Christmas Eve

Haven't been to blogger land for a few days now due to a mixture of tiredness and busy-ness. It's now Christmas Eve. The children are tucking into some freshly made shortbread, making crumbs on the floor that Brendon swept and mopped thoroughly only a few hours ago. Soon, we will put out some beer and shortbread for Father Christmas, leave a bucket of water for the reindeer on the deck, and read The Night Before Christmas. A red and a green jelly are cooling on the bench. My new napkins are still waiting to be ironed - safety concerns mean that this needs to be done after the children are in bed. Quite seriously, I can't remember the last time I ironed. Maybe it was a business shirt when I was still working???

Apart from the napkins, the last job will be wrapping the children's presents. Everything is sitting there waiting. Aidan's present from Isabelle has already been done (we took the opportunity earlier today when Brendon and Aidan went out to buy some cornflour, which was required for the shortbread making).

Over the last few days we have made Christmas crackers, Christmas streamers and found out Rocky's probable day of birth. We have picked up the ham and some Christmas mince pies, done the last Christmas shop at the (busy) supermarket and looked in vain for some raspberries at a reasonable price. We went out to Upper Hutt for Uncle Shayne's birthday party, and put out some beers for our rubbish and recycling collectors.

Christmas dinner is here tomorrow, with six of us sitting down to a roast chicken and ham meal. We have visitors for breakfast and morning tea, then go off to Silverstream in the evening.

Having finished their shortbread, the children are "ballet" dancing to music from The Nutcracker and Swan Lake. Can't resist joining them, third trimester pregnant or not, so now I'll exclaim as I waddle out of sight:

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"