On Christmas Day 2012 we booked a very special holiday for Matilda Mae’s first birthday in May 2013. We are going to Coombe Mill Farm. I have been wanting to go for over a year now and finally it is all confirmed. I cannot wait for our week away and for Esther and William, and Matilda Mae, to get really close to the animals. I know that we are going to have a wonderful time.

Because of this extra special family present I thought it fitting that I join in with Fiona’s Christmas Blog Hop.

So here I am.

Merry Christmas Everyone.

We have had a lovely time!

Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve we had some friends round for a champagne brunch. It was a lovely relaxed day and we ate smoked salmon, scrambled eggs and muffins. Our friend brought round a Yule Log and cream which made the meal complete. We cracked crackers and exchanged presents and the festivities were truly begun. After watching The Snowman together we said our goodbyes. David and I took the children to the local crib service. It was lovely to hear the Christmas story and sing some traditional carols. I love Christmas Eve. Esther and William went early to bed and Matilda Mae was not far behind. David and I finished the final preparations for Christmas Day. I was a little disappointed that Esther and William are still really too young to understand the intricacies of our Christmas traditions. Next year I think is going to be our first truly magical year. I am excited for it already!

Festive Fashion!

Meeting Matilda Mae

Exchanging Cards

Giving Gifts

Sharing Stories

Our Christmas Star

What’s In Santa’s Sack?

Stockings

Secret Santa!

Christmas Day 2012
Christmas Day started quietly as Matilda and I were alone exploring her Christmas Sensory Box. I have put all the contents of this away now to recreate next year as all three of the children enjoyed playing with it through advent. On reflection I wish that I had used this early morning time to open some presents with Matilda Mae as she did not really get to open any of her festive goodies until the day after Boxing Day. William was the first to open his stocking with David and I in the lounge. He was so excited and loved each off the traditional toys he pulled from his stocking. I think for Esther and William these stocking gifts would have been enough. They could not believe their eyes when they found all the rest of their presents in the playroom. They delighted in each of their openings and it really was wonderful to watch them open and explore all of their new books, puzzles and toys. They even liked the hats that I bought for them!
We had a lovely breakfast of pancakes, maple syrup and bacon whilst watching The Snowman and The Snow Dog which Esther and William enjoyed much more than David and I.

We joined the rest of the extended family for lunch with David’s Mum and Dad. We do this every year so that all the cousins can get together for presents and for lunch. It was a lovely afternoon and all the children were really well behaved. I was very proud of Esther and William indeed. They were great company for the whole day.

In the evening I got my presents from David including a very cool wireless printer. Living the dream!

Christmas Sensory Box

Stocking Sound Machine

Traditional Toys

Break On Through

Scoot Scoot!

Rock A Bye Baby

Wheels On The Bus!

First Christmas Dinner EVER!

Boxing Day
On Boxing Day we went for a walk and a scoot around Bedgebury Pinetum. We then went back to Granny’s for lunch. Another lovely family day. It was nice to get home though, especially for the children who really wanted to play with their presents. And still had presents to open!!

Scooter Sister

Scooter Brother

Scooter Envy from her Graco Evo

All through this Christmas 2012 I have been thinking about what has worked and what has not in preparation for Christmas 2013 which I think will be our most magical yet as Esther and William will really be ready to believe. This year they loved Father Christmas and knew that something exciting was going on but next year I think they will truly love putting out food for the reindeer, baking cookies for Father Christmas and all those other traditional things. I cannot wait!

David and I have agreed that we will always have Christmas morning home alone while Esther and William are young. It is such a magical time for our little family and I want to treasure the moments and the memories for always.

Merry Christmas Everyone x

We wish you all the best for a happy and healthy 2013 x

It is apparently the season to be jolly and believe me I am trying but all my plans just seem to fall flat or cause our whole family to fall out.

I have just put Esther and William to bed for their second attempt at a day time sleep. I have turned the monitor off and I am leaving them to it. As I type this they are getting out of their sleeping bags, throwing all their bedding out of the cot and just generally getting up to no good.

Their first attempt at a nap today did not go at all well and ended up with Daddy, me and even my wonderful best friend going into their room to tell them off. It started with a gentle scolding, lots of bribery of all the good things that would happen to them if they slept and ended with them being put in separate rooms before we finally gave up and got them out of bed. By this time I was so cross with them and with myself for being cross with them. It was all getting out of hand. My husband was cross with me and I with him. And all for what. Esther and William just don’t understand.

I finally got them up as Esther was screaming and William was attempting to smash a mirror against his cot. There was no way either of them intended to sleep. They wanted to play so I got them up to play. During all the to-ing and fro-ing leading up to this extraction from their cots they had been told that if they did not sleep they would not be able to play with Michele, my best friend and their Godmother.

So, as they had not slept I felt that I had to follow through with what I had said which left me no choice but to ask Michele to go home.

Daddy was busy working upstairs leaving me alone with the unraveled mess. We have family coming tonight expecting to take Esther and William to see Father Christmas. Esther and William will not be going to see Father Christmas.

As I write this they are screaming at the top of their voices messing around still with no intention of sleep.

When and how did my adorable children become so naughty?

Perhaps I am trying too hard to make Christmas special for them? Perhaps I should never have intended to take them out tonight to see Santa parade through our village?

Perhaps we should not have taken them to the pantomime that we had to leave shortly after the interval as Esther and William were screaming that they just wanted to go home.

Until very recently Esther and William were reliably sleeping for a couple of hours during the day meaning they could do something nice in the early evening. When they do not sleep during the day they are horrible from 3.30pm on and end up in bed and asleep by the latest time of 6pm. Often it can be before 5!

So what would you do? Today is over. They are not napping and so they will be too tired to go out and see Santa but what about on other days?

Do I just accept that they are not going to sleep in the day and that doing anything after 3pm each day is a waste of everybody’s time?

I am at an utter loss for what to do.

I am exhausted. I am tired of getting repeatedly angry with them and gaining nothing.

They do not understand why we get cross.

I feel like I am fumbling being a mummy at the moment and just causing everyone a lot of unnecessary stress.

I need to come up with a solution, find a way forward but I am holding my hands up and saying I do not have a clue where to start.

I know that people have trodden this path before me and I am hoping that someone will be able to shed some light or even show me the way?

What should I do? What could I do? What would you do?

Leading Each Other Astray!