And how was it for you?

How was your Christmas? I'm trying to catch up with all the Christmas blog posts, those of my "friends" and some new ones. I know it's not over yet but I always think the few days between Christmas and New Year are the ones I enjoy most. The run up to Christmas always seems so hectic, especially this year as school seemed to finish so close to Christmas and I managed to develop a sore throat and sniffle just in time for the big day itself! The sore throat seems to have been brought on by my incessant talking to a friend one night (someone I hadn't managed to meet up with for over 3 years). We chatted A LOT, over the noise of a live band and by the following morning I had completely lost my voice. Not everyone saw that as a bad thing of course!

The builder continued to DIY his way around the house leaving a trail of mess & dust right up until Christmas Eve when we at last completed the shopping.

For the last few years we've created a new tradition of the 5 of us going up to Holt in north Norfolk, for Christmas Eve afternoon and early evening. It's a really pretty market town and is always decorated beautifully for Christmas. We stop at a posh coffee shop for a snack and then admire the lights before coming home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we drove home via a friend's house where we needed
 to do a present swap.
We arrived just in time to be whisked down

 the road to her brother-in-law's

where a little champagne get together was happening.

Now the house in question I've mentioned

 before here when we went to the Easter Egg hunt. 

They are all very eccentric and when visiting you never know whether to wear a ballgown or a pair of old, ill-fitting, trousers! Luckily I'm usually dressed in the latter and fitted in very well this time.

I chatted to a few vaguely familiar (slightly mad) people and at one point mentioned how difficult it was to find little Christmas stocking fillers for a 16 year old boy - one lady in the group suggested (in all seriousness) condoms!! I was a little taken aback to say the least, but they do live in a very different world to mine. She later went on to say they were spending Christmas Day with some friends in Sandringham - I was bursting to ask if it was the Queen!

Anyway home we came to prepare for the big day, just the 5 of us being unsociable and inviting no one to join us. The magic reindeer food was sprinkled in the driveway and the carrot and biscuit were left for the man himself (usually a mince pie but I haven't managed to make any yet!). The builder and I didn't make it to bed until 2am as none of the wrapping had been done

& I was still feeling under the weather.

Due to my Father Christmas's tiredness some of the gift tags were on the wrong things but no one seemed to worry! I do remember one Christmas Eve when we just had 2 little boys and had to assemble a climbing frame before the morning. Boys went to bed early and we thought we'd have a little time in front of the fire & tv, eating cheese & drinking port (I love port). Well we started to assemble the frame in the kitchen - picture the scene, fluffy dressing gown (me not husband), slippers, slightly (very) tipsy and a tool box. We didn't do too badly until we realised it wouldn't fit through the door - climbing frame dismantled and re assembled on the patio - port glass still in hand and still in dressing gown & slippers!! Lots of giggling that night!

But Father Christmas came and did his magic......

The gymnastic crash mat requested by Little Miss seemed to be a hit,

 and was mis-used by the kids all day, it's now the wrestling mat!

 

Little Miss beating up her brother who still has the price tags on his Christmas trousers!

 The presents were noticably smaller this year, we struggled to find things as all of their lists were basically sweets & "suprise me"!

Anyway we had a good day with lots of food and a little sparkly wine.

 No one else has been ill & I wasn't really too bad.

Just a few Christmas photos....



Daddy really wanted his face painted!

 

Happy New Year to all the bloggers I have already met (virtually) and those I look forward to "meeting" in 2013 - Have a great one!

With Love

Jay

xxx