The Perfect Christmas?

I think that the Christmases I grew up with were perfect.  Mom made a cooked breakfast of scrambled eggs, homemade hash browns, bacon, and she sprinkled cinnamon in the coffee maker.  We would open presents and stockings, taking turns.  Each present in the stocking was wrapped in paper, adding to the anticipation and excitement.  We then went to Mass where I sang in the choir.  Then off to Dad's house where we had mounds of presents and tons of relatives.  Food, the fire, and family games like Trivial Pursuit kept us entertained for hours. 

My family seems so very far away now that I am living in the UK and they are mostly back in the USA.  Sure, I get a phone call or two, but it isn't quite the same.  It does occur to me that even if I was there, I might not experience Christmas in quite the same way as I did back then.  Holiday treveling, especially with small children might not be so appealing anyway.  Being grown up often means a lot more cooking, cleaning, and paying the enormous bills for it all.  Oh, it is all too easy for me to fall  in the trap of negativity. 

So in planning my perfect Chrsitmas this year, I took a look at what we have.  I have me, a five year old, and an 8 month old baby.  (Daddy is working on the 24 and 25th this year).  I have a few things for our stockings, a great Christmas tree.....and two days on our own, with little interruption. (OK, this seemed a tiny bit depressing a week ago, but today it seems like a nice break from the hustle and bustle).

So here is how we are spending it:

We woke at 6.  Well, my son woke earlier and I distracted him in the kitchen with some breakfast until his father got up for work.  Then we opened our stockings.  I then took a hot bath with scented body wash.  Then I got into clean pajamas and my new slipper socks.  (OK, this is partly for the luxury of spending more time in pajamas, but mostly because I am REALLY behind with the laundry.)

We have been playing really.  Yesterday we made gingerbread and a snowflake garland.  We also tried out our new Party Penguin which makes snow cones.  And tucked into our gingerbread.  I was half intending to go to church, but I had to lend my car to the Other Half since his car wouldn't start.

Simple homemade garland is a fun activity and adds the festive touch!



He has been playing for hours---completely ignoring all of the Christmas movies on the television!



Gingerbread barn and animals

I don't have a great big meal planned.  We don't care for turkey, anyway.  And tomorrow we will have some roast lamb (raised here on the farm), with roasted winter veg.

Christmas Decorations 2010

I can remember going through a phase as a teenager when I thought holiday decorations were clutter.  A waste of time, money and space.  What was I thinking?  I love my tree.  It is a fake one.  I can put it up when I want and keep it up as long as I want and we have relatively few dropped needles.  I also like that it does not go to waste.  Even with shredding schemes popping up around the country I can't help but feel that real trees waste money and I hate chopping trees down.  But to each their own.

My living room already has touches of red and green, so these Christmas decorations fit right in.  I use a plaid ribbon as a garland.  It is cheaper and sturdier.  My son helped me with the decorations this year and since we have put it up the cats remove ornaments almost daily.  So we get a new tree every day as we redecorate it.

I put the stockings on the stairs because we have to use our fireplaces every day.

A medieval style trencher I purchased at an English Civil War Re-enactment a few years ago.  I fill it with baubles from Poundland.  I usually pop a glass bowl of floating candles in the middle.  But I find candles and kids don't mix all that well.

I made this as a baby quilt a few years ago.  I found a new use for it instead.

My friend brought me this lovely wooden bowl from Zambia.  It sits in my living room year round and gets the festive touch from baubles.