Four sleeps to go........

Hi !
Just wanted to pop in and say hello to everyone........it has been a busy week!  Pre-Christmas lunches with extended family, shopping, wrapping presents, more shopping and gearing up for the end of the primary school year.  Phew!  And work is always present, my part time job keeps me at the desk four days a week.

I hope you are all ready and looking forward to this year's Christmas.  For me, it is my favourite time of year.  I get to spend time with my embarrassingly (is that a word?) LARGE family and that suits me just fine.  They are, after all, my favourite people in the whole wide world and we always have a laugh.......quite often at my expense!  Hugs and kisses are always plentiful in our family, we are quite a close bunch.  Plus the never ending sound of toddlers squealing, giggling and inevitably getting into squabbles, ending up in tears and screams......much to my Dad's horror!!  Noisy little critters they are!

On Christmas morning, we all pile down to Dad's house for the annual Christmas breakfast.  My Mum and her partner come along too and I love having Christmas morning with both of my parents, so special!  We try to get there about 9am or even earlier sometimes.  There are always stragglers coming in late and we wait until everyone has arrived, then been fed and then Dad plays Father Christmas for us all.  Breakfast consists of leg ham on toast......a tradition we have always had, ever since I can remember.  We also get ham croissants, fruit and champagne (added bonuses from my step mum!).   Dad had a custom-built recreation room to cater for the family occasions, so we all squeeze in......JUST!  After we have had a belly full of yummy Christmas brekkie, my favourite part begins......seeing my Dad pop his Father Christmas hat on and start dishing out the prezzies!  Now in case you think it is the presents that I look forward to in this part, you would be wrong.  It is the smile on my Dad's face as he hands out the presents that is the real gift.  I cherish it and have many a photo of him in his red and white hat.  After all the frivolity and food, we all hang around for a cup of cappuccino or hot chocolate, then head off to our other engagements for the day.  We usually have another family meal at someones place, either lunch or dinner.  This year I have three family dinners, so I will roll home at the end of the day!!   My partner will tolerate only two of my family get togethers, who can blame him (we are VERY LOUD and boisterous), and always slinks off to the golf course for a round of golf at lunchtime.  I call him "the island".....ha ha.  Very much his own man and likes his own company....

So now you have a rundown of our lovely Christmas mayhem.......what do you do on Christmas Day??

Cheers,

Jodie
MPHxx