December 2008 Archives

Why do people spend so much money on babies at Christmas? There must be some kind of emotional feeling attached to actually buying the gifts and seeing them under the tree because any child under two just isn't capable of appreciating lots of expensive, brand new presents.

Two days after Christmas I checked Facebook and found there'd already been a deluge of photos added of people's kids (and more importantly their presents) on Christmas morning.

7 - 10 days my backside. I was told that children usually don't suffer after they have their MMR jab for at least a week. It took the Kid a few hours before he got a high temperature and started to be a bit grumpy.

Hello, hello! It has been a BUSY five days! The Christmas Tree is now up and decorated, many a present has been purchased and wrapped, the mince pie filling is ready for people coming round tomorrow and I have no intention of writing anymore cards. Phew!

The fact that the present part of the proceedings is complete is an achievement in itself, as the vast majority of them have been made by my own fair hands.

You see as a family we quite literally do not buy into the whole idea of giving gifts for the sake of giving gifts. Christmas has become a very impersonal affair, buoyed by consumerism. I just can't see the point of spending money on a person, when most of the people I know want for nothing. It is especially annoying knowing that most of the things bought right now will tumble in price in a matter of days.

Yesterday me and The Boy were making jam drops for his class Christmas party. I'd walked out of the kitchen, leaving The Boy to add the jam. Add it he did.. but neglected to make the 'drops' out of the dough first. He just whacked a load of jam in the bowl and mixed it all up.

When I explained that the whole lot would have to go in the bin, a mini argument ensued. I was insistent that the mess needed to be cleaned up. He was adamant he would have to make something out of the sloppy mess in the bowl..

"Everyone at school will HATE me if I don't bring anything in" He said desperately.
"They won't hate you. They won't mind at all. Just explain.."
"You don't understand, I have to bring something. I have to mom."
"No, what you have to do is clean this mess up." I said patiently. "There's nothing we can do now about these cakes. We've no ingredients left."
"I can make dough drops out of this, mom. I just need to seperate the jam from the flour. Please let me mom, please!"
"You can't seperate jam from flour! You're not Jesus! (I was obviously referring to that famous event in the Bible, when Jesus seperated the jam from the flour.) This is getting silly, now start tidying up, I mean it!"
"YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT ME!" Raged The Boy. "If I DIED, all you'd care about is blood on the floor!"

It was at this point I walked out of the kitchen and began lauging till I cried. That was truly the funniest thing I'd heard in a long, long time.

Oh, and we did end up making some more jam drops out of ingredients scraped from the cupboards.. but apparently no one ate them anyway. You live and learn!

The Kid has been ill all week again. It just feels like it's all the time now. He went fourteen months with having no antibiotics now he's on his second lot in a month. He was supposed to have his MMR today but there was just no way he could, so now he's booked in for Christmas eve. Joy.

So, it's a week till Christmas and not a mince pie has been made, a card given out, a present wrapped.

And just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, Matthew King from off of Emmerdale goes and dies last night.

It's a good job The Boy said probably the funniest thing ever said by a young child yesterday. Cheered me right up. I shall write about that in the next blog..

And so it is the time of year at which many a parent embarks on the relatively new tradition of purchasing some small token for their child's teacher or nursery nurse.

I think most people now feel it's kind of obligatory to buy some form of present; little 'best teacher' models, chocs, jewellery, bottle of wine etc. I've seen all sorts given to teachers, and I've given gifts myself - years ago I have to say, when The Boy was new to school and I felt a lot of pressure to keep up with the other moms on the playground.

As the years have worn on however I have developed my own theory as to what makes a perfectly appropriate, suitable gift for these hardworking professionals. It's a bit novel I must admit but hear me out.

When I told Chopper (34 year old woman who literally cries with excitement when she thinks of Christmas) that we were getting our tree from Wood's Farm this week I couldn't believe the telling off I got. Until then I'd never really thought about the effect real trees have on the environment.

Despite the fact that Christmas trees are green all year round, chopping them down in their thousands, smothering them with brightly coloured plastic for two weeks isn't.

I preach to the world to drive Smart cars and to recycle every shred of paper they use. Isn't killing a tree every year a tad hypocritical?

I suppose my argument of "I like the way it makes the house smell" is about as valid as "I drive 4x4s because they make me feel successful".

What is the eco-friendly alternative to a good old Douglas fir then? Surely one made out of plastic, riddled with fibre-optics would have to be used for years and years and years before it would pay for itself environmentally.

There's nothing like a festive film to get you full of Christmas spirit. Here are the ten best to watch with your little ones over the forthcoming holidays...

10 How The Grinch Stole Christmas
9 The Santa Claus
8 Miracle on 34th Street
7 Santa Claus The Movie

Yesterday was German Market day for us - I'm so in the Christmas mood now! I love it!! A cinnamon pancake washed down with Gluhwein is definitely the way forward. Although it's not exactly great value for money; at £2.50 for a bratwurst hotdog and £3.00 for a glass of mulled-wine you'll have to raid your Christmas savings just to eat.

That said I think that The Frankfurt Christmas Market is a tradition for most Brummies now. I don't know many people who don't make a yearly pilgrimage there.

My fourteen month old son is incredibly forward, he's at the academic level of a two year old already! At least that's what I tell myself when he's rolling round on the floor, emmitting a noise that is somewhere between a growling pig and a screaming banshee.