December Merry Go Round

WOOT WOOT! I'm here! I've remembered - like it's THAT hard to do something once a month - but, that is probably the very reason that I do forget! Today I'm writing my post for the blog Merry Go Round - a group of us who write once a month.
December's topical topic is ..... of course ..

How do you celebrate Christmas/holidays? What traditions do you have?

Hmmmm - how do we celebrate Christmas here at Half an Acre? er ..... *puts brain into gear*. We've not really established many traditions so far but this year I've decided that we need some. So .... we've done two cheesy Christmas jigsaws so far - 1000 pieces each - and due to the wonders of Google Images I can actually show you the one we've just finished! How much do you wish that that was the scene outside your home? We've always done jigsaws - an internal need to sort things and the lack of a tv induces such activities. I'm itchy to start another.

We always put the tree up on December 10th - which is my Father's birthday. Just seems like the right sort of time to do it. Any sooner and the tree would be a heap of needles and sad branches - any later and the kids would have exploded with anticipation. I've always decorated it up until the boys arrived but now I have to grit my teeth whilst they hang everything on the same branch. When they are all in bed I rearrange it all. This year I've invested in a load of festive DVDs which I'm going to put away again until next year after Christmas is over. Scrooge, Oliver, The Snowman, The Sound of Music - all the ones that meant 'Christmas' to me as a child. One thing I do miss, though, are films that used to be on tv when I was young - Ben Hur, Spartacus (I'm Spartacus! No, I'm Spartacus), Jesus of Nazareth - are they still on? Somewhere tucked away on an absure channel hiding behind more 'contemporary' rubbish. Now I'm talking like a true parent!

We sprinkle Reindeer food all round the garden before bed and then the stockings go on the end of the boys' beds (tonight!!!). When they wake up and wiggle their toes they can hear crunchy wrappings and see sparkly bits poking out of the top. I loved that when I was young. All the things in the stockings are wrapped to prolong the excitement. The eldest is always awake first - we then have to wake up the other two! The only kids in the country needing to be roused on Christmas morning. They stagger into our room and open the stockings on our bed. After we've staggered past the paper pile we hare downstairs to see what's under the tree. The boys then have to wait until we've made some coffee. They take turns to hand the presents out. One for each person to open at a time. I refuse to do the mad 'grab and rip' approach - it seems rude and greedy to me. We don't have a Christmas lunch - as that would mean I'm chasing the gravy round the kitchen when the others are 'doing presents'. This year we're going to my parents after lunch and we'll do the turkey thing in the evening. Boxing Day is a quiet one this year - just at 'granny's' - we'll have turkey sandwiches and flop around with the dog infront of the fire. Some year's we go to either of my brothers' families for a big get together but this year it's not working out that way - they all have their own families and sets of grannies etc to go and see. I'm ready for a quiet one. One Christmas Day I shall also raise a glass to myself (tee hee) because I've made exactly 100 online sales since I started in June of this year. I am thrilled. It's been bloomin' hard work - and I'm sure my eyesight is the worse for it.

My New Years Resolution is to stop using so many !!!s and ----s and ......s when I type, to do all my paperwork up to date ready for the next tax return, to try to get back to that size 8 I used to be (hahahahhaaaaaaaaaaa dream on girile) and get rid of that tub trug of slop which has sat in my kitchen for the last 5 weeks waiting to be made into paper - it doesn't even smell yet - I thought it would grow mould. Oh yes, and to finish The Fish - I just need a bathymetric map to cover it.

All done!

More Merry Go Round posts to read:

• Andreanna, Glamasaurus
• Agathe, Le Bar du Vent
• Charlotte, of Fancypicnic
• Lily, lilypangart
  
• Fabs, Easterya Jewellery Creations
• Marian, Florcita's Art
• Ruth, Birdland Creations
• Sara, Sara's Texture Crafts