Keeping the festive Spirit

I am always tempted at this time of the year to take all the decorations down and stick the tree out for the recycling collection, as having had our decs up since the first Sunday in Advent, I am sick of the sight of them.

This year, despite the fact that Mike went back to work on Boxing \Day, I am keeping the decs and the tree up as the eldest two are still on their Christmas Holidays from school, and it is lovely having them home.

So the tree remains up, there is still loads of chocolate in the Christmas Cupboard (if we had not had stomach bugs there probably wouldn't be) no turkey left though, but very bored with that now.

Anyway, moving on to how we spent our Christmas.

Christmas Eve

My favourite day of Christmas.  We visited Mikes family in the morning, which was really nice, went into town to do some last minute Christmas Shopping.  I wanted to feel Christmassy so thought that being shoved, tutted at and barged out the way in the shops would add to the Christmas Spirit.  None of that though, as it was quite quiet.

In the afternoon we had a Christmas Buffet, got stuff ready for Santa, whilst tracking him on the web, and went to bed at a reasonable time, for once.

Christmas Day

Started at 5am. After that it was spent mainly in our living room, playing with the kids toys, with them of course, reading, eating chocolate, listening to new CD's, eating Pringles, watching TV, eating Just Brazils (tesco's own as the real ones were £5.99 for about 10) listening to Carols and of course Slade and Wizzard, eating Cranberry Cheese, having baths with new smellies, eating turkey and pickles,  sledging in the snow, roasting chestnuts over an open fire ...  oh, got a bit carried away there.

So a good time all round, no visitors, no visiting, and it was bliss.

Boxing day, as I said, Mike was working, a split shift an all.  He had Tuesday off, Holiday Tuesday as they call it, so we had our "Boxing Day" then.  Planned on going for a long walk somewhere, but couldn't be arsed, so stayed in and made a start on our selection boxes.

Presents - well the kids had loads, a mixture of bargains from Charity shops, mail order, tescos, and Lakeland (cooking stuff for Becky)

Mike and I didn't spend a lot on each other, plus we decided that we would only buy for the children in the family this year, which meant of course, that we didn't get any presents back.  Thanks to an unexpected gift of money on Christmas Eve, we were able to get ourselves something  which was a nice treat.

Looking forward the new year now, not sure why, I am dreading it really, but onwards and upwards as they say.

Lou x