Christmas Day!

After a night spent tossing and turning, barely able to get more than an hours sleep at a time in my excitement, I was awake most from about 5:30 onwards. I heard the children get up at 6:30 but they were trying to be quiet so I shouted them in to start the fun but that wasn't until around 7am! It's become a tradition now that I get very little sleep on Christmas Eve, and doze off in the late morning.

We did our usual emptying of the stockings on our big bed. Rowan didn't want to bring his in, I think he was annoyed that he hadn't got what he had been asking for, for months in advance ("a drum set with a star and a circle") but he was content eating the chocolate that I had put in Liam's stocking.
Frazer was over the moon at getting a slinky and loves his 'farty putty' - it's a pot with goo in that farts when you squish it down. Scarlett was delighted with all her jewelery and her toy phone that held makeup and applicators. I had put a set of camera macro lenses in to Liam's stocking, and managed to stay quiet about knowing full well that it wouldn't fit on the lens that Liam had and either he didn't notice (unlikely) or he did and kept quiet so he didn't upset me.
Along with my stocking bits, Liam gave me a few presents that wouldn't fit - I got really spoiled this year!

After a while we stuffed everything back in to our stockings and trouped downstairs. I made sure that I had my camcorder on and recording already and Liam went ahead with his camera. On the stairs the children stopped in surprise - the cut out snowflakes we had made and I had hung from the ceiling went completely unnoticed - the living room door was completely covered with wrapping paper - the same paper that Father Christmas had used this year!
The idea was for the children to burst through it, circus style, but Frazer insisted on using his sense to check a corner to make sure that the door wasn't shut behind the paper first! Once he was satisfied, they tore through and were pleased to see that they had their main presents from Santa (guitars for F&S and drum set with star jingle bells and circle maraca for R) and that on the tree there were loads of crackers to pull and plenty of candy canes - which was lucky because Scarlett had decided last minute that she wanted candy canes in her perfectly written Christmas list! I'll bet Santa had trouble finding those last minute - they were sold out everywhere....

We opened present after present after present. I tried to make sure that we opened Father Christmas gifts, then had breakfast before opening the rest. Then we played a bit. I was shattered and desperate to have a nap and a Lush bath - my secret santa had given me a mini lush set! Perfect as Liam hadn't got me any. But I only really had the time for one or the other, as we had to get off to Liam's parents at some point. In the end I got neither but had a shower!

Off to see the in-laws now, with Liam moaning about how late we are. Considering I really wanted Christmas at home and it was his suggestion to spend less time there this year (using Tonks the puppy as an excuse to get back for) I considered his mutterings a little annoying. Things calmed down after we were there a while though. We had to bring 4 forks this year - there's always something, Pauline (MIL) is known for it! Always borrowing plates, cutlery, tables and/or chairs for Christmas dinner, as they are not used to catering for 10+ people normally!
They do make a lovely Christmas dinner, and his parents are lovely people, though I do feel odd there at times as they are just one of these families that makes me realise I'm not actually all that 'mainstream' in how I live my life and bring up our children. But loving to us all and lovely to be around (until Granddad starts 'pull my finger') - just not Christmas how I'm used to celebrating it. No TV (so no special shows, no Queen's speech and Scarlett has to miss the ballet - this year I was stressing over the Doctor Who special, which we ended up missing), no music, no board games (or any games!) and not really that much to talk about. It's just food and opening presents really, and I'd just like to try Christmas at home, our way for once.

But it was made all the more bearable because I knew that this year, Boxing day would see us at home (usually at in-laws, as we are every Sunday and usually new years eve too) and with friends over and my mum and brothers! Yeay!
As I am adopted in to the family that fostered me when I was a teenager, I've not been able to spend time with my family at Christmas. In fact I've only ever spent one Christmas day at my mum's, though once she came up to the in-laws and that was really lovely. We always go to PILs, and my mum is always at her mum's house on Boxing Day - and I've never been to her house.

Anyhow, we got home and played a bit. It was bedtime for the children really, but they'd had barely any time to play quietly and appreciate their toys. I think the passed out when they finally got in to bed, they must have been so tired. We downloaded Doctor Who that night to watch the next evening.