So Christmas And Stuff

We got Christmassy all up in our hizzle this weekend and it was glorious.

I decided to heck with it, we feel like putting up the tree now so we’re going to and also, if we don’t do it now then, at the rate the kids social calendars are filling up, we would only get to put it up after Christmas!  But really mostly because, like why not?

It was a massively huge hit compared to last time.  The girls helped me take the branches out and fluff them up, they even managed to get a couple of them into the right holes.  I think it helped that I had super low expectations and then Seth took them out half way to for a milkshake.  I got the tree ready for them while they were gone so that the hard work was done and they could just enjoy the fun of decorating it.

They loved putting up the decorations and even though they all seem to be localized to the lower branches, the tree is looking fabulous.  It’s our first Christmas in our new space and putting the tree up is really making the house feel like ours.  Now that we have an actual fire place we need to hook ourselves up with some good looking stocking to hang over it, I’ve always wanted to do that!

But despite the new house and the cool new things that we get to do, putting the tree up has somehow started signalling Summer in my mind.  I’m already planning the pool parties, park playdates, New Years dinners and relaxed afternoons by the braai in my head – I can’t wait to have people over!  I have never been so excited to have people over before.

We also got out the Kyla and Riya angels out (my bro got them at a craft market last year – I love them!).

A serious family tradition in our house is becoming coloured flap jacks – rainbow flap jacks are awesome but they take even more time, so we pick a colour depending on our mood and run with it.  Because it’s Christmas and the tree is green, we went with green.

We finally got the kids in bed (it took a while after all the excitement of the day) and during their prayer time Kyla said, “God, pwease make my toys come alive and be real” and I pretty much melted.  I was still a bit unsure if I was actually going to carry this promise out because I have not managed to get Seth to believe in the magic of it all.  He still thinks that it’s stupid, but I am persevering despite his resilience.

My Mom donated some dinosaurs, which added extra interest because they had never, ever seen these toys before.  These polite dinosaurs decided to call a toy meeting to introduce themselves.

They were so considerate that they even left a note introducing themselves to the kids.

I know you’re wanting to know how they reacted right?

As it turns out, all the kids slept through the night in their own beds.  Second time in like, their whole lives.  But anyway, when Riya woke up, instead of coming through to our room (which, I might add, she does EVERY morning without fail) she decided to go to the lounge instead.  I know right!

So she comes back to our room carrying one of the dinos, in my only just woken up and miserable morning state, I took too long to register what was happening.  Because Seth doesn’t care, he hardly acknowledged it and because I was still half a sleep I kind of shouted at her to “drop everything and leave it exactly as it was” because Kyla hadn’t seen it yet.  If that’s not a giveaway of how the toys came alive then I don’t know what is.  Anyway, I tried to save it by reading them the note.  Kyla’s eyes were wide with interest, Riya didn’t listen at all and just pretended to attack the Barbies with the dinos and Knox was busy chewing the yellow one in the corner.

All in all it was a mediocre success.  Here’s hoping the next couple of days are better or I am really going to struggle to keep this going!