And that was Christmas!

Happy 2020! I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and New Year? I’ve been offline as much as possible for a couple of weeks, just enjoying a slightly slower pace of life and some quality time with the kiddos. I hardly even took any photos – a few, but I’m finding that I want to be more present rather than viewing our lives from behind a camera all of the time.

My Mama came to stay for a week over Christmas, along with her dog. My eldest brother brought her on the Sunday before Christmas, so we had a big meal with them both, and he stayed the night. It’s lovely having family over visiting, times like Christmas is when I most miss not living close to them all. I don’t see anywhere near as much of family as I’d like to. I wish we were all closer, my brothers and sister and I aren’t especially close and it’s something that makes me sad. I’d love to have a tighter knit family.

Still, it was fab having them here while they were, and the kiddos were so excited to have their Gramsie here for Christmas. It was as hectic and noisy and fun as you’d expect with a houseful. The littler kiddos were very excited, Oren had no clue what was going on bless him! There was time with friends, and last-minute preparation in the days before Christmas. Veggies to be prepared, last-minute gifts to be sorted, lots of laughter and lots of fun.

I was awake around half six, wondering if anyone else would wake up soon… I texted on our family WhatsApp group just after seven and thankfully Miss Kiki was awake and came to join me. Baya and Beastie came in just after half past and then we slowly made a move to wake up the remaining folk!

Nothing ever beats seeing the look of pure joy on the kiddos faces when they walk into the living room on Christmas morning and see all their gifts. I know it’s not all about presents BUT it is nice to be able to treat them to some of what they wish for. They’re not kids who demand lots of material stuff all year long, and I don’t see anything wrong with treating them sometimes.

The morning was a flurry of gift opening, pan au chocolat eating, and bucks fizz drinking. The big fours Dad called in with his gifts and stayed for a cheeseboard lunch.

In the afternoon, one of my best friends and her son came over so I fed nine of us for Christmas Dinner – and boy was it good. Nothing I love more than a full house, bustling with people and laughter and excitement!

By the time they left in the evening we were all exhausted. We snuggled on the sofas, opened our stockings, ate chocolate and watched Gavin and Stacey.

Post-Christmas was spent eating all the food, playing with new toys, drinking the wine and enjoying my mama being here, and the kiddos not having a zillion groups on. Beastie’s birthday and a festive meal at a friends house topped it all off. We had a good week of not really doing anything other than just being. And oh was it heaven!