The Saturday before the Saturday before Christmas is one of the highlights of our year.
Each year we are so fortunate to celebrate our family Christmas before the hustle and bustle really sets in. Growing up, this holiday was always a bone of contention with my parents. For years we spent Christmas with my mother's parents with very little regard for my dad's family. I'm pretty sure that experience is what my Dad considered when we all went off and got married and had families of our own. Years ago, he and my step-mum decided our family would celebrate Christmas on another date so as not to create conflict with any other plans. After all, Christmas is just a day. One to be celebrated surrounded by love and family.
Along with my four sisters we bundle up our combination of spouses, children, step-children, parcels, presents and stories, get all dressed up and head over to the same dining room we've been enjoying delicious food, great wine, steadily-improving entertainment for the last decade or more. There is certainly something to be said for tradition!
I always try to find something to give my sisters that gave me some challenge or joy through the year. This year my original order is more than a bit late, so I've run out and picked up copies of:
which I have thoroughly enjoyed. Well, I've enjoyed so far. Am I crazy to give away great books before I've read the end? Probably. But that's just the way it is, today!
Now that all the cousins are getting older, I've put my kids in charge of choosing the gifts. I always used to get them a set of pajamas and a book - you know, the top book for their age range for the year. Thank goodness for those lists! The other day my kids came home with:
a cat, a beaver, an owl, a giraffe, a lion, a cow, a pig, and a tiger to add to the festivities! They are very cute, and hugely warm. Fingers crossed that everyone enjoys their gifts and they don't receive so much they have to pay for extra baggage for their trips home!
We are all so looking forward to this evening. The kids have all of their snazzy outfits are pressed and ready. We just have to get through Claire's science exam, Chloe's dress rehearsal and performance, Cole and Caden's hockey practices. Then the fun begins!
Oh, and a reminder, today is 12of12. Be sure to be taking your photos! I can't wait to see what you did all day.
ETA: It's 11:30 and I've finished and THOROUGHLY enjoyed the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It was wonderful from beginning, middle and end. So glad I chose to give this to my family. Just wonderful.
