Family time:
Sussanah has put together a montage of our family photos. You won’t find my son in any though. He sat in a corner protecting his broken foot and missed out on being in any photos. A Christmas Eve visit to the surgeon meant that he was able to get rid of the crutches and will not require any further treatment. Good news!
For the first time ever we held my family event a few days before Christmas. Our sister has gone out of town, so we wanted to get together before she left. WHY oh WHY have we not done this before? It meant that I cleaned, organised and vacuumed the house early. It meant that a lot of the wrapping was done early. It meant that the children all received their gifts in smaller doses, so they stopped to enjoy and appreciate them more. It meant that we had rested the night before, rather than the usual lack of sleep on Christmas Eve. It was an enjoyable evening for everyone. I am voting to do it again in all future years. My Pete said to me on Boxing Day that it felt like Christmas had just come and gone this year. It was so easy. I’m certain this is the reason.
The lead up few days to Christmas always seem a blur of last minute list making, sticky tape, cleaning and baking. We stayed well away from the shops on Christmas Eve, finished the shortbread and Mary’s chocolate ginger by 5pm, felt super-organised, then waited for our children to go to sleep. Damn teenagers and their nocturnal habits. When we finally snuck the presents out we found that the ungrateful little disbelievers hadn’t even left us a snack and drink!
Post Christmas lethargy:
Since all of the flurry and excitement we have done almost nothing. I have watched more DVDs than I thought possible. Mostly this, all three seasons. I love it! The weather has been highly supportive of my slovenly few days.
Cloudy skies and big, fat raindrops have made it very easy to lay on the couch and watch TV!
Last night I spent the longest time taking photos of the rain as it hit a puddle. (a perfectly normal pursuit and an excellent use of my time) It was just beautiful to see a still shot of the concentirc circles on the surface of the water! This photo is the one that I liked the most.
How cool is that?
Oh well, time to get busy… although one of the children received Heroes on DVD, wonder where that is….
Owww…I can see why you love that last photo Tracey – it actually reminded me of a quilt! True.
Your Christmas sounds soooo relaxing and laid back after everything was said and done. I like that.
DH’s parents always do the whole “Christmas a Week Before Christmas” thing for extended family.. although it only adds to my stress and list of ‘things to do, places to be’, so i’m not a fan.
Especially because we also have to do the REAL Christmas day thing too, with immediate family, so it’s like double-the-pain.
They skipped it this year ( yay ! ) because it’s the FIL’s 70th next month and they figured we’d all get together then.
Thank Christ.
( love your raindrop photos, and am glad you are having a lovely rest
Love the photos!
Glad you have had time to watch DVDs. Thanks to my darling sister we are plowing through Boston Legal!!
Happy New Year!!
Neat gingerbread house: something that the family of an architect would dream up!
Sorry to hear your son wasn’t an active participant in Christmas festivities due to his ankle. Hopefully he’ll be up and running (altho no kicking permitted!!) soon!
The image of the raindrops was intriguing but seems so out of sorts for me. (When I think of rain at this time of year, I think of vehicles sliding off the road and/or collisions, broken seniors’ hips, broken legs, arms and other injuries due to ice). Nowhere near the peaceful drops that you seem to be experiencing.
Enjoy the rest of your holidays!
If I break my foot next year can I sit in the corner away from the action? It sounds reasonable at the moment. Except I really, really dislike pain. Perhaps I’ll fake it.
LOVE the raindrop photo. Makes me want to do a little Gene Kelly number. And SOOOOOOOOOOOO jealous of that lovely Gingerbread house. Mine always look like they’ve been made by a drunk person. Even though I SWEAR I haven’t been Aunty.
Those photos are lovely. We had cooling rain too, & it was perfect.
Sounds like you have been having a chance to recharge your batteries.
Happy New Year. I wish you Joy & Love for 2008.
I am so envious of that last photo. I adore it. You have to be very patient to catch a moment like that and I am not patient!
BTW: I love taking pics of ( oh so rare ) rain too:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7711688@N04/1538973095/
That little green leaf up the top of yours looks like a little fishy to me
Happy Christmas, you guys. How bout that rain, huh? Gregory Street looked like Niagara Falls night before last – we could have kayaked all the way to the Strand!
My sister’s best present was all 3 seasons of Boston Legal. Of course, given to her by me. And as I only got to see a few episodes before they left for the south coast (how rude of them), I bought the whole lot for myself afterwards (from eBay for $50 less…)
Happy new year!!
Happy belated Christmas Tracey, Pete, Ashleigh and Philip. Hope you don’t get washed away by all that rain. And well done on achieving a stress-free celebration, no small feat.
Beautiful shot, with your gingerbread house echoing the shape of the Christmas tree in the background. I also very much like the overlapping circles you captured in the puddles.
Oooh, lookit you getting all photographic on us! It’s nice though!
Now, about that mini Christmas quilt…
Stay tuned.
I love that last photo!
And it sounds like a mighty fine way to celebrate Christmas too.
If you ever decide to go into fabric design you can start with that last photo….it’s a beaut!