Merry Christmas 2013

It is Christmas Eve and while I am very excited that tomorrow is Christmas day, I am also a little sad because after tomorrow it is all over for another year. I know there is Boxing day and we have some visitors on Friday too, but with more and more shops opening each year on the 26th December now, to me it seems like Christmas gets shorter as each year passes.

Anyway, I am still excited about tomorrow and seeing the boy’s faces when they come downstairs in the morning and see their presents from Father Christmas!! It is such a magical time and I will relish every single moment tomorrow even from the kitchen from where I will be making the Christmas dinner. I do feel more orgnised than the last couple of years, and I think being mad enough to brave Tesco at 12.30am on Monday helped because it was so quiet and I was able to get most of my food shopping done there and then (bar the chestnuts and a few items I forgot to add to my list!).  I spent most of yesterday in the kitchen so as a result, the vegetables are all prepped, the cauliflower cheese is made, the gammon has been cooked over night in the slow cooker and the stuffing and pigs in blankets are in the fridge ready to bake. The desserts are made aswell, and it is only the turkey that needs preparing and cooking tonight, to free me up tomorrow to just cook the roasties, stuffing, pigs in blankets and vegetables and then re-heat the Christmas pudding. Almost all of the presents have been wrapped – just a couple left to do and then that job is finished too. The only thing left to do, and which I should be doing as I write (!), is some housework although I have done the bathrooms and the kitchen so only the lounge and hallway really need hoovering and polishing.

I wanted to get most of my jobs done yesterday so that we could take the boys to see Father Christmas today. I actually wanted to go yesterday afternoon, when it was getting dark but we just ran out of time so we went this morning and we were the second family,to see him as we arrived eary. I decided to take the boys to see the Santa at the garden centre as this was the place where we saw him arrive in his sleigh back at the end of November (those past few weeks have flown by!). I also thought that for £5.50 which included a present, a santa hat and a Christmas tree sapling, it was really good value compared to the one in town.

As we entered the room to see him, for a moment both boys were a bit speechless and not sure I think  to begin with, and stood by my side, but Father Christmas was very nice and friendlty and soon made them feel at ease by asking them a few questions. It made Daddy and I laugh when Santa asked them if they had been good. Burton very honestly answered that he had been a little bit naughty but he had helped me prepare the brussel sprouts yesterday so that made him good again!!! Father Christmas then asked what they would like for Christmas and Jenson told him that he wanted a new Raa Raa (the Noisy Lion) DVD to replace the one he had last year as it is now not working. When asked what he wanted Burton replied ‘everything oh and a dinosaur!’ I was relieved as both boys have these things in their sacks tomorrow!!

It was such a lovely visit and the man inside the suit was really engaging with them, although not as plump as I think Santa should be!! But Burton and Jenson did not notice and they were chuffed to bits with their gifts, tree and hats. *That* is what Christmas is all about, the magic, the innocence and the excitment. I LOVE it.

Anyway, I must get back to my cleaning (booooo) but I just want to wish you and yours a very MERRY CHRISTMAS 2013 and may all your dreams come true

xxx

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