Christmas!

[Rufus Gwertigan]

Yeah it is that time of year again. I used to think that Christmas was just for kids. As an athiest I have always found it a difficult holiday, but that was balanced out by the smile on my kids faces. But it is getting to be really important to me. As many know 3 of my kids were in care. We have all had a hard time, I have one son living with me and the other 2 are at uni. I have spent the weekend planning Christmas dinner. What I lack in parenting skills I make up with cooking. I am so looking forward to my 2 eldest coming home. I am going to spoil them rotten and I bet they put a few pound in weight on. But the best thing is I am going to see my 2 youngest that live with their mum. It is on the 27th and I usually take them to London. It will Camden or Oxford St for shopping I fear. However I have been saving up to pay for the other 3 to come down with me. The 27th is going to be the first time I have been with all 5 of my kids for nearly 7 years. I know it sounds odd but I am really excited and scared. This year I wanted to treat myself and I am by being with my kids. I miss them all so dearly.

So anyway, what are your plans or do you care?

[bunique]

That sounds fab Rufus, I hope you have a wonderful time with your brood!

We will be spending Christmas in Ireland (my husband's first visit) and there will be 20 or so of us for dinner at my grandmother's. No idea how many chances we'll all get to be together again and am so excited! Our daughter is 2 so doesn't really get it but she's enjoyed pulling baubles off the tree and practicing her bowling with them I love christmas!

[Rufus Gwertigan]

That sounds great Bunique. Just wait while your kid is a little older. The smile you get to see is wonderful. My eldest is 22 and he was telling me how he loved that I would sneak into his bedroom and put the wrapped presents at end of the bed. Apparently they all would leave them until 6 or 7 in the morning. It made me smile when he said that it made all the kids laugh as I was trying to be quiet and all they could hear was me giggling.

[grumpyhack]

I find Christmas a hard time. I'll put on a smile with the best of them but I hate the conspicuous consumption and the over-buying of cheap plastic tat made in China. I'd rather have no presents and people give the money to charity. But that's the grumpy side of me.

It also tends to highlight the fractured families that we have today. My kids will have the decision about splitting themselves between my ex wife and I. One of our nices, who has two lovely little girls aged 8 and 10 will be with us and we've also invited the niece's ex-husband (acrimonious divorce but he loves the girls like mad) so that will be a laugh a minute with the niece and her ex spitting at each other.

Meanwhile aging mother in law, now 89, will have to split herself between wy wife and I and other family members here and her son, now with his second wife, who his daughters don't get on with.

Happy Families or what?

[kaosmark2]

I've negotiated a no-arguments different-locations Christmas from my parents this year, which I'm really relieved about. Had a Christmas meal with my flatmates yesterday which was really nice, and my team at work earlier in the week, which was again nice. Going to be doing a roast for a few of my mates at my parents' house while they're away.

Not sorted what I'm actually doing Christmas + Boxing days yet, got a few invites from around the country but trying to bear in mind practicality of working 24th + 27th. Really chuffed at my plans are this year though, lots of understated but pleasant times with virtually every group of friends.

Edit: Oh, and I only have about 5 people I'm exchanging presents with, like most years. That's enough so that it feels pleasant, but they're all people where we share a significant overlap in taste on something, so it's not hard doing the shopping nor will I get unwanted tat.

Edited December 9, 2012 by kaosmark2

[kaosmark2]

Carroll singing next week

[Rufus Gwertigan]

Glad to hear you're looking forward to stuff, but I really detest carol singers bothering me. If you know everyone in the area appreciates it great, but I don't like Christmas songs (as in traditional ones), and I don't really appreciate strangers disturbing me to sing songs I dislike at me.

[/rant]

[Ed209]

Glad Rufus, and most people on here are looking forward to Christmas. I'm a bit of a bahHumbug usually, never had much money so always begrudged the expense of it all and all the hideous train traveling to go see people, but this year I'm really looking forward to it. Probably because I've been working really really hard recently. To be honest, I haven't had longer than a few days off work in almost 18 months. Last christmas I was living in a strange land (the States) and didn't see my family at all and had to work over most of it.

This year I'm taking two weeks completely off work, not checking my emails or anything, and spending it with family and friends. Its going to be really nice.

[lost]

As I'm on my own and since my mum died, I've spent Christmas helping out serving christmas lunch for the homeless, then go out boxing day with friends to get smashed. I'm working the two days inbetween Christmas and New Years as I prefer to save holidays to travel.

[feral chile]

I've got 3 of my 4kids here for Christmas Day, and then we're going down to see my daughter and the grandkids on Boxing Day.

It's going to be bitter sweet for me this year though, as it'll be the last time I see my son before he and his girlfriend go off to work in New Zealand for a year or so.

I'm hoping my parenting skills are better than my cooking skills though, as they left home before they discovered they liked food.

Edited December 9, 2012 by feral chile

[grumpyhack]

Just to get you in the mood. The magnificent Joan Baez with a Steve Earle song. She did it at Glasto in 2009 but I can't find a decent quality version.

[TheGayTent]

The best thing about Christmas is all the football matches that get me out of visiting the family members that I don't really like!

[kaosmark2]

Not knocking on door or anything.... Only ones listening will be the ones who choose others can move on about their business...

[Steve P]

Boo's just at the age (3) when she's really starting to understand it all. So excited about christmas this year (even though we're at the outlaws for it. We decorated our tree yesterday and she's hung so much tinsel on it you can't actually see any needles any more

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Glad to hear your going to have a good one Rufus.

I'm also helping out at a homeless centre on Xmas day morning. I usually do Boxing Day too but this year have decided I need some down time away from work of any kind. I'll spend Xmas Day afternoon at my girlfriends and then on the Boxing Day I'll be meeting up with all my family at one of my brothers houses. Then I'm popping down to Bristol to see my girlfriends family. I have the whole week off work this year so am really looking forward to the break. Going to be costly though as I have so many nieces and nephews to give gifts to. Thankfully most of them are in their teens so will accept cash as a gift. This saves the headache of buying them all presents.

[the_hedge]

I lost my Dad in October this year so it's going to be a strange one.

In a way I'm glad he's not still here for Xmas because he would have been suffering and it would have been difficult all round. He loved Xmas so we are going to try and enjoy it and remember the good times.

[LondonTom]

Normally I do care...but I guess I am at that age between being young enough to enjoy the presents and excitement and having kids of my own (A long long long way off) to enjoy it with. I do a bit, its nice to spend time with family etc but now after Uni it just feels more and more like any other time of the year just a bit more expensive and drinking all day is acceptable in front of family In some ways I kind of miss being forced to Christmas Eve Mass to show what good Catholics we were to the school

That said when it comes to the actual day, I'll enjoy it, this year we're staying at home and my mum's side of the family are coming over for dinner so I can enjoy a relatively peaceful day of eating and drinking. Then boxing day I am going to my over my aunts to see all my dad's side of the family to enjoy drinking and Christmas dinner bits being cooked casually all afternoon rather than a big sit down dinner. (Which makes it that bit better than Christmas day.)

[Paul ™]

Can't be arsed with it and thankfully working right through till Boxing Day.

[Rachie]

My girls are 4 and 5 so christmas excitment in this house is immense.

We are eating out this year, just the four of us, at a local pub. I decided to do this a long while ago to stay out of family politics. Im so glad i did this and im looking forward to it.

We'll probably have my mum and dad over on boxing day, and im going to my brothers the day before christmas eve. Then we spend new year in Glasgow to see OH's famiy. Always have a brilliant time there.

I'm looking forward to it more than ever this year.

[thetime]

My girls are 4 and 5 so christmas excitment in this house is immense.

We are eating out this year, just the four of us, at a local pub. I decided to do this a long while ago to stay out of family politics. Im so glad i did this and im looking forward to it.

We'll probably have my mum and dad over on boxing day, and im going to my brothers the day before christmas eve. Then we spend new year in Glasgow to see OH's famiy. Always have a brilliant time there.

I'm looking forward to it more than ever this year.

[t8yman]

TThis is the first time in 41 years that my Mum isn't doing Xmas dinner at hers because we are doing it here. We are all really looking forward to it but I'm quite nervous cos my dad cooks a motherfucker of a Xmas dinner. We have gone a bit overboard on the kids pressies for the first time ever.

I really enjoy Xmas day cos it's the only day of the year I can truly switch off from the job.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Forgot to mention that my brother puts on an annual Christmas disco for charity. It's on the 21st December this year and I'm really looking forward to it. It's the one time at Christmas when I get to meet up with nearly all my mates as they come along to it too.

[Essex_George]

My wife is pregnant, due Feb next year, so this is our last Christmas before the little one arrives. We are lucky that both sets of parents live fairly close to each other so not too much travelling around, but at least with her being pregnant there will be no arguing over who is driving

[Essex_George]

TThis is the first time in 41 years that my Mum isn't doing Xmas dinner at hers because we are doing it here. We are all really looking forward to it but I'm quite nervous cos my dad cooks a motherfucker of a Xmas dinner. We have gone a bit overboard on the kids pressies for the first time ever.

I really enjoy Xmas day cos it's the only day of the year I can truly switch off from the job.

[t8yman]

I love cooking but have never done the Christmas dinner, are you going for the traditional turkey or something a bit different?