Children, food and fun (My Perfect Christmas)

Member Name: Plymyphil

Product:	My Perfect Christmas
Date:	09/12/03 (121 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Relaxation, Family, A warm loving glow

Disadvantages: Excessive food consumption

So, the festive season is well upon us and I thought I'd start the ball rolling with some perfect christmas plans.

My perfect christmas morning starts at about 6.30AM. The children have been briefed the night before that christmas mustn't start before 6.45AM. It's cruel but it's great to lie in bed coming to and listening to their simmering excitement and anticipation. Dead on the dot of 6.45AM they'll burst into the bedroom with cries of 'he's been' and deposit loaded stocking on the end of the bed. Myself and my wife will sit bleary eyed and watch with pleasure as they open the small parcels in their stockings ... a warm up to the gifts that Santa will have left beneath the tree.

As the stocking opening finishes, my wife will be the first to go downstairs. She'll make sure the lights are on the christmas tree so the ultimate WOW factor can be had when the children enter the room. We'll sit and watch with delight as the children rip into parcels. The eleven year old will plough through at great pace and then review everything with time later. The 13 year old will take time. Every parcel will be examined and every present used before moving on to the next. The two year old ... well, this will just be a whole new magical experience for her so I guess we'll all relish in the pleasure she has.

As present opening comes to an end for children, I'll make sure everybody has a vague attempt at a reasonable breakfast, depositing toast and coffee in front of everyone. Folks will move off to get dressed and my wife and me will alternate between getting dinner ready in the kitchen and sharing the pleasure of being with the children exploring their new gifts.

We'll all sit down to lunch together at about one o' clock. Adults will enjoy a glass of champagne, children a glass of schloer or some other similar 'children's wine'. Crackers will pop and we'll all eat until full.


The afternoon will be sleepy. I'll clear the table and clean any dishes ready for the customary descent of the rest of the family. Now, both my wife and I will relax and play games with the children until the extended family arrive. A couple more gifts for everybody and an evening of playing games. The evening will end early, about nine o' clock as family return home and we are left with the aftermath. Anticimax perhaps? No, not in this house. As children move to bedrooms with new books to read, my wife and I will settle down with a glass of wine listening to quiet christmas carols and cuddling on the sofa.

We'll head off to bed relaxed and full of the love feeling that seems so hard to get in the normal day to day life of the rest of the year. We will have spent a whole day making sure the children have the best day of their year and if all has gone to plan will have succeeded. And tomorrow, boxing day. Traditionally in our house is the nobody gets dressed, goes anywhere, or does anything day. Anybody that wants food helps themselves and lives primarily on chocolate and old turkey. We all slob around in dressing gowns and enjoy the gifts from the previous day that need family time ... the games and quizzes. Maybe even settle in for an afternoon movie.

Bring it on ... I love Christmas. Looking forward to reading everybody elses perfect Christmas - Phil.

Summary: