Christmas is in the air



The tree is up, the house is decorated, we have fairy lights and candles everywhere.... could it be Christmas time?  You betcha it is. 

 

The first Sunday in December is when we put up the tree.  Now that Buster is a little older I treated us to some new Christmas decorations.  My lordy we needed them.  Everything we had was broken or falling apart.  I guess they've done well to survive the number of apartment/house moves we have made in the last 17 years, plus the ultimate survival test - three young children.  As always the kids loved decorating the tree, and this must be the first year in seven that the decorations have remained untouched and we've been able to put presents under the tree and have them ignored.

 

 

You may remember I started a new tradition last year - the advent calendar.  You can read about that here.  I have to admit I have been a bit of a failure at it this year.  The poor kids keep waking me up in the morning with glum faces saying "there's nothing in the advent calendar".  My bad, I keep forgetting to do it each night.

That's not the only thing I've been lazy about this Christmas.  Since Henry was born I've taken an 'official' Christmas photo to put in our Christmas cards.  Guess what?  Didn't do it this year.  Instead of the usual struggle to wrangle the kids and get them to all look at the camera at the same time showing something of a smile, I had taken some photos in November when the kids were playing in a cardboard box in the backyard.  (I feel a Monty Python skit coming on).  Michael had the brilliant idea of using one of the photos and superimposing "Merry Christmas" on the lip of the box.  Too easy.  Another Christmas job ticked off the list.

Despite my cavalier approach to Christmas this year, I am very much full of the Christmas spirit and looking forward to the big day.  We will be having Christmas at home this year, with my brother Corin and family visiting.  It will be the usual morning routine of stockings, champagne breakfast, then present opening (I wonder if Corin, sorry *cough* Santa will make an appearance?  Hint, hint Corin if you're reading this).  We will then deviate from our usual routine and opt out of Christmas lunch, instead choosing to do a dinner.  This will allow us to relax a bit more during the day, enjoy it with the kids, and not have to fuss about in a kitchen in the middle of the day when it is stinking hot.  I won't reveal our Christmas dinner menu here, you'll have to wait for that.  However, I will let slip that the adults will commence proceedings with a frozen lychee vodka martini and the children will have watered down cordial.  (Yes, I definitely feel a Monty Phython skit coming on now).