Christmas 2009
Christmas 2009
I was very organised this Christmas, more so than any other Christmas and I loved it!
I’m already planning for next Christmas and I bought my first Christmas present a few days ago.
I also got some bargains…… 3 rolls of wrapping paper that had been reduced to 50p per roll for 10 meters. A box of 12 Christmas crackers for £1.50. 3 extra large gift bags, the kind the kids put out on Christmas Eve for Santa to fill with presents. They were only 40p each. They’re usually 80p each or 2 for £1.50. This year it cost me £2.30 for 3 bags and I’ve got next year’s for only £1.20
So, back to this Christmas.
We decorated the tree and put the garlands up on the first Saturday in December.
We always let the kids decorate the tree. It always looks full of tinsel and ornaments and usually looks a little lopsided, but we never change it. We’re not bothered by how it looks, we just love watching the children getting excited about Christmas when the tree decorating starts.
We put the usual angel on top but the last week, Ella came home from nursery with an angel she’d made so we put that one on the tree instead.
The children all put their own ornaments on the tree. Ever since Aiden’s first Christmas, I’d bought him a tree decoration every year and carried on the tradition with KayCee and Ella so they’ve all got their own tin that holds their own tree ornaments. They love putting them on the tree.
Christmas activities
We had the children home for 2 weekends at the beginning of December (they usually go to Aiden’s Dad’s on weekends) because Aiden had Chloe and Stuart’s birthday parties to go to.
We took advantage of this extra free time and did loads of Christmas activities with the kids.
Aiden, KayCee and Ella each made pastry and made mince pies, lemon curd tarts, and jam tarts.
While Aiden was at one of his parties, KayCee, Ella and I decorated some jars with brown, green and red paper. We cut diamond shapes in the paper and then wrapped it around the jars. We put a tea light in each then went out and collected some greenery to put on the window sill with the jars. They looked wonderful when Ant lit them. We found out, though, that we needed jars with wider necks because the tea lights kept going out!
We didn’t bother lighting them after that day, but they still looked lovely in the window.
Ella and Kaycee also made some paper chain decorations. KayCee couldn’t wet them enough to make them stick so we got Ella to stick her tongue out and we wiped the paper chains on her tongue to get them wet, (she’s going through the dribbling stage!). We found it very funny!
Wrapping presents
They all loved wrapping up Christmas presents for Daddy and they used loads of ribbons and bows. The presents looked lovely.
They also did a great job at writing their Christmas cards. This was the first Christmas that KayCee was able to write her own name and copy other names. She wrote all her own Christmas cards.
We watched some Christmas movies, drank hot chocolate with marshmallows and generally had a wonderful time together.
Illness
I got a cold on the second week the kids were home and Ant was taken back into hospital with chest pains that week (he was in the hospital in November after having a heart attack on his dad’s birthday) so that week was quite hard on me.
The kids missed Daddy. I missed Daddy but couldn’t go and see him as much as I wanted to because I was ill.
Thankfully, the children all entertained themselves on Saturday and by Sunday I was feeling a lot better.
Ant came home on Saturday and we all went to Nanny’s Christmas party on Sunday.
We all love going to Nanny’s at Christmas. We don’t get to see much of Ant’s side of the family throughout the year so it’s great to get together, exchange gifts and enjoy all the delicious food Nanny always does.
More illness
The following weekend I went to Derbyshire with the kids because I’d made a birthday cake for Lilly and a christening cake for Lucas.
I took the cake round to Stacy’s when I got there Friday night and found them all poorly so the party was cancelled.
I met my beautiful new nephew for the first time and got to have a snuggle then I went to our Jays, where I was staying for the weekend.
While there, my throat started hurting when I swallowed. I figured it was probably due to the cold I’d just had and thought it would probably be gone by the morning.
Next morning it was extremely painful and my voice was very croaky.
I went to our Stacy’s for some lunch and a piece of the cake I’d made. I must say, it was very tasty! then I went round to Jeff’s for the rest of the day.
We had a Chinese at our Jay’s that evening, but I couldn’t enjoy it as much as I usually would because of the throat infection.
It was getting harder to talk and I was dreading the night ahead because I knew I wasn’t going to get much sleep. The pain kept waking me the night before.
Christening
I was supposed to be going to Lucas’ christening on Sunday but when I got up Sunday morning, my voice had totally gone and I felt terrible.
At Jeff’s, Rachel was there and I mouthed to her that I was really sorry, but I wasn’t able to go to the christening because I was too ill.
She liked the cake I’d made so I was very pleased about that. It was the first christening cake I’d made and I was quite proud of it!
I spent the day at Jeff’s and looked forward to going home that afternoon. It snowed quite a lot and I was worried that we wouldn’t be able to get home. Jeff said not to worry and he got us home safely.
I was very disappointed at missing the christening. I was upset that my weekend with my family had been ruined because of illness.
Christmas
Thankfully, I was better by Christmas Eve and we had a wonderful day together.
It was our turn to have Aiden for Christmas. I was really happy to have all my children around me. I don’t like it when Aiden’s not with us for Christmas although I know it’s only fair he gets to spend some Christmases with his dad. It’s important for both of them because they’re very close.
We didn’t do anything special, just enjoyed being together.
In the evening, they had a bath then went back downstairs. Daddy gave them each a Christmas Eve present and they were really excited because they could open them straight away! They all had a new pair of Christmas pajamas and they looked lovely in them.
We then put the carrot out for Rudolph and a mince pie and glass of milk for Santa. We went outside so they could sprinkle the reindeer dust over the lawn to make sure the reindeer knew where to come.
They all slept in the same room, just like I used to do with John, James, and Stacy when we were younger.
I read, ‘The Night Before Christmas’ to them and we sang some Christmas songs before they went to sleep.
Ant and I spent a lovely relaxed evening watching tv and drinking Baileys.
Christmas Day
The next morning, I woke around 6 and Ant got up about half past. After our coffee, he went to wake the children, who were still fast asleep! They opened the presents out of their stockings while upstairs then came down to open their other presents.
I helped Ella, Ant helped KayCee and Aiden didn’t need help!
It was wonderful to see them so happy. I just love Christmas and dread them growing up.
We had a lovely Christmas dinner then we spent the afternoon playing with new toys. KayCee, Ella and I made perfume with KayCee’s perfume maker.
Ant and Aiden did something with Aiden’s weather station (have no idea what lol), and then Ant watched some of his ‘Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy’ DVD that I bought him.
I then made a buffet tea and Grandad, Kellyann, Jervais and Jerome came round just after 4 pm.
We had a great time. We put some Christmas music on and the kids showed them what they’d had for Christmas.
It was finally time for bed, after what had been a very long but wonderful day 🙂
