So that was Christmas

So that was Christmas.

Christmas is almost a memory as we prepare for the new year and reflecting on this year’s festivities, I can sit back with a smug smile as it has been a really lovely few days.

The one thing that I love about Christmas is family. We are a fairly small family. Our little group of six and my mum and then a few days in Wales with the in laws.  But we love it.  It is a time when the teens give their devices a well-earned rest and they talk, play games, join in and even watch a bit of Chrimbo telly with us and it is amazing.

This year is our first Christmas as a dog-owning family. That added a few curveballs.  Liberty is beautiful but still a puppy at 7 months.  But, she is a  large puppy.  As a Labrador, she is almost fully grown now but she doesn’t know her own size or strength and she still loves bounding around and jumping on people’s heads, just as she did when she was small.  She also loves to eat ANYTHING.  And I mean anything.  So, the challenge was to go for minimal decoration and careful food preparation and storage to try and avoid her eating anything she shouldn’t.

I have firmly decided that Christmas Eve is my favourite day of all.  We have developed a couple of Christmas Eve traditions.  We start the day with a latish breakfast out at a well-known American-Italian diner, we spend some time chilling at home and then we go off to see a film at the cinema.  Sometimes, we have to split up at the cinema as it is quite difficult to find a film that appeals to a ten year-old girl and two teen boys. We end the day with a nice family meal, some board games and then preparations for the arrival of the big man himself. (Oh and I always finish my day with a bit of last minute wrapping that I have left until the last minute and every year I say I won’t do it again, but I always do!)

This year was particularly lovely.  Breakfast was a real treat.  We don’t go out to eat as a family very often now.  Partly because everyone is always busy and partly because it is rather expensive now with teens boys with hollow legs to feed.  Everyone was really relaxed and we played silly games as we munched on our delicious breakfasts. After a bit of time to let breakfast go down, we headed off to our local cinema to see the final Star Wars film. Our local cinema is amazing, it is an old-style cinema with very comfortable seats, lots of leg room and they even offer table service, so you can order food and drinks to be brought to your seats. It is always a treat to go there.

Star Wars went down well with everyone and then it was home for some more food, followed by some game time.  I invested in a new game this year called Slow Motion.  It consists of two headbands that have an electronic attachment that plays music as you move and beeps if you are going too fast.  Two players compete in a slow motion race to get to the trophy, go too fast and the beep means you have to stop.  Honestly, it is hilarious, we had so much fun with it. We also had a go at King Pong, which was nobody really liked as the game involves bouncing ping-pong balls into a box and the balls just went everywhere.  Finally, we dragged out an old favourite: Five Second Rule where you have to name three things from random categories in five seconds.  It is a brilliant game but SO frustrating as you can be given the simplest category and your mind just goes blank.

Christmas Day passed in a blur of presents, presents and lots and lots of lovely food.  I always make pancakes and then we have a late lunch.  The highlight of the day was Gavin and Stacey which we all sat and watched and loved.  It was brilliant. It is one of this programs that you can watch over and over and it was so lovely to see the characters ten years on.

Boxing Day is always the day we head down to Wales to see the other half of the family.  It was a bit of a flying visit this year as the males in the house were off to see a rugby match in Worcester on the 28th.  We managed to pack quite a lot into the small amount of time, including taking Liberty for her first ever visit to the beach.  She loved it.  We were worried that she might find it a bit strange but she was in her element and ran around like a complete lunatic for an hour and then slept for the rest of the day.

A quick trip home minus the smallest one and then back to Wales again on the 29th to pick up little miss from her grandparents and we spent the afternoon in Cardiff with friends at the Winter Wonderland.  Another yearly tradition now, the younger kids go ice skating and then they go on a few fair rides and we all stuff our faces yet again.

As the children get older, I always worry about Christmas but this year was really lovely.  Relaxed, chilled out, spending time with family and friends.  It doesn’t get much better than that.