I have been madly trying to shop since September in order to avoid the last minute rush, I have done pretty well, but still have cards to write and presents to wrap and then a big guy in a red suit takes all the credit, whilst I dose myself up on painkillers and put a smile on my face. Next year the big guy can do his own shopping. Typical man letting someone else do all the work then taking the credit! As my daughter keep telling me, no one sees the real Santa, I reckon he doesn't even do all this flying round the world stuff, probably gets his wife to do it! But we can't take the risk can we?!
To be fair all the months from September as geared up to Christmas, I am glad I don't go in shops the tacky music and mountains of gifts would do my head in. I am sick of TV adverts for kids toys and perfume, both of which seem very overpriced.
December you become a mad rush of how many parties you can fit in and how many pantos and carol services you can attend, or in my case I get everyone else ready for the parties and fun whilst I stay at home feeling like Scrooge.
Please tell me how did we get from Christ's birthday on December 25th a nice peaceful celebration to all this manic present buying, parties, and total madness? I am sure that Christ would not be impressed and he doesn't get to go to the parties either!
What happened to the advent calenders with little pictures in that counted down to Christmas day, now they have to contain chocolate or gifts or money, so that's 24 gifts before Christmas day even arrives.
Going back to the big guy in the red suit, where did he come from? Many kids don't even like him. My daughter is terrified at the thought of him being in the house and gets very anxious on Christmas eve and won't sleep in her own bed! She makes us promise he won't go in the room. Today she asked me how come he doesn't set the burglar alarm off when he comes in. I said perhaps he knows the code, but she thinks its something to do with super powers, ok who am I to argue!
So this week we have already had a Christingle service which was very nice and much more traditional with songs and candles in church. Next comes the school fair a manic event where we all go and buy back the stuff we donated! Don't get me wrong I what to support the school and there is not much other way of doing it, but it seems a bit like a bring and buy sale! Of course we do it for the kids and there is a lot of work put in by the organisers and kids.
Some people have got decorations up already and Christmas seems to get longer every year. I can't cope with a tree planted in the corner and flashing lights, having to move the furniture around and untangling everything that was put away neat and tidy at the end of last Christmas! Sorry decorations won't be up here for another 2 weeks.
Don't even start me on present buying the kids want everything under the sun and expect it even though they are not good as they promise to be so Santa comes. They get so much stuff that they put it away and never get it out again. Knowing what to buy for people is a nightmare and you always worry that you got it wrong or that its not good enough or not worth enough or compared to what they got from someone else. You save all the receipts (whoops think I forgot this bit!) as somebody will want to change something. You have to be grateful for the presents that you get and then hide many of them in the back of the cupboard because you don't want to admit you don't like it. Thinking the spirit of giving and receiving is getting a bit missed and why are we giving and receiving presents when its someone else's birthday?! I mean wouldn't you be a bit fed up if it were your birthday and you didn't get any presents but had to give them to others instead! I can relate to this though as my birthday is also my wedding anniversary and I have to give presents to my husband, we never thought of that when choosing our wedding date!
I would quite happily skip you December and go straight to January, I think animals that hibernate have the right idea, but how do you hibernate with insomnia?
We all like the idea of a traditional Christmas with carols round the open fire and snow on the ground. Not quite the same in front of an electric fire, even one with pretend flames and no chimney for the big guy in the red suit who now had other means of access, make sure you know what your kids think they are before you put your foot in it! Always portrayed on Christmas cards and soppy Christmas films. You never see a Christmas cards with the kids having tantrums, murky grey weather and pots piled high.
Don't get me wrong there are some nice events, but just too many of them, I mean how many Christmas fairs can you go to, how many Santa's can you see. Carol services are nice, but how do you fit them in. Parties, sorry over rated, but maybe that's just because I don't get to go to any bah humbug. The kids come back hyper on sweets and treats, the hubby comes back drunk and skint!
We start to panic in November about who you will spend Christmas day with, no one says what they really want and someone will be disappointed and everyone ends up agreeing to the things they don't want to do and spend the day worrying about the people you are not with and hoping they won't give you too much of a rough time when you do see them.
Well if I think you are bad, I guess I have to be glad I am not a turkey or a tree, December really is not a good month for them!
You are of course the end of the year too, we realise all the things that we haven't managed this year or how we haven't changed a bit since last year. We are all another year older and many people have left us, all these emotions conflict with the its December, Christmas you should be having fun, be happy.
Well I guess you are around for the next 30 days, so I had best make the most of it and try to be friends with you, but do forgive me if I get a bit fed up with you and call you names at times. Please don't be upset when I say I will be glad to see the back of you, but then we get January, think I might be writing to him as well as he is not my best friend either, hope that makes you feel a bit better!
Happy December!
I leave you with one of those pictures used make us think nice thoughts and cons us into December madness every year.
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