The Joy Of Christmas

So here we are another yuletide filled with expectation is on the horizon and thousands of women across the world will be getting their knickers in a right twist.

I say women because I recently read an article about how much more emotional work women do in families.

Generally speaking we sort birthdays, Christmas any occasion you care to think of and I can pretty much guarantee there will have been a woman behind it swigging vodka and smoking hundreds of roll ups.....(that may just be me).

Ooh the planning involved we cry.
The buying.
The making.
The wrapping.
The overwhelming feeling that if it isn't perfect then we've ruined Christmas forever.

Sod it I say.

Christmas when I was little was very very present heavy.
This is a tradition I am desperately trying to break.
I don't want my kids to see Christmas as purely a way to get all the things they've been lusting after all year.

Yes that's part of it obviously and I'm not a Scrooge, I just cannot face the horror of dealing with a mountain of crap that hard earned cash has been spent on that will be glanced at once on the day and consigned to the depths of the under world (under the bed) til I chuck it in a fever of decluttering in Jan.

I once spent a ridiculous amount of time, worry and money purchasing a Kevin Eleven car (Ben 10) that Lyla simply HAD TO HAVE.

Once.

Once I saw her play with that car and I didn't see it again until aforementioned scenario.
I almost wept when I pictured myself two days before Christmas at a ridiculous hour of the night paying way over the odds for it, convinced Lyla would be scarred for life if she didn't get the car of her dreams.

These days I have a rule.
Something you want
Something you need
Something to wear
Something to read.

On the whole this works out nicely.

My sons list had 2 t-shirts, skateboard trucks and wheels, a book, and a computer game.

When my mum saw the list she saw it as a starting point.
What extras will he get.
Err a stocking from Father Christmas?
She was horrified.

She couldn't see why I wasn't going to the pound shop and buying £30 worth of tat 'just to make it look like more'.
Why does he need anymore.
He's getting what he asked for, if I buy things just so it looks like a huge pile of gifts what am I reinforcing?
That gifts equal Christmas.
Surely no one wants their child to think that.

My idea of Christmas?
Everyone doing whatever  it is that makes them happy.
I hear so many people complaining about Christmas.
'I've got to go see aunt jean in Bognor at Christmas she's a massive bitch and her house stinks of cat piss'

Don't go.

'I've got 4 kids and twenty grandchildren, I have to see them all and if I choose to go to Bobs for Christmas dinner then Beryl will be upset'

Don't go.

Take for example my mum, she has three daughters and five grandchildren.

She has spent her entire adult life making Christmas for other people.
First for us as kids, then as nan to our kids.

I've invited her for Christmas day but she's hesitating, this tells me that she doesn't really want to come to mine, she'd rather stay at home and have a relaxing, peaceful time without frantic kids (as much as I know she loves them) exhausting her.

And I don't really care.
Not because I don't love my mum.
Not because I don't want her there, if she wants to come, wonderful, we'll have a great day.
But because a good ( not perfect, nothing could or should be perfect) Christmas for us isn't dependant on anything, not presents, not visitors, other than being our family, together on a joyous day, feasting, playing, laughing and loving.

And if I haven't bought the perfect gift, if I've bought from lidl every last piece of food instead of batch cooking Jamie's sausage rolls.
If my decorations are extremely minimal due to discovering areas in need of cleaning every time I try and put something up so I'm just not bothering

I know we will still have an amazing day.

So whether your ideal Christmas is staying in your pajamas whilst stuffing food in at an alarming rate, me.
Or a huge friend and or family one dressed to the nines with booze a plenty.

Have a fabulous day.

Oh and here's a Christmas Craft tutorial.
Buy led lights.
Buy ping-pong balls (or raid the ping pong table you bought the kids last year thats not been used since).
Cut hole in top, I used a corkscrew, push on, Bob's your leery uncle.
Pic below.