A Merry Christmas Roundup

This will be my last post before Christmas, things are a bit hectic here; or do I mean fraught?! We've had a busy week when as usual best laid plans have gone up in a cloud of smoke!

Number 2 son finished school a week before the other 2 and his last day ends with a house music competition which is good fun to attend. As it was the night of my Book Group dinner I thought I'd be very organised and do hair & make up before the music competition - cue smug look at the other book group/school mum who hadn't been that organised! I knew I'd be tight for time so was all ready, that was until the torrential downpour as we left the school to walk 10 minutes to the carpark!! I had so much "product" (as the hairdresser would say - I don't really know what it means) in my hair that it was plastered to my face and then set solid!! A quick dampen down and blast with a dryer was all I had time for - at the end of the evening I noticed that it had gone very pouffey but it was too late by then and it may have been the wine affecting my eyesight! I'm afraid I took a lot of photos but none of myself - I'm not getting the hang of this blogging malarky yet am I?

As part of our Christmas get together we all take a mystery book and then choose one (hopefully not the one you put in) out of a lucky dip bag - lots of moans (pardon the pun!) when 50 shades of grey was unwrapped by one member (oops another unintentional pun!)!

During the course of the dinner I was waiting for the call from number 1 son about his cricket county trial - to be announced after 10pm we'd been told. As it turned out they decided to notify eveyone by email so the wait continued.

Well book dinner over I shopped and planned to clean the house and bake this week - best laid plans etc...etc  The builder decided he really could get the extension finished and we should buy a new sofa. I tried to explain that a houseful of dust was not part of my schedule but he assured me it would be fine - obviously it wasn't! Dust is everywhere and nothing has been cooked yet - and the work goes on.....

As for the sofa I assured him that these things had to be ordered nowadays but he knew better and has managed to purchase a job lot of furniture - ex display and delivered within 3 days! So the old 17 year old sofa - jumped on by three kids, regularly covered in puke and worse by three babies, slept on by various adults and stray cricketers had to go. I wouldn't fit through any doorways so was sawn up in the living room and carried out in bits - oh no, no mess involved in that!

And we had a series of Christmas events at Little Miss's primary school this week - "you won't miss any will you?" her sad little face asked - knowing I have a habit of forgetting everything these days. The Christmas production was, as usual, inspired! A fabulous version of Scrooge with the ghost of Christmas yet to come entering stage right (with his entourage) dancing gangnam style. It was superb; and Little Miss was wearing a slightly amended Victorian costume to the one I'd sent into school - the teacher thought she could improve on it apparently! I didn't think stapling the costume to her vest to keep it up was a bad idea.



Little Miss when she found out I'd left our raffle tickets at home!!

And number 2 son won £44 on the lucky square board - so a fish and chip tea followed.

Then on Tuesday the dreaded email arrived, sent accidently to an ancient email address and only found by luck - no, number 1 son was not successful this year and would not be playing County cricket in 2013. To say we were all gutted is an understatement. He's trialled since he was 10, and improved year on year, never quite good enough to make it though. This year he was down to the final 19 fighting for 14 squad places; and according to better qualified eyes than mine he was good enough. There are lots of politics involved though (and sometimes money!) and once we heard which 2 coaches had the final decision on who was in and who was not we knew it would not be us! He was the most upset he's ever been, mainly because he knew this year he had done enough to make the elite squad he wants to be a part of so much. He can have 2 more tries as the next year group is under 19's and he can have 2 shots at that. But the next 2 years involve A levels, university applications and then a possible move out of the County for Uni - so this really should have been his year. Thank you to those who kept their fingers crossed for him, your good wishes were very much appreciated.

Nevermind, as we have been reminded recently, if this is the worst thing that ever happens to him we will be forever grateful.

Now the last day at school/college for the other 2 children has been and gone; no cleaning has been done yet, no presents wrapped or delivered. The BIG food shop has yet to happen and I need to wash, iron, bake and do about 500 other things, but hey there's still plenty of time isn't there?? Please tell me there is!

We'll be spending Christmas Eve in the market town of Holt which is always decorated beautifully at Christmas time. Then we'll spend Christmas Day, just the 5 of us, at home.

Well it's my first Christmas as a blogger, I've loved getting to know lots of new friends - albeit all virtual friends and I'm lookimg forward to hearing about everyone's exploits in 2013.

Lots of love for a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2013, from our house to yours.

xxx