A final pause in advent

Its the home straight now as far as preparing for Christmas. In fact all I have left to do is brave the supermarket...probably tomorrow. Let the fun and laziness can begin.....My husband works very hard for our family - most weeks he leaves the house at stupid o clock on a Monday morning, not returning until Friday night or Saturday morning. Christmas is the only time that he takes time off to do nothing. I look forward to his week or so off, probably as much as he does!

Sarah at Red Gingham has today talked about time as part of her pause in advent...and time is what is important to our family at Christmas. It is the only school holiday where there is no pressure to fill up the days with activities. The only time all 6 of us are at home together. The only time we feel no guilt at 'wasting' our days in front of the telly and fire in our jarmies...definately the best part for us!!We will plough our way through the sweets and goodies I have been squirrelling away for the past 3 months, not to mention the too many to mention bottles of wine that are in the wine cellar..ha ha.... we also call it the loft!!!

We will read together, play cards, play games - board and electronic....my brother is travelling from the north especially to (I quote) kick my husbands butt at golf on the wii!!!! We will walk together, eat together and very likely bicker together...but its precious time spent with my family, that is usually just snatched or rushed for the rest of the year.

I can't wait for Wednesday night :)

Before then I shall be catching up with friends, going to the panto with 2 of the boys and mum. It'll be C's first time, so very exciting!

All the presents are bought and wrapped, and sitting under the tree....

(I love my tree more this year than I did last year...said the same last year too!!)

This Christmas will not be 'the perfect christmas' , I haven't made all the decorations I planned to. I haven't shopped for new decorations like I planned. I haven't handmade everybody a gift like I planned. I haven't made a fabulous table runner like I planned. I haven't tested new recipes for Christmas meals like I planned. And I certainly haven't lost the stone in weight I planned!!! But I have had a relatively stress free advent. And I will have a very lazy, cozy and enjoyable Christmas - like I planned!!

Pause in Advent - Week 3

This week I shall be taking the pause in the title literally. We haven't had the greatest of weekends. A weekend that started with such promise, a great night out on Friday, the arranged visit to see Father Christmas on Saturday and carols in the dark at a local Christmas market on Sunday. All, except my night out, was halted by a poorly little boy who couldn't go anywhere, and the extra washing produced by said poorly boy, which needed drying even if it was raining.
Also my big boys face some uncertainty in their life. And, as is the norm, are testing the boundaries with the one constant in their life...that'll be me!!! So yesterday was spent pausing. There was no rushing around and going out, filling our day with Christmas activities. We pottered. I tinkered with the Christmas trimmings, lovely husband and I painted the dresser (finished before Christmas!!), I wrapped some more presents,I opened a lovely parcel - thanks beki xxx, I cooked tea for my parents, I pickled some onions for my dad's christmas present...late I know but he expects them every year and I hadn't got round to it!!
You see one thing my advent calendar cannot plan for is when the boys will be ill, or for other unexpected changes ....but sometimes unexpected changes can be good, even if they are for a not so good reason. And one things certain, Christmas will happen whether we have ticked all the things off the list or not. This is the first year that I have got to the 12th of December and haven't got all the presents wrapped, or cards sent, or finished the house trimming..but also the first year I don't feel stressed. Maybe I am realising that perfection and list ticking off is not what makes Christmas....
This weekends pause in the plans meant that this got made.....


I bought a ready made wreath from the garden centre and wired in the hydrangea's and orange's myself. It is exactly the look I wanted, and I am rather pleased with how it turns out. I know my limitations which is why the wreath itself was pre bought, but it only cost £5 and the hydrangea's were snaffled from my neighbour's garden and the oranges didn't break the bank... I know I would have paid a lot of money for something similar online or locally.
And as mentioned the dresser got painted...its not finished, it needs another coat ideally, though thats not that obvious, but we forgot to paint the door catches and they are bugging me!! And may have to change the hinges - but i got 'the look' when I mentioned this yesterday so won't be bringing that up again before Christmas!
So by last night it was all trimmed up too.....

It has now started to turn chilly in East Anglia, so its definately starting to feel a lot like Christmas....Just 5 more days at school then we can snuggle in and enjoy!!