This is my favourite time of year and Christmas is literally the best of the 365/6 days we get every year. I love it and so does The Husband but the lead up to the day is all part of the enjoyment.
So since we last met I have taken Long Service Leave to extend my Christmas season! 7 weeks of summer, such as it is.
Primarily I took leave to get ready for Christmas because we were making what has become our annual pilgrimage to the Gold Coast for the week before Dec 25.
7 days in Paradise (Resort) which happens to be conveniently located on Ferny Ave, Surfers Paradise.
7 days spent in the pool, by the pool, napping, dropping the kids of at Zone4Kids before a dinner date every night followed by cocktails before picking the kids up and wrapping up a generally awesome day. If you haven't been there, do yourself a favour.
It may not sound like much to some but when you have 3 small children to raise and work and keep house a week where you do nothing but play with your kids and then offload them to someone else is simply a greater feeling than words can describe. The total lack of work to be done alone is phenomenal!
The Husband may not have but I even enjoyed the drive there and back despite the 8-10 hours stuck in a car with said 3 children.
So back to the big day...or 2.
I have bought and wrapped presents. I have prepared lunch menus with The Husband ('cos he does the cooking) for Christmas Eve & Day. I have shopped, attended presentation assemblies, Christmas Concerts, graduations and parties. I have farewelled colleagues going to far flung townships and farewelled my own job with both trepidation and relief. I have discussed the future of my family for 2012 with The Husband and now I have thoroughly enjoyed the 2 days of Christmas with Boxing Day (the laziest day of the year) still to come.
Christmas Eve included a house filled with friends and a large number of children. There was food, booze, chat and laughter and the constant background noise of the kids which to me are the sounds of summer. Christmas Day has obviously included the Great Unwrapping, the playing of all new games and toys, turkey, duck, ham, vegies, pudding, sparkling wine, white wine, beer...with a late seafood/salad/bread dinner to come though there may be a few vodkas first and a giggle at something funny on telly (The Griswald's Christmas Vacation is on -everyone SHUT UP!).
What did I get?
So I got 2 books, a dress and necklace/earrings set which I am very grateful for. It's always nice to have something to open Christmas morning but the best present I have received this year is hearing my daughters playing nicely together. They are always going to argue, and apparently scratch, but for the most part they have played well together for 2 days and most of our QLD holiday. I have my fingers crossed that we are turning a corner although I did just her Miss 6 tell Miss 4 that she is "slobbering on her pillow like a mad dog!" as they prepare for a camp out in the rumpus room so I may have spoken too soon but I am holding out hope - tis the season!
So anyway, I do hope that everyone found something to be positive about this Christmas. I don't think you have to be religious to enjoy this time of year. I think you have to simply have love in your heart, a smile on your face and generosity of spirit. Enjoy the people you spend your time with or arrange to spend time with people you enjoy. Ignore the things that piss you off if you need to or better still be understanding of how someone may have arrived at their particular point of frustration - can you help them?
My mission is to continue this understanding for the other 50.5 weeks of the year (I've done a pretty good job this over the last 10 days I reckon) though I may need a little help and understanding at times myself.
More about the plans for 2012 next week, eh?
Merry Christmas!
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