28/12: It's Christmas Magic
Christmas was a little unconventional this year - for a start we made a very last minute decision to break with tradition and have the big feast on Christmas Eve. The rationale wouldn't be desperate to leave the table and play with newly opened presents, and that I wouldn't have to spend hours stuck in the kitchen when I could be playing with the new toys spending the day with the family.
Well, it worked a treat. Christmas (Eve) dinner was made and scoffed, and turned out to be a great success even without Aunt Bessie to lend assistance with the roast potatoes, yorkshire puddings and parsnips. I'd even go as far to say that I excelled myself in the kitchen (a rare event) and produced perfect roast tatties and parsnips for the first time ever. Even the sprouts were delicious (and as a former fully paid up member of the Sprout Haters Society I don't say that lightly). Children were stuffed to bursting point, and sent to bed in a highly excitable state, having first left out various goodies for Santa and the reindeer.
The following morning we were woken to the dulcit tones of FWEEEP! FWEEEEP! FWEEEEEEEEEEEEP! from the 'My First Recorder' that Santa had so generously placed in Emma's stocking. The chocolate snowmen went down well too, though I think they'd have made a little less mess if Emma had been able to remove the foil before eating, rather than just sucking the whole thing into a molten glob to extract the chocolate.
Santa was more than generous with the gifts under the tree. Jess couldn't wait to rip the paper from hers, while Emma took a more relaxed approach, playing for a while with each newly opened gift. We were well into the afternoon before she'd finished opening all of hers. Santa was more than generous with gadgets and games and toys for all. He even set me a certificate, good for a new wedding ring to replace the one I lost back in April. I was very upset about it at the time, knowing that nothing could ever really replace the original. But ah well.
The afternoon was spent assembling Playmobil, watching DVDs, setting up gadgets, scoffing more food, assembling the light saber and refereeing as the children pursued each other around the house on the car and scooter. Highly prized chocolate oranges were tapped, unwrapped and gobbled greedily. I'm particularly looking forward to assembling some of the guns featured in my new Forbidden Lego book.
Then, while Geoff and I were dismantling some furniture to move it upstairs (what? doesn't EVERYONE decide to shuffle the furniture on Christmas Day?), Geoff found my wedding ring, sandwiched between the bed frame and the mattress. A little bit of Christmas magic.
Well, it worked a treat. Christmas (Eve) dinner was made and scoffed, and turned out to be a great success even without Aunt Bessie to lend assistance with the roast potatoes, yorkshire puddings and parsnips. I'd even go as far to say that I excelled myself in the kitchen (a rare event) and produced perfect roast tatties and parsnips for the first time ever. Even the sprouts were delicious (and as a former fully paid up member of the Sprout Haters Society I don't say that lightly). Children were stuffed to bursting point, and sent to bed in a highly excitable state, having first left out various goodies for Santa and the reindeer.
The following morning we were woken to the dulcit tones of FWEEEP! FWEEEEP! FWEEEEEEEEEEEEP! from the 'My First Recorder' that Santa had so generously placed in Emma's stocking. The chocolate snowmen went down well too, though I think they'd have made a little less mess if Emma had been able to remove the foil before eating, rather than just sucking the whole thing into a molten glob to extract the chocolate.
Santa was more than generous with the gifts under the tree. Jess couldn't wait to rip the paper from hers, while Emma took a more relaxed approach, playing for a while with each newly opened gift. We were well into the afternoon before she'd finished opening all of hers. Santa was more than generous with gadgets and games and toys for all. He even set me a certificate, good for a new wedding ring to replace the one I lost back in April. I was very upset about it at the time, knowing that nothing could ever really replace the original. But ah well.
The afternoon was spent assembling Playmobil, watching DVDs, setting up gadgets, scoffing more food, assembling the light saber and refereeing as the children pursued each other around the house on the car and scooter. Highly prized chocolate oranges were tapped, unwrapped and gobbled greedily. I'm particularly looking forward to assembling some of the guns featured in my new Forbidden Lego book.
Then, while Geoff and I were dismantling some furniture to move it upstairs (what? doesn't EVERYONE decide to shuffle the furniture on Christmas Day?), Geoff found my wedding ring, sandwiched between the bed frame and the mattress. A little bit of Christmas magic.
Dina wrote: