Monday 26 December 2011

Christmas 2011 went like this...

Christmas Eve Eve:

Carols on Classic FM in cosy car, while driving home for Christmas in torrential rain. First place prize for best descant line awarded to Hark The Herald Angels Sing (we sang along at the tops of our voices), with special mention to John Rutter, aka Christmas personified.

Home! Hugs, love, tree and tea. :)

Nativity! (the film). So cute. Without a doubt we’ll watch it every year from now on, in the same way that The Holiday is whipped out for festive viewing at some point during every Christmas holiday, no exceptions. 

Christmas Eve:

Last minute present dash and hunt for cheap tat for our inventive wrapping competition. Braving the high street was a bold move on Christmas Eve but it ended up being a highly successful trip. Poundland served me very well for the wrapping resources and I’d forgotten how much I like going shopping with Dad (we’re bad influences on each other, but that’s probably why I like it).

Saints triumphed over Bath at Franklin’s Gardens (admittedly not as convincingly as they should have done: 22 – 13 final score). Wearing tights under trousers, two pairs of socks, a vest top, long sleeved top, cardigan, Saints shirt, coat, scarf and gloves was a good move.  Mary and Joseph were in the crowd.  A satisfying early Christmas present, even without the bonus point.

Christmas vigil service at church after the rugby. We played our instruments and Mum smashed it on the organ in an EPIC carolothon. Christmas build up at its best.

Homemade bread and pate and cheese and chutney and other total deliciousness after church. Ate too much to expand stomach in prep for Christmas Day. 

Sherlock Holmes: put on for my benefit (I haven’t seen any of them and apparently NEED to before the new one comes out on New Year’s Day), but I fell asleep. Embarrassingly predictable.

Slightly stressful, late night, last minute inventive wrapping endangered my eight hours (still vital despite crashing out on the sofa for a good hour and a half) but got it done just in time. Spilt a lot of fake snow onto Charlotte’s bedroom floor (by accident).

Christmas Day Part One (The Motherland):

Church! Carolothon #2. Congregation clapped us at the end. Felt choked. Reminded myself of Grandad.

More last minute wrapping. Tea. 

Pre-presents croissants and more tea. Soundtrack: The Military Wives Choir. Choked again.

Incredibly amazing and highly amusing efforts by all in the inventive wrapping competition, which turned more into an inventive wrapping ‘festival’ because we thought it might be too stressful to deem some people losers on what should be a day of joy. So funny and would highly recommend. Another tradition has been born. 

Post-presents tea, chocolate and general family loveliness.

Christmas Day Part Two (The Inlaws): 

Singing on the doorstep, hugs, love, tree and tea. :)

Pre-Christmas dinner drinks with presents, round two (lucky!)

EPIC Christmas dinner. Huge turkey. Wine. Turkey. Stuffing. Wine. Turkey. Stuffing. More turkey. More wine. More stuffing. Cheeseboard. Wine. LUSH.

Log fire, post-dinner drinks and girls vs. boys Trivial Pursuit, followed by Downton Abbey. Never watched it before, enjoyed it during the post dinner slump, not in a hurry to watch it again.

Boxing Day:

The Boxing Day Games. Walked up the hill to the village green to wear off the (some) turkey, which rendered my forehead disturbingly moist. Resolved to get fit in the new year. Not before. 

Mud. Mulled wine. Laughed at people making fools of themselves by falling over lots. Favourite game: the one where you spin yourself into a maniacal frenzy by running around a post ten times and then attempt to run dizzily back to your team. The only injury was to a small child, who got knocked off a hay bale, when one participant went enthusiastically, but uncontrollably, careering in the wrong direction. The overall winners bagged a photo in the Advertiser and were obviously delighted with the bragging rights. The cricket club team won the tug of war, ending the very long run of annual victories seen by the scout leaders. Much pride. The prestigious 'loo seat' trophy will be displayed for all to see in the clubhouse.

Delish lunch with friends, more wine and four highly competitive rounds of Articulate.

The Boyfriend well and truly unconscious at 7.30pm, after another afternoon of excess. 

Brief summary of the above: LOVED IT. :)


Sunday 11 December 2011

The Five Day Countdown

Reasons for wanting it to be the holiday NOW:

1) This last week of term is going to be, simply, MENTAL. Some bits will be fun (cannot wait for the teachers’ Vanilla Ice inspired rap in the school talent show – oh yes!) and some bits will not be fun (like keeping the kids grounded until 3.30pm on Friday, without anyone jumping out of the windows or requiring to be peeled off the ceiling), but ALL of it will leave me needing to sleep for a week.

2) Impending assessment doom means that this week’s workload has the potential to be horrific if I want to relieve the first week of the holiday.

3) We have Christmas personified, or, well, you know, tree-ified, delightfully twinkling in our living room. (There must be a real word for that…)

4) Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas, which is entirely LUSH and makes me want to sit and make Christmassy things from now until the 25th. I particularly desire a handmade vintage heart garland.

5) I'm feeling very unprepared because I still have Christmas presents to buy, cards to send and inventive wrapping to do, and am highly unlikely to sort it all out before the holiday.

6) Jamie’s Family Christmas – LOVE. Give me a bowl of crispy yet fluffy, garlic and rosemary infused roast potatoes now!

7) Much excitement for next weekend, which is going to be ACE: the CYCB Christmas Concert, a much needed haircut, Chris’s 18th birthday celebrations and Saints-Castres at The Gardens on Nay’s birthday. Can’t friggin wait.

8) Not watching ‘The Holiday’ in far too long is starting to give me withdrawal symptoms. I think the last time I watched it was last Christmas – how I’ve lasted out a whole year I have no idea! Anyway, it’s time to snuggle under the duvet and bring on Jude Law. Got to be a plan for next weekend.

9) The children have been hinting about Christmas presents they’ve bought me. My conscious effort to be nice may pay off!

10) And finally, I have much excitement for a lush Christmas Day with the fam, the village Boxing Day Games and merriment at New Year in Devon. 

Come on holiday, hurry up!