So another Christmas has begun. This year has been fun again as O understands all about Santa and the excuse that Santa and the Elves can hear any bad manners and behaviours has been working a treat - not sure I can string that out for another 364 days though.
J still has poor understanding of Christmas, the festivities, the Greatest Story Ever Told, Jesus and Santa Claus.
He likes unwrapping his presents though. And everyone elses presents too if you're not quick enough to take them back off of him.
But what to buy him? It is always harder, but as mentioned before, Ebay has come up trumps with out of fashion toys that he still loves.
At this time of year, I always become a little maudlin. I reminisce about my childhood Christmases, the excitement and belief Santa was going to visit and leave me presents. The struggle to stay awake to see him. The early morning wake up, scramble to the end of the bed, squeek of excitement, and the awe of what Santa had left me.
Christmas in my family was always a bustle of visitors and visits out to friends houses for parties and games. My lovely grandma was always chief cook. My uncle D and I would fight for the most roast potatoes and bacon wrapped sausages. My mum would sit with her enormous pile of pressies that her children had given her from her nursery. Box after box of chocolates she got. Matchmakers, Quality Street, After Eights and Roses were the most popular, and most sickly.
With me being the baby of the family for twelve years it was myself who retrieved all the pressies for everyone and handed them out in their designated seating area.
I was also responsible for putting the decorations up, and every year the cardboard box of them would be found, squashed at the back of the bathroom cupboard ( a huge cupboard that stretched back a good few metres), and I would get to work, blu tacking and pinning the foily, stretchy, boingy decorations. The cats would systematically play paw bat with the baubles on the tree until the lower section of the tree looked sparse and bare come Christmas day.
It is with these memories that I am so desperate to make my boys Christmases so wonderful. I know they will look back with fondness and longing, and so to make it a day for them is paramount.
J may not comprehend the actual reason for the special day, but he has an amazing memory and so I know he will store and reflect within himself, all the fun, and mountain of chocolate he will consume.
I will raise a glass of Baileys (just one mind as I don't want baby W to be tipsy on his first Christmas) to all those I have lost. My grandma and grandad (who has been gone three years as of the 22nd), my great grandma (Nanny), my father, my father in law, and my little baby C who never got to experience a Christmas on Earth. They may be gone but I know they are sharing the day with us here, in their own special way.
I hope this Christmas you and yours have a special day, filled with laughter and love and that Santa brings you what you wished for.
*~*~*~Merry Christmas~*~*~*
