Xmas Frenzy

If it weren’t for the fact I draw the line at those ridiculous festive earrings, I’d be the ultimate Christmas geek. 

From putting the tree up, as soon as good luck would have it, with Christmas carols blaring, blinging out the house in fairy lights to the point I don’t like to leave the room for fear of a fire breaking out, baking for the neighbours, making Christmas lanterns with the kindy kids year after year, to leaving “snowy” bootprints on the doorstep for the kids to discover Xmas morning, I usually just can’t get enough.

But I have to say, even I’m a little Christmased out by it all this year. As the kids get older there are more Christmas parties to attend needing secret Santa gifts provided for, plates to make, parades to take part in, ballet shows, the final school assembly and carols to attend. Add to that the multiple birthday parties in the month of December and I’ve realised I haven’t even stopped to enjoy it all.

I guess it doesn’t help the kids are tired at this time of year and fueled up on too much junk food.

This year we split our Christmas in half and had a celebration with one side of the family last weekend. I find it’s less overwhelming for the kids when they are handed gift after gift. It’s also less mortifying for the parent when their kids hastily rip off the wrapping, barely acknowledge what is within, before moving onto the next while the giver watches on.

To help with this we will be using the oven timer this year and they can open a present by the hour. (Strangely, children seem to respect the oven timer?)

We’ll start the morning as usual by opening Santa presents, which brings me to a wee problem: apparently I didn’t clean the fireplace very well and the kids are worried Santa will get his outfit grubby when he lands down our chimney. And, actually, they wonder, how will he even fit if he’s so fat?

Good point. The fireplace door is pathetically small so we’ll leave a window open instead.

We’ll leave water for the reindeer and, as far as Santa’s snacks go, I’m under instructions from my brother, who, along with his family, will be staying, that Santa will be extra thirsty so the kids are to leave out more than just one beer.

After opening their Santa presents and discovering all the traces he’s left behind (heck, I might even go all out and leave a tuft of his beard snagged to the window) we plan (weather-depending) on picnicking, boating and playing cricket before heading back home for a barbi, more presents and Secret Santa. I’m still on the lookout for a funny present for this – everyone (except me) is getting a little sick of my toilet seat bum squirter joke year after year.

Another new tradition is delicious eggnog with all sorts of goodies in it and, depending on how much is consumed, I’m hoping to crank up the karaoke later on.

God help the neighbours.