It's all over for another year!

Christmas was hectic. The weather here, as for everywhere else, was treacherous. On Christmas Eve the OH went out to the bank, and slid the car into the kerb at the top of our street. Damn snow! We had a nice day, with a lovely Christmas dinner prepared my me. My Mum and Dad came for breakfast on Christmas morning. And no.1 and no.2 sons went to their Dad's on Boxing Day, so I got the car out and headed to their Dad's house. But the car had no power in the steering and the wheel weren't aligned. The OH had managed to bend the wishbone, costing a nice £100 to fix. But it's only money, you can't take it with you, so they say!

So Tired.

I haven't had the energy to blog recently since the OH started working. He finishes work and 2 hours later I start work. When I finish work it's a constant rush. A quick run around the shop, unpack said shopping, get No.2 son fed and ready for school and all that before 8.30am. Then there's Oscar, he needs at least an hours walk a day. And the never ending round of housework, while the OH sleeps the day away. Christmas cards keep plopping on the doormat, I haven't even bought cards yet, far less written or posted any. And there's now only 10 days to go. I was so smug, all my shopping done and almost everything wrapped, now I'm crumbling under the weight of it all. Serves me right, I suppose.

That's Christmas Sorted!

Well it seems I was wrong, I thought my Christmas lights had blown last year, and I was ready to either buy new ones or repair by taking every bulb out and testing it. But I got the OH to get the stuff down from the attic and they were fine. And I had a packet of replacement bulbs with two left in it. Instead of getting slightly senile with age, I seem to be getting more organised. Quite odd. Every year as a child, my sister and I would beg my Mum to put the tree up. All our friends would have theirs up. And eventually we would come home from school and it would be up. We never got to help and it was always a work of art, like an interior designer had worked their magic on it. It didn't bother us, that was just the way things were done in our house. And by the 28th the tree was taken down and everything was back to normal. And as a result I can't stand my tree being up for long. I usually put it up as late as possible and take it down a day or two after Christmas. And I never let the boys help, they would get home from school and find it all done, just as I did. So this year I decided to let them help. No.2 son always moans to be allowed to help so this year I caved. And it was good fun. We listened to Christmas songs and for an hour there was no bickering. I should put a tree up every day. I did the lights and tinsel but the boys hung all the baubles, and made a damn fine job of it too.

My Favourite Christmas Films

This is a screen shot from my number 1 favourite film - It's a Wonderful Life. Jimmy Stewart is one of my fave actors. The little girl looks just like my mum did at that age.

This a screen shot from my second favourite Christmas film, The Bishop's Wife.

The originals of 34th Street and The Shop around the corner are much better than the modern remakes.

Christmas Awesomness

I'm feeling very festive, hence the bright red text, I finished my Christmas shopping today. I still need to get stocking fillers but all in all its done. It has been a hard slog, but I guess it will be worth it. Until No.1 and No.2 sons break everything. And start fighting (at about 11am on Christmas morning). But I'm in such a good mood I may even put the tree up tomorrow. I usually leave it until the last possible minute, because I'm so behind with Christmas shopping, and the tree is just a visual constant reminder of everything I still need to do. But not this year, and I feel quite proud. I remember one year, with a week to go, just starting the shopping. It was actually how I imagine hell. I'm not a huge fan of shopping as it is, and the seasonal madness that is Christmas shopping is just a nightmare. Working in a supermarket doesn't help my loathing of shopping either. It's been almost a year since I worked during trading hours, but the memory of holiday shoppers still haunts me. But back to the tree. I need to find a spot where Oscar can't reach, it's his first Christmas, and he's an excitable puppy at the best of times. I can see him having lots of fun with my carefully decorated tree. I think I need replacement bulbs for the lights, I put them away last year, broken, they hadn't worked for a good few days. Roll on Christmas, I'm ready for you this year.

Happy Day

The OH hasn't been working for a while (dag nammit as they say in The Simpsons) but he started work this afternoon. Not a good job, probably not even a long job, but perfectly timed for Christmas - we won't feast like The Cratchit's this year. While the OH has been on this long work break, and I have carried on working like a dog, I have delegated the housework out to him. And he failed miserably. Apart from doing dishes, walking the dog and cooking the tea, I had to ask, at least twice, for every other chore to be done. And his stock excuse? The dog wouldn't give him peace to get on! Now that is true for sweeping, Oscar thinks a brush is a toy on a stick, but cleaning the bathroom? Emptying a washing basket and filling the washing machine? Hoovering the stairs? He has been at work for 2 hours and I have done the dishes, emptied and cleaned the kitchen bin, cleaned the toaster, bread bin and microwave, and cleaned the bathroom. And I caught up on some tv I missed while I was on night shift this week. And Oscar? Not a peep. He opened one eye and looked at me as I went upstairs to attack the bathroom (which hasn't been done properly in ages - big shock!). I really don't see the problem, must be a man thing!