Friday 26 December 2008

'God bless us, every one...'

It's Boxing Day, and I feel as if I have nothing to say.  Other than 'one more wafer-mint M. Creosote'?  Also, I am at my parents and struggling with the Apple Mac which, since I am not used to it, is giving me a REALLY HARD TIME and refusing to show me where the hash key is, how to cut and paste, and quite simply not being very friendly, so apologies in advance for the rubbish quality of this post...

Instead of anything interesting then, I bring you a couple of lists, because that is all I feel capable of...


1.  Things you don't want to happen on Christmas Eve...

For Father Christmas to forget to deliver the pillow-cases full of gifts to the foot of your sons' beds.  (This didn't happen - she remembered, but only just).

To find that the time honoured family tradition of posting letters to Santa up the chimney is a no-go due to the new flue above the fire-place fitted by your parents (this was dealt with by leaving the letter on the tree for him to see when he picked up his cookies and carrot for the reindeer).

To spend the 2 hour journey to your parents drawing up a mental list of all the things you forgot to pack: Boy *1's pyjama's.  Your glasses.  The potty.  The fancy-schmancy chocolates you bought for your parents.  The video of Boy *1's school play (actually, I think that was a Freudian slip).  Your vitamins.  The dvd's you were relying on to keep your sons happy when the shine wore off the presents.  Your sons' wellington boots (my parents live in the country).  Your wellington boots (so long, new shoes).  And so on...

To spend an hour and a half on Christmas Eve evening at the Childrens' Service in your parents' parish church, be gathering up your things to leave after the longest Christmas mass you can remember, and then have the priest say:  "The older members of our congregation may remember the custom of having an additional gospel at the end of the Vigil service.  I thought this was a good time to reintroduce it..." and have him launch into it when your kids are dead on their feet and frankly, cross-eyed with boredom.  Pretty much as you are yourself...  

To have your husband, still half-asleep, watching your boys open the pillow-case from Father Christmas, say "I think you might have bought the wrong DVD - I'm not sure that's the right one."  And then, when you say in shock and disbelief "I'm sorry.  What are you talking about?" because of course you didn't buy anything, Santa did, have him repeat himself.   Before you were forced to kill him to stop him saying it a third time, he then caught on and rescued the situation by talking about the dvd you had bought your brother. Luckily Boys *1 and *2 were so wrapped up in breaking into their chocolate (before breakfast!  Hurrah!)  I think we got a way with it - though only time will tell if we actually did...


2.  Things you do want to happen at Christmas

To see your sons wide-eyed excitement when they creep downstairs first thing in the morning to tell you there has been a delivery of mysterious looking pillow cases to the end of their beds.

To watch them empty the pillow-case out on your bed and sift through the contents in amazement.

To be able to watch your older Boy's face light up with wonder when he finds the plate full of cookie crumbs, a chewed stump of carrot, and a reindeer footprint left on the letter he wrote to Father Christmas all next to the present-laden tree.

To spend time with your family enjoying childish jokes and shared reminiscences.

To know just how lucky you are to be able to experience and enjoy all of this.

And then to sit, practically wetting yourself, watching this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5qyJpAn2Wc


11 comments:

  1. A reindeer footprint! What a great idea ... I'll try to remember that for next year.

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  2. I know what you mean about forgetting stuff, my mind likes to list it all out minutes from walking out the door, usually late with not enough time to return. Sounds like you had an awesome Christmas!

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  3. My son keeps saying 'can you phone Santa and ask him where he got my marbles/game/top from so I can buy some more with me Christmas money'.

    Sure, I have Santa on speed dial!

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  4. It sounds fabulous Potty. Hee hee. And the reindeer footprint is definitely inspired. Happy Christmas. :D

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  5. How did you survive without the wellingtons? Did your new shoes take a beating?

    Those poor kids had to sit through a Christmas Mass that long? That was a very selfish long winded priest. Church shouldn't be boring to kids. Why should they be made to dislike it so? Sorry...pet peeve.

    Sounds like you had a good Christmas, though, but you are glad it is done, aren't you? I hope you have a few days to relax until new year's and then out with a bang.

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  6. GBS - yes, potato printers are us...

    SB, I'm afraid it's a condition of motherhood. Forgetting things...

    Tara, sounds like your son has you rumbled...?

    Jo, it was great - and see my comment to GBS for how to do the reindeer footprint!

    Irene, totally agree with you on the service, it was the height of self-indulgence on his part. And we're still here (in the country), luckily it's cold rather than wet, so less mud around than usual. We haven't missed the wellingtons too much and my shoes are still in one piece.(For now)

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  7. I think I will have to do the pillowcase thing next year. I wrap every one of my kids' presents and it takes forever. It's great watching them rip the paper of them all though!

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  8. That is such a great idea with the pillowcases and how cute they must have looked! Sounds like a great Christmas Day for all of you!

    Good save on the Santa stuff! Husbands! I swear!

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  9. My husband left every single price label on our daughter's stocking presents... so I had to think up absurdly ridiculous reasons why he did... with husband just looking on fondly and smiling... AAARRRGGGHHH.
    Bless.

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  10. EPM, I love my Boys. Really. But wrap their Santa Claus presents as well as the ones that are under the tree? No way, jose...

    J's Mommy, well, it would have looked cute if I had organised myself as I planned to and sorted out Christmas pillowcases. Ah well, next year I will applique Rudolph onto a plain white pillow case, I promise. This year though they had to make to do with a couple removed from spare pillows in our room because my parents were already in bed when I remembered, and the airing cupboard with all the linen in is - you guessed it - in their bedroom...

    LW Mother. Men. GAAAAAAH!

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  11. Award for you at mine! Come over and pick it up!

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