Tis the most wonderful time of the year

Christmas Plans

Christmas plans are a delicate and stressful thing and it's easy to upset family members without much effort. We've been putting it off, which is extremely odd for a control freak, and still haven't decided what we're doing for Christmas Day.

We have the invite to go down and stay a few days with my parents, but with Guy's work and the dog it isn't really possible, so we'll probably only go for a few hours. The idea is sound in principle. We'll have Christmas Eve at home with our hot chocolate and PJs and wake up with the puppy on Christmas morning to waffles, or pancakes, or some other yummy breakfast, and then open our stockings and presents. Afterwards we'll go for a lovely walk if the weather holds out, or a very quick one is it doesn't, before packing up the car and heading to my mum and dad's, singing Christmas songs all the way.

We did this a couple of years ago but it didn't turn out so great. In fact it turned into a proper family drama. The morning was fine - a perfectly happy and calm morning full of Christmas cheer. But by the time dinner rolled around there was arguing, and sniping, made all the worse by too many drinks, and we'd only been there for an hour. Dinner itself was filled with tears and storming out the room, and that was just my mum. The whole thing was rushed and far from enjoyable. I didn't talk to my sister for quite a while because of the way she snapped at me. To say I'm not overly looking forward to a repeat performance is an understatement. Luckily we have the perfect excuses and I intend to use them.

Of course it could be different this year - less dramatic, more good will to all men... one can only hope.

I've decided that I want to visit my uncles and aunt before we head back home as well, but trying to squeeze everyone into 3 or 4 hours will be difficult; I mean there's Christmas dinner, which takes forever, and then the swapping of presents, and we'll need at least 30 minutes to visit with each of my other relations. But we can't leave the dog for too long and we can't take her with us so we'll be time restricted.

Next year will be bump's first Christmas and we'll be staying at home. I'm going to suggest that my mum and dad come up for it. I'm looking forward to starting lots of traditions with bump over the next couple of years. It will be nice to be at home for the whole holiday.

I also just found out my brother is going down to my mum's on Christmas Day, which means I have another present to buy. I hardly even see him and we usually don't bother get each other presents, but I don't think mum will let us get away with it this year. Guy and I went shopping last night to try and finish off out Christmas shopping (apart from Guy - it's hard to shop for him when he's there), but I didn't find anything, so there's still my brother an nephew to buy for, and I'm stuck on what to get them.

I'm hoping to finish all the shopping Saturday, that way I can spent the rest of the weekend wrapping, so I best get the ideas flowing fast.