the happy reality of Christmas

In case you hadn’t noticed Christmas is fast approaching. Every year I promise to be more organised. I have ‘White Company’ fantasises with stockings hung up over a crackling fire, mulled wine brewing and a cashmere throw placed elegantly on the sofa. 

The reality in our house is very different. We seem to have a sticky tape thief who comes only on Christmas Eve and steals every roll from every drawer, and I find myself muttering profanities at midnight as I attempt to wrap presents with Pritt Stick and string whilst simultaneously frantically ordering an ‘Elsa’ cape on Amazon Prime.

If you were being kind you would describe our Christmas tree as eclectic. The children insist on decorating it in their favourite colours and every primary colour is represented.

However every year I accept a little bit more that my ‘White Company’ fantasy is just that – a fantasy and I would rather have my reality any day. Christmas shouldn’t be about matching plates and silver sprayed pine cones but rather an opportunity for simply spending time with family and friends -to look around the room and be thankful for what we have.

Gareth is in charge of food & drink. I am eternally grateful for this and he does pull it off with aplomb. However I am slightly suspicious at how long it takes him to peel potatoes… chaos can be reigning yet Gareth stands serenely amidst a sea of wrapping paper studying his iPad, oh sorry, I mean recipe obviously.

The excitement that radiates off the children is infectious and I try to let myself get carried along by their enthusiasm.

This will be my baby Carina’s first Christmas and my six year old son very solemnly sat down and wrote her present list for Father Christmas – I found this so touching and I will not listen to the little voice inside me questioning exactly how I can fill a stocking for a 3 month old – nappies? dummies? babygrows?

I’m not sure she’s quite ready for the remote control car quite yet but you never know…