At this point I let out a very hearty sigh. I think I might 'cheat' a little and add in a few promises, of good things to come. Daughters both love having their nails done, so offering them the chance to go and get their nails done properly will no doubt be seen as a treat, and if I simply put this on a piece of paper (rather than getting them a gift token which involves me paying up front) I should be able to spread the christmas cheer a little bit, pay when they need it doing and still win loads of brownie points. Result! Son however fancies having games for his games console, most of which are totally unsuitable for a boy his age, so will have to have a rethink there. What do teenage boys like, apart from a free pass to stay up half the night and to sleep in in the morning?! It's hard deciding. It was so much easier when they were little and able to be given lots of loud and noisy toys courtesy of the big shop in the corner of the retail park, you know the one.... Buy a few noisy bits from there and everyone is happy (well apart from me having to put up with the din) For years I wanted only two things for christmas, a small cross pointed screwdriver and a packet of headache tablets. People helpfully kept buying presents needing batteries, only they forgot to buy the batteries. Well I say forgot, they either forgot, or were too tight to, I never did really establish which..I didn't mind though, children's toys involving batteries are far nicer without the batteries. And far easier on the nerves....
The next dilemma is what to have for main course on Christmas day, none of them are particularly fond of turkey and the trimmings and I am not particularly fond of spending the whole day attached to the cooker. One of them suggested getting a chicken, which suits me fine because at least its a darn side cheaper than turkey and there's less likelihood of us still ploughing our way through a chicken at the beginning of January.. One of my friends had chicken curry for Christmas lunch one year, and why not? Why spend hours making something that no one really wants to eat when the whole family loves a curry, with a few beers and some poppadoms. Unfortunately my lot can't agree on one particular style of cooking, so alas chicken curry is out for us. I am generally fairly happy as long as I have some good quality wine to hand, and preferably a nice big box of dark chocolates to munch on whilst the children happily squabble about what we're going to watch next...
I still need to write Christmas cards, years ago I used to write hundreds, now if you get a Christmas card from me you're very very honored, mainly because most of the people I'd like to wish a happy Christmas from is on my FB and its far quicker and cheaper to say 'Happy Christmas' via that.
At least this year I will be able to enjoy homemade Christmas cake, I actually got round to making one this year, rather than my usual buy-ingredients-in-october-ignore-them-till-its-too-late-buy-a-ready-made-one-at-the-supermarket effort. And I've managed to make one batch of mince pies already. Just need a bottle of Port to wash it down with an a Christmas Hits Cd and life would be perfect....
