Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Holidays are coming...!
Well, holidays are coming a little earlier than usual this year! X, Y and I are currently in a hotel at Gatwick Airport as tomorrow we will be on a 3 week tour of New Zealand, to visit ATM for Christmas, and my other friend, Fran for New Year, followed by a few days in Sydney :-) Best get some sleep before the epic journey commences....!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Peace
Well after a hectic few days of family, feasting, drinking, presents and general Christmas enjoyment I now have my house to myself again (excluding X and Y), and am enjoying some peace and quiet.
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Drunken bum
I apologise for any rambling posts over the weekend - I managed to get myself pissed, by myself, on 3 glasses of 15% dessert wine on Friday night and didn't get to bed until 2am, followed by my birthday pyjama party on Saturday, where accompanied by Lily, Disco, Suze and Jamie I proceeded to drink much more wine before falling into bed approximately 4am. In fact, as I'm typing this I can see the huge bags under my eyes reflected in the monitor!
So, to catch up briefly, had a night out to a Northern Soul and Funk night the Friday before last, where much stupid dancing was done, alongside laughing with the girls, and catching up with some old faces I haven't seen in a long time, which is always nice. So that, combined with this weekend of late nights, plus plans for a party Saturday night, followed by a night out next Friday, my social life is looking up but my pockets are looking emptier and my face is looking tireder. Never mind, I suppose I should make the most of the offers while they come.
Money has not been helped by the fact that Christmas is fast rolling round, which I absolutely love, and after 4 years, finally doesn't feel marred by the DM situation. I am having the family to me this year, for the first time, so there will be Little Sis and hubby staying Christmas Eve again, which was lovely last year, and then we will be joined by my Mum and Littlest Brother on Christmas Day - where hopefully my Mum will make sure we manage to eat an edible Christmas dinner!! For the first time ever, I think, I am really organised this year - nearly all my presents are bought, some of them wrapped, and I even have my food ordered online for delivery on 22nd December! I am feeling very smug about it all - though have to admit it's more need than planning, as I just don't have the disposable income to leave it all to the last minute like I usually do.
Not only is Christmas impacting, but maintenance from Y's dad has stopped completely, and for the foreseeable future as he has just been diagnosed with Schizophrenia at the grand old age of 40, and been sectioned under the Mental Health Act. I've had to tell Y, who is always backward at coming forward at the best of times, which has been awful, and we're just trying to make it a normality - because I'm assuming this is likely to be an ongoing issue that needs to become part of his life, and mine by default. I'm also trying to ignore the paranoia about how such things run in the family, and take faith in the fact that there is no other mental illness in his family and that they believe this has been brought on by long term alcohol dependency, which hopefully my Y will avoid! On top of that, my poor boy has A Level exams in January, in at least 3 of his 4 subjects, and he is struggling with that - so I guess the next month or two are not going to be easy going!
On the bright side, I am off for nearly a fortnight over Christmas, and I just can't wait!!
So, to catch up briefly, had a night out to a Northern Soul and Funk night the Friday before last, where much stupid dancing was done, alongside laughing with the girls, and catching up with some old faces I haven't seen in a long time, which is always nice. So that, combined with this weekend of late nights, plus plans for a party Saturday night, followed by a night out next Friday, my social life is looking up but my pockets are looking emptier and my face is looking tireder. Never mind, I suppose I should make the most of the offers while they come.
Money has not been helped by the fact that Christmas is fast rolling round, which I absolutely love, and after 4 years, finally doesn't feel marred by the DM situation. I am having the family to me this year, for the first time, so there will be Little Sis and hubby staying Christmas Eve again, which was lovely last year, and then we will be joined by my Mum and Littlest Brother on Christmas Day - where hopefully my Mum will make sure we manage to eat an edible Christmas dinner!! For the first time ever, I think, I am really organised this year - nearly all my presents are bought, some of them wrapped, and I even have my food ordered online for delivery on 22nd December! I am feeling very smug about it all - though have to admit it's more need than planning, as I just don't have the disposable income to leave it all to the last minute like I usually do.
Not only is Christmas impacting, but maintenance from Y's dad has stopped completely, and for the foreseeable future as he has just been diagnosed with Schizophrenia at the grand old age of 40, and been sectioned under the Mental Health Act. I've had to tell Y, who is always backward at coming forward at the best of times, which has been awful, and we're just trying to make it a normality - because I'm assuming this is likely to be an ongoing issue that needs to become part of his life, and mine by default. I'm also trying to ignore the paranoia about how such things run in the family, and take faith in the fact that there is no other mental illness in his family and that they believe this has been brought on by long term alcohol dependency, which hopefully my Y will avoid! On top of that, my poor boy has A Level exams in January, in at least 3 of his 4 subjects, and he is struggling with that - so I guess the next month or two are not going to be easy going!
On the bright side, I am off for nearly a fortnight over Christmas, and I just can't wait!!
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Seasonal shenanigans
So, I've been away for a while, time to catch up on the festive period I guess!
Christmas Day started with an early morning call from X at around 5.30am, which was (just about) delayed until 8am when I fuinally succumbed to getting out of bed! We have a Christmas Day rule in our house that nobody is allowed downstairs until everybody is up and dressed, and no presents are opened (excepting their stockings and the present on their bed from Father Christmas) until after we have all had breakfast. As such, we managed to make present opening last until about 11am, and then set off to collect my littlest little brother from worktown, before setting off to spend the rest of the day at my little sister's in Oxford, along with biggest little brother, mum and her partner. The journey there was pretty uneventful, and much teasing of the encountered RAF boys on the base ensued, before getting to my sister's, whose small house was positively brimming with unopened presents, opened presents and the debris from the latter!
I had a pretty good haul this year, including; new hair straighteners, cool Ug type boots, several new CD's, a bottle of Advocaat, Robbie Williams calender, some nice smellies, new cordless house phones, and a lovely bracelet from Y, which is an Argos copy of the Links of London sweetie bracelet I wanted. Bless him!
The rest of the day was fabulously festive, and Christmas dinner was positively scrummy! I haven't seen biggest little brother for 2 years, so it was great to catch up with him as well as the rest of the family crowd, and it felt like a real family Christmas this year, including the obligatory teasing, provoking and loudness from us all together. Both X and Y were well behaved, and apart from an hour being lost at 11pm at night after leaving, the day was great.
Boxing Day was a more local, and quieter affair, with a slower start to the morning and then a short trip to my growing up town, to spend the day with my dad, his partner, her grandson and littlest little brother again. Much quieter, (with some lovely boiled ham and cheese sauce on the menu), but a nice relaxed day nonetheless.
More travelling on Thursday, as we set off to mate Mick's, in Manchester. We didn't set off until late afternoon, as he was working, but the traffic was just dreadful. Finally arrived about 6pm, and cajoled him into ordering pizza in as we hadn't managed to stop off on the way to eat. After being shown round his new home, settled the kids to bed and then settled down for an evening of wine, chatting and more chatting. Suddenly found it was 2.30am and I had drunk nearly a whole bottle of wine, without feeling slightly pissed (a miracle for me!), and then made the mistake of finishing the bottle and feeling bladdered! Finally staggered up to to bed around 3.30am!
Friday was spent mooching in the morning before heading off for the Trafford Centre, where more mooching occurred before a really rubbish meal in an 'American Diner', and then more mooching! Headed out of there around 5pm and sat for literally 45mins in the car park without even moving an inch!! Fortunately, X and Y managed to amuse themselves by guessing the flavour of Jelly Beans in the back seat and after a decision to exit the other way, followed by an illegal U-turn we finally managed to escape the car park around 6pm! More putting the world to rights in the evening, with less wine but a box of chocolates, and a much more reasonable bedtime! Mick was working again Saturday, so we set off home again pretty early and managed to get back in good time. It was lovely to see him, as I haven't seen him since he came up for a wedding in August, but I was glad to be home and be able to relax properly for the next few days.
And relax we did! Sunday and Monday were spent at home doing pretty much nothing! Managed to chat to JTRC for rather longer than her phone bill would like, but other than that I didn't do very much at all.
So New Years Eve had rolled around, and we were lucky enough to all be invited to Lily's for an evening of food, friends and copious amounts of Nintendo Wii playing, christened by ourselves as New Years Wiive! Lily had made some fabulous chilli, and other yummy delights and Mr Lily had set up the conservatory with the Wii projected onto the wall, so there was lots of room for kids (and adults!) to compete! Not the craziest of evenings, but really good nonetheless, and considering the number of children (and the fact mine were there!) there was no squabbling or upset at all. All managed to stay awake for NY countdown, (including X - just about!) and we finally got home at 1.30am.
Another year is here I guess...
Christmas Day started with an early morning call from X at around 5.30am, which was (just about) delayed until 8am when I fuinally succumbed to getting out of bed! We have a Christmas Day rule in our house that nobody is allowed downstairs until everybody is up and dressed, and no presents are opened (excepting their stockings and the present on their bed from Father Christmas) until after we have all had breakfast. As such, we managed to make present opening last until about 11am, and then set off to collect my littlest little brother from worktown, before setting off to spend the rest of the day at my little sister's in Oxford, along with biggest little brother, mum and her partner. The journey there was pretty uneventful, and much teasing of the encountered RAF boys on the base ensued, before getting to my sister's, whose small house was positively brimming with unopened presents, opened presents and the debris from the latter!
I had a pretty good haul this year, including; new hair straighteners, cool Ug type boots, several new CD's, a bottle of Advocaat, Robbie Williams calender, some nice smellies, new cordless house phones, and a lovely bracelet from Y, which is an Argos copy of the Links of London sweetie bracelet I wanted. Bless him!
The rest of the day was fabulously festive, and Christmas dinner was positively scrummy! I haven't seen biggest little brother for 2 years, so it was great to catch up with him as well as the rest of the family crowd, and it felt like a real family Christmas this year, including the obligatory teasing, provoking and loudness from us all together. Both X and Y were well behaved, and apart from an hour being lost at 11pm at night after leaving, the day was great.
Boxing Day was a more local, and quieter affair, with a slower start to the morning and then a short trip to my growing up town, to spend the day with my dad, his partner, her grandson and littlest little brother again. Much quieter, (with some lovely boiled ham and cheese sauce on the menu), but a nice relaxed day nonetheless.
More travelling on Thursday, as we set off to mate Mick's, in Manchester. We didn't set off until late afternoon, as he was working, but the traffic was just dreadful. Finally arrived about 6pm, and cajoled him into ordering pizza in as we hadn't managed to stop off on the way to eat. After being shown round his new home, settled the kids to bed and then settled down for an evening of wine, chatting and more chatting. Suddenly found it was 2.30am and I had drunk nearly a whole bottle of wine, without feeling slightly pissed (a miracle for me!), and then made the mistake of finishing the bottle and feeling bladdered! Finally staggered up to to bed around 3.30am!
Friday was spent mooching in the morning before heading off for the Trafford Centre, where more mooching occurred before a really rubbish meal in an 'American Diner', and then more mooching! Headed out of there around 5pm and sat for literally 45mins in the car park without even moving an inch!! Fortunately, X and Y managed to amuse themselves by guessing the flavour of Jelly Beans in the back seat and after a decision to exit the other way, followed by an illegal U-turn we finally managed to escape the car park around 6pm! More putting the world to rights in the evening, with less wine but a box of chocolates, and a much more reasonable bedtime! Mick was working again Saturday, so we set off home again pretty early and managed to get back in good time. It was lovely to see him, as I haven't seen him since he came up for a wedding in August, but I was glad to be home and be able to relax properly for the next few days.
And relax we did! Sunday and Monday were spent at home doing pretty much nothing! Managed to chat to JTRC for rather longer than her phone bill would like, but other than that I didn't do very much at all.
So New Years Eve had rolled around, and we were lucky enough to all be invited to Lily's for an evening of food, friends and copious amounts of Nintendo Wii playing, christened by ourselves as New Years Wiive! Lily had made some fabulous chilli, and other yummy delights and Mr Lily had set up the conservatory with the Wii projected onto the wall, so there was lots of room for kids (and adults!) to compete! Not the craziest of evenings, but really good nonetheless, and considering the number of children (and the fact mine were there!) there was no squabbling or upset at all. All managed to stay awake for NY countdown, (including X - just about!) and we finally got home at 1.30am.
Another year is here I guess...
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Monday, December 24, 2007
Traditions
After a hectic week of preperations (and too many meals for any one person!) I have been remarkably prepared this year. For the first time that I can remember, all my presents (excepting the ones for X and Y from Santa) were wrapped by Friday - as opposed to all my wrapping being done Christmas Eve, usually until about 2am!
Since Y was born, although we put our decorations up about a week or so before Christmas, we have always left putting our tree up until Christmas Eve. When the kids were small it was great for them to go to bed with the normal decorated house, and wake up with the whole shebang - tree, lights, presents! As they've got bigger, it's become a part of our Christmas Eve preperations, and the single most important family tradition we have. Sourcing the tree, getting it home, setting it up, decorating it, putting the presents out. This year I had actually bought the tree yesterday, and done most of my shopping, so today, apart from a trip to Sainsburys for a few extra bits, has been spent making Christmas crackers, sorting out the tree, watching Christmas family films, visits from Disco and then later Bea, eating nibbles and generally not much else. Which I have to say, has been lovely.
So, now both of my babies are settled in their beds, the house is clean (for the most part), the tree is up, and apart from the pile of presents for the stocking and the one present each from Santa that needs to be wrapped (you have to, of course, buy different wrapping paper and keep it hidden so no suspicions!) there is little else for me to do!
Tomorrow I am off to my sisters in Oxford, to spend Christmas afternoon and evening with my mum, her partner, my two brothers, my sister and of course, X and Y, followed by Boxing Day with my dad and partner, and then away to mate Mick's from Thursday to Saturday. All of which I am looking forward to. But, to be honest, sitting here clean from the bath, in just the tree and window lights, with "20 Years of Christmas Number 1's" on the telly and everything nearly ready for tomorrow is probably the best part of my Christmas.
Long may the tradition continue.
Since Y was born, although we put our decorations up about a week or so before Christmas, we have always left putting our tree up until Christmas Eve. When the kids were small it was great for them to go to bed with the normal decorated house, and wake up with the whole shebang - tree, lights, presents! As they've got bigger, it's become a part of our Christmas Eve preperations, and the single most important family tradition we have. Sourcing the tree, getting it home, setting it up, decorating it, putting the presents out. This year I had actually bought the tree yesterday, and done most of my shopping, so today, apart from a trip to Sainsburys for a few extra bits, has been spent making Christmas crackers, sorting out the tree, watching Christmas family films, visits from Disco and then later Bea, eating nibbles and generally not much else. Which I have to say, has been lovely.
So, now both of my babies are settled in their beds, the house is clean (for the most part), the tree is up, and apart from the pile of presents for the stocking and the one present each from Santa that needs to be wrapped (you have to, of course, buy different wrapping paper and keep it hidden so no suspicions!) there is little else for me to do!
Tomorrow I am off to my sisters in Oxford, to spend Christmas afternoon and evening with my mum, her partner, my two brothers, my sister and of course, X and Y, followed by Boxing Day with my dad and partner, and then away to mate Mick's from Thursday to Saturday. All of which I am looking forward to. But, to be honest, sitting here clean from the bath, in just the tree and window lights, with "20 Years of Christmas Number 1's" on the telly and everything nearly ready for tomorrow is probably the best part of my Christmas.
Long may the tradition continue.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
