Christmas

Despite the trauma of the dishwasher breaking down a couple of days before Christmas, we had the nicest C. Day I can remember for quite a long time. Everybody was happy, the girls were delightful and the present opening was fun. The only slight problem was that Jade was unwell - she'd had a heavy cold and cough and a high temperature for a couple of days and was still not too good. So she stayed in pyjamas all day and we didn't go out to church in the morning. Lunch was delayed as the turkey was not properly defrosted in time, so we didn't sit down to eat till nearly 4pm, but that's fairly traditional anyway, and it certainly was lovely when we got to eat it. Quite the tastiest roast dinner I've ever cooked, I think!

We weren't woken too early. Jade did wake at about 1.30am as she often does, came into our bed and said, "I think Santa's been - I felt my stocking and it's really full!", but I suggested she should go back to sleep and open it in the morning and she did! In the morning she was astonished because she said she "didn't sleep a wink all night" but still hadn't heard Santa arrive! And the night had gone really fast! So we weren't woken properly till about 7.30am - I suspect it won't be so respectable a time next year! Shannon was still asleep, so Jade opened her stocking in our bed and was really thrilled with everything, especially the Pooping Reindeer!

After Shannon woke and opened her small stocking gifts, we went downstairs and the children launched into the presents! We used to insist on a proper breakfast before opening only one or two gifts, and then out to church, and opening the rest after lunch, but all restraint was out of the window this year and it was all Bill and I could do to keep track of what was being received from whom in order to facilitate the thank-you letters! We didn't get to open our own gifts until the kids were mostly all done!

Particularly appreciated by Jade was the Dora pull-along overnight case:















which, fairly uniquely this Christmas, I paid full price for.

and for Shannon, the Duplo, which entertained her mid-morning for a good hour or more:















which came as gifts from Grandpa and Nanny (2 boxes) and a large box second-hand via Bill's work.

Also from Bill's work was Jade's other favourite:
















and, not photographed but enthusiastically played with by both girls was the Freecycled Fisher-Price Little People Royal Gift Set (this plus some extra buildings/pieces).

As for me, well I was very pleased with my replacement digital camera from DH, plus some MeatLoaf CDs, and he in turn was very happy with his dongle (I always want to blush at that word!) which turns a PC into a TV. And I even managed to keep smiling in the kitchen:















On Boxing Day we had a lovely muddy walk in the woods, all together, and today we've had a visit from my Dad and his wife Pat, so all in all a lovely time is being had, despite having to wash up by hand, grrrr!