associated with younger females.

Naff = Cheesy/Unfashionable. Of poor quality, unappealing.

Nappies = Diapers

National Trust = "The National Trust protects special places in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, for ever, for everyone."

Nob = 1. A chunk of butter 2. A man's private area.

Nosh = Food.

Not Much Cop = Not good, poor quality, worthless.

Nursery Food = Comfort kiddie food like fish fingers & chips

Paddling = Wading

Pancake Day = Also known as Shove Tuesday. It's the day before Lent (traditionally, forty-something days of austerity before Easter). They call it "pancake day" because in the olden days people would use up all their nice ingredients (eggs, sugar, etc) on the day before the fast by making pancakes (British pancakes are more French than American – so crepe-like). Most people in Britain still have pancakes on this day - but more for tradition than anything.

Pants = Underwear, esp. for boys. Also and expression to say something was nonsense, rubbish or bad.

Palaver = A tedious fuss or discussion.

Panto = Abb. of pantomine, being a theatrical show, mainly for children, and usually staged around the Christmas period.

Peckish = Feeling hungry.

People Carrier = Mini-Van

Petrol = Gasoline

Petrolhead = A car enthusiast, especially motor racing.

Phwoar = Used to express sexual desire at the sight of an attractive person. Imitative of the sound expressed in such a circumstance.

Ponce = 1. A contemptible person. 2. An effeminate male.

Pong = Stink

Pear-Shaped = Out of shape, unorganised, wrong. Heard in the expression go pear-shaped. "The plans went pear-shaped."

Perishing = Used as an intensifier. "That perishing dog was barking all night".

Pootle = To meander, or wander slowly. Pootle around the shops.

Posh = Classy or luxurious. From Port Out Starboard Home - the best cabins on oceanliners.

Pram = Stroller

Prezzie = A present, a gift.

Pudding = Dessert, as in "what's for pudding?"

Pukka = Excellent, wonderful. Derived from the s.e. use of pukka, meaning genuine, and in itself derived from the Hindi pakka, meaning thorough or substantial.

Punch Up = Fist fight/brawl.

Quid = Nickname for one pound sterling. Like saying a "buck" instead of dollar.

Roger = To have intercourse. Male usage. [Mid 1600s]

Row = (sounds like cow) 1. A noisy quarrel. 2. A loud noise.

Rucksack = Backpack

Safe as Houses = Very safe, secure, something assured.

Sarnie = A sandwich.

Scrummy = Delicious! (Combo of scrumptious and yummy – I'm guessing)

Shattered = Worn out, exhausted.

Silly sausage = A foolish person.

Sledge - Sled

Smack-Bottom = Spank

Smashing = Excellent, brilliant, wonderful.

Snooker = Similar to American pool, but more complicated and difficult.

Sprog = Child

Squiffy = Askew, off centre, awry.

Sticky Wicket = A difficult situation. Cricket term. "Bat on a sticky wicket".

Stonker = 1. Usually implying great size. 2. Something huge or impressive.

Strike a Light! = An exclamation of surprise.

Stuff and Nonsense = Worthless, rubbish or foolish ideas, speech, or writing.

Sunday lunch = A traditional British meal consisting of meat (usually roast beef or chicken), roast potatoes, two veg and gravy. Often includes sides like Yorkshire pudding, bread sauce, sausages or roast parsnips. Edward’s roast potatoes are the best!

Sussed = Knowledgeable, well-informed, able to look after oneself. Sorted.

Swag = Money or items, as taken by a thief or burglar, ill-gotten gains.

Sweets = Candy

Ta = Thanks

Tart = A woman of loose morals.

Tart Up = To smarten up/get ready.

Throw a Wobbly = Become very angry. Tantrum.

Tickety-boo = Fine, all right, in order.

Titchy = Tiny, small, insignificant.

Toffee-nosed = Snobbish. Upper class.

Top Totty = Very attractive woman, or women.

Torch = Flashlight

Treacle = Syrup made during sugar refining. Used in puddings/tarts.

Triffid = Any large or sprawling plant, usually a house plant. From The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham.

Two Fingers/Two Finger Salute = The insulting gesture of the V-sign using two fingers with the back of the hand facing the victim.

Trolley = Shopping cart

Trousers = Pants (they don't say "pants" because that means "underwear")

Wellies = Green rubber rain boots (named after the Duke of Wellington)

White Van Man = An ill-mannered and aggressive driver of commercial delivery vehicles, such as white transits.

Yonks = An age, a long time.

Friday, 16 December 2011

Lapland UK, 2011

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