I called my husband the Anti Christ in front of the children. I meant to say "anti-Christmas", but it came out wrong, saddest part is I think he took it as a compliment! I love Christmas, I love Christmas, full of festive cheer and family tradition ( too much alcohol and screaming at the kids). Well this year I determined to change all that. It is going to be about lovely family memories, togetherness and simplicity. I just don't feel that Daryl is totally with me on this but I'm pushing on, starting with a nice night of carols while we put up the tree. So the sound system, after 23 years, decided to fail us just when we most needed some background music ( mostly to drown out the sound of "Thats mine I want to hang it"), but finally the tree was up and decorated with our very eclectic mix of ornaments, many made with loving little hands over the years. Then for the introduction of my new tradition (always risky but they have to start somewhere), the Advent verse and lighting of the candles. Daryl also found some Advent stories on his iPhone (I'll embrace technology if it adds to some old fashioned family fun...hmmm?), but the first paragraph contained the word "bosom", so through peels of laughter we decided to wrap it up and send the kids to bed. I feel a bit defeated. How do you make Christmas about meaningful things, not necessarily over the top religious but just about togetherness and gratefulness and family without Mummy screaming "fine, stuff the lot of you, I give up, I'm going to bed! It has happened.
So nice to be back at the farm although with temperatures soaring this was probably one of the few pleasant weekends we will get over summer. Hazey has really grown up over the past three months, happy now to venture off on her bike with her big sister.
