This is my perfect Christmas (My Perfect Christmas)

Member Name: loopylis

Product:	My Perfect Christmas
Date:	09/11/09 (27 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Its Christmas Day!!

Disadvantages: None at all

Christmas holds a different meaning for everyone. What Christmas is all about differs so much from person to person.

We are not a religious family, but Christmas always starts for us every year when our girls perform their schools nativity. Their school always does a modern twist, one year it was the story of the Jolly Christmas Postman. There was fun and laughter all the way through, but at the end they still made the point of Christmas, with a scene with Mary, and Joseph, the three wise men,and of course, Baby Jesus.

For me, my Perfect Christmas is all about celebrating and spending time with my beautiful family. We take old family traditions, and carry them on, as well as enjoying creating our own traditions, which I wouldlove to think my children will carry on with their own families.

Our perfect Christmas begins on Christmas Eve. We read Christmas stories, and might watch a Christmas film or two, all snuggled up and cosy on the sofa. Before bed time, we give all three girls a special gift - a brand new cosy pair of pyjamas. They get excited then, as straight after they are in their new pj's, its time for some older traditions. Out come the mince pies, a carrot, a beer and a saucer of milk for Santa. Once they have been placed, the stockings are hung. Usually, they were hung around the coffee table, this year I am quite happy that in our new homewe have a fireplace, which is where they will be hung this year.

With all that done, the girls are then tucked up in bed. We love to stand outside their rooms, and listen to their excited natter, and they often wonder if they can stay awake long enough to catch a glimpse of Santa!
I then head downstairs, to carry out another tradition, this one I remember my mum doing. I prepare all the veggies and any other food that can be prepped for the next day. It always means I get to spend a little less time in the Kitchen!

Once we know the girls are safely asleep, we begin the task of bringing all the presents down. We pile as many as we can under the tree, all others are put around it. Then my husband does his task of making the treats look 'eaten', while I write a thankyou note from Santa for his snacks, and we go to bed,although usually we are as excited as the kids!

In the morning, once everyone is awake, we start with a tradition from my husbands side. Christmas Day does not start until a fry up breakfast has been eaten (short straw for me!!)
After breakfast, I sneak off to grab the video camera,and once Im ready, my husband brings the girls in. Catching their faces on camera when they see that Santa has been and brought presents, and ate their snacks, and left them a note, is absolutely priceless.

Our day proceeds with christmas songs in the background, lots of presents being unwrapped, lots of stress at attempting to get kids toys out of their impossible boxes! and laughter. We all spend the morning playing with the kids toys, with me nipping in and out of the kitchen.

We usually eat our quite tarditional Christmas Dinner at around 2pm. There is of course, the pulling of crackers, and everyone has to wear their 'craker hat'. After dinner, the usual Christmas pudding is dished up, along with something, usually chocolaty, for me and our eldest, who dislike Christmas pudding very much! We then have more traditions, coffee and tea, served with after dinner mints. My husband thinks Im crazy everytime I bring them out, and he always says he has no room, but funnily enough, he always manages to eat a few!

Once the kitchen is cleaned, we all relax a bit more. Usually there is another classic Christmas film on in the background, and we all just chill out and do fun stuff, or play family friendly games for the rest of the afternoon.
Its a long day for the kids, so for supper we make the most of the leftovers and have turkey sandwiches!
We havent had a Christmas yet where the kids have been awake past 6.30pm, which is nice for us to snuggle up, maybe have a glass of wine, and we reminice about our Christmases when we were children. We always tell the same funny stories, but they never get boring. Its normally an early night too for us, as my father in laws birthday is Boxing Day, which is when we go to the in laws house for the whole day, and the entire family is there, which is when we exchange gifts with everyone else and we seem to have almost two Christmas Days a year!

So, my Perfect Christmas Day may seem boring to some, but for me, its all about those traditions, old and new, and spending much needed quality time with my family without the stress of work, or any other every day interruptions.

Summary: How I spend my Christmas