Nothing but Christmas..

Felix went down for his nap this morning and I set myself up at my laptop, coffee to one side, phone to the other, radio on blaring out the Christmas tunes.  What should I write?  A few things popped into my head, there are a few child rearing type issues I want to write about.  Of course, there's Trendy Thursday, but that's a few days away yet.. But, I thought, at this time of year, all we really want to read about is Christmas!  Well.. most of us, anyway!  Who wants to read my thoughts on how Baby Led Weaning is going, or how Ethan is getting on with Felix these days.

So... that's it.  I give in.  I'm just going to blab on about Christmas for a bit.

You've seen the festive clothes.. we're all rocking them, almost on a daily basis now!  Ethan hasn't broken up from school yet, not until Friday, but there is definitely a more relaxed feeling at school.  The teachers are wearing Santa hats, there are decorations up.  He has a Christmas Party at school tomorrow morning and then I get to join him in the afternoon for a table decoration craft session.  Quite excited about that!  I love some one on one time with my big boy.

The tree has been up for two weeks.  It's dropping needles like a... well, like a tree that has been up rooted and stuck in a warm living room!! Thank goodness for my hand held vac.

Christmas cards are arriving in the post, despite the ever increasing costs.  I've even managed to send mine.

The presents have been bought but are yet to be wrapped.  When do you wrap yours?  Do you have a Christmas Eve mad wrapping session (ehem, tradition? ;-D).  Talking of traditions; what are yours?  I don't think we have many, but I suppose we do without really thinking about it.  The same decorations coming out each year.  There's this horrible singing Santa that my Mum bought us years ago that everyone hates... and yet, it comes out every year to torment us.  Many of our traditions are Christmas Eve based.  The boys will have new PJs (quite a few people do that!).  We sprinkle "reindeer food" for the reindeer in the garden.  We put out the plate of mince pies and sherry for Father Christmas and a carrot for the reindeer.  Love that someone has the job of drinking and eating (or at least biting at!) those.  I believe that always fell to my Dad as we were growing up.  Now I think Pete and my Dad share it (we always sleep at there house on Christmas Eve).

On Christmas morning, it's all about stocking opening.  One of my favourite memories of Christmas is a child is that feeling as you wake in the early morning.  The feeling of the heavy stocking lying on the bottom of your bed, maybe resting on top of your feet a little.  It was always so exciting!!  Growing up, my brother and I were always allowed to choose one present from under the tree after we'd opened our stockings, to "keep us going" until the big present unwrapping session.  I always got clothes for Christmas so I'd choose the parcel that felt the most like clothing in the hope that I'd be able to put my new clothes on!

Post Christmas lunch, we have a quiet time.  Before the Queen's speech.  I think it's the same for many of us!  As a child I would go up to my bedroom.  "Father Christmas" always bought me a new audio tape in my stocking so I would put that on and drift off.  Something like Rebecca or a new Dickens.  Lovely.

Do you have Christmas traditions?  I'd love to hear them!

I expect my blog will be quiet for a while now until January takes off.  I'm planning a Trendy Thursday for this week, a round up of some of my favourite outfits from the year from those who've linked up.  Apart from that though, I'm going to take a couple of weeks off.  Enjoy the time with my family and away from time keeping and deadlines.

So, I wish you and your family a very VERY merry Christmas. Enjoy.  Here's to 2014!!