To tell you that it is only

[RabidEchidna]

307 days till Christmas

Do I have the record for the first Christmas thread of 2012?

11

Rabid you're up late or very early. Any luck with the heating?

We are off to pantomime today . It will be dd's first time and I haven't been in years. We are taking my 88 year old Granny as part of her Christmas present, hope she likes it .

yes I wondered what Rabid was up to at the unholy hour of 3am.

Pantomime with 3 generations is a lovely idea. What are you going to see? It's a bit creepy when the Baddie comes on stage (we saw IIRC Dick Whittington when my DD was 3.6 yo. Her eyes were like saucers.But King Rat was in a green light with clouds of smoke. Bit woooooo )

My DD has progressed to ballets now (she's 10.6 yo and thinks shes too old for Panto)
Oh no you're not........

Oh FOUR generations !

10

I was feeding my nephew, so his mummy could sleep
Christmas open house today, cooking up a storm, I LOVE IT

Heating quote was just shy of £900 Landord replied "are you serious? its Christmas I can't afford that" House hunting time me thinks

He's shooting himself in the foot really (not only is it the Landlords responsibilty to maintain a property) but if you say "I'm going" then he'll have to return your deposit (unless you trash the place ) and pay for heating to be repaired before he'd get new tenants.
So he'd risk leaving it empty/no rent income.

Citizens Advice Bureau might be able to give you a hand here (Unless you want to move anyway)

Sounds like you've got the original Scrooge as our landlord, I agree with 70s I am sure it's his responsibility to maintain the property. Hope you get something sorted. The open house sounds lovely, I would to do something like that next year.

The panto was great, although dd was terrified of the baddie. She keep hiding behind seats when he came on, bless her.

I am off on another night out tonight, I feel that I have just recovered from last weekend so not sure how much I'm going to enjoy it - I'm sure a few sambuccas will help

And then from Monday dd has something on everyday until next Sunday! It's going to be a busy week as we need to fit in delivering presents to family in there somewhere.

I'm going to step into the breach because I reckon Rabid has her hands full with dodgy heating, Landlords and small nephews,

9

Thank you 70s

Yes 9 single figures, singles figures

Heating is going to be fixed

8
This time next week CHRISTMAS EVE

I may have overdone the sambuccas on Saturday night! I was very hungover yesterday, will I ever learn?

This week dd has trip to cinema, 3 christmas parties and a carol service to attend. I cannot wait for the holidays to begin so we can just slob out in our pyjamas - but that could be the leftover hangover talking!

Rabid great news about your heating.

So, with only 8 days left are we all set for the big day?

7

6

Almost there ladies.

6 days! I really wish dd's nursery was on holiday already so we could enjoy the build up more.

I have been busy cleaning out the bedrooms and kitchen. We are going to do all our Santa wrapping on Sunday when dcs go to my mums. We are also going to do the big shop then when it is probably ridiculously busy. The shopping list is getting longer and longer!

I have nearly finished 30 Snowman Soups for Dd's class (her birthday treat to them all) that have to be delivered tomorrow. Luckily, there is a "Christmas Breakfast" party, including hot choc, happening this morning so she was quite happy not to bring in more hot choc today. I bought the last few hot choc mixes this morning on my way to work, and I will print off the last 16 toppers in a few minutes (once I'm sure de boss is really gone to his meeting).

And I got the last of my parcels for posting sent off this morning (official final day was yesterday, but I'm sure they'll reach the wilds of Scotland before Tuesday!!).

DD was high as a KITE this morning though, I pity the teachers trying to keep her under any sort of control (just loopy!!). Oh well, DH is on duty tomorrow night and Friday night (when the real excitement levels will be ramping up as she'll be on holidays - and I will be out on the tiles with 2 different work events!!).

Gifts wrapped, cards gone, Tesco shop done, just got to have another clean DPs parents arrive tomorrow, the start of the Christmas guest, followed by my sister, her boyfriend and their baby on Sunday (but they are staying with my first husband) then my mother on Christmas eve then we have 4 friends coming boxing day

I'm just getting the decorations up (oh the shame of it).
I had my DS birthday.Then both DC were ill (nothing serious .That lurgey that goes round. Sent home from school type unwell).

Blardy central heatng trauma earlier had to have floorboards up....

I did get the Advent Tree, the lovely door wreath organised.

Decorations in the process of going up. Tree probably tonight (if the DC want to help that would be lovely)

Shopping
Cooking
Tidy Up
Cinema on the 24th

5

I was at dd's carol singing today, it was so lovely. Although dd kept singing about the baby teezus who was in a changer! So nursery is over at last. Still no peace as dcs have 2 more parties and we have to deliver all the presents.

70s did you get tree up?

biddy how did the snowman soup go down?

I dropped off the bag this morning, but didn't stay for the distribution - teacher was more interested in making sure I knew about the over-tiredness apparent in DD (as tempers are on a very easily rocked keel at the minute), although acknowledging that all the kids are tired (it just manifests itself in DD as more uncontrollable reactions to things).

I'll probably hear tonight when she gets home, although she was happy with the end results - or else over "Mum's drinks" at some point (it's where I've heard most about the previous versions - Reindeer poop last year, and Snowman or Santa covered kitkats the previous year - that one is NEVER being done again in bulk!!).

Aah dd found the Christmas Eve boxes. They were stashed at the back of my bedroom cupboard, so not sure why she was in there and also why dp let her. Her hamper was in a Disney princess box so that probably caught her eye. I don't think she saw everything, but she did tell me Minnie Mouse was in it - it's a Minnie shower scrubber thing.

She is only 4, not sure if she will remember or not?

4

Snowman soup feedback - Apparently there were "lots" of kids who don't like mint and wanted a strawberry candy cane (would that be a good mental note to re-do this for next year, only many more strawbs than mints?). So DD had to go straightaway to give a strawb one to the girl who had previously said she hated mint (one of her good friends) and she was able to give 1 to everyone in the class, the teacher, TA and her SN teacher, and to her other really good friend in the other class (2 classes per year). But otherwise, I got the usual lack of feedback as that was hours before I saw her.

Although at least she slept a full night last night (we had to wake her for school) but she was still hopping off the ceiling again. Oh well, it's up to DH to get her asleep tonight (I will definitely be home later than her bedtime, even if I wussed out last night).

Buzzgirly, were the hampers from you or the elves? You could always play dumb and not have noticed them yourself (especially if they have moved by the time you go to "investigate" her story).

I need a week of sleep. Then I may be able to tackle the rest of the festive season!!

Got the tree up (finally)

Got to put the empty boxes back in the loft.
Did a Waitrose shop today
Sainsburys shop is on Sunday (with my Nectar Rewards to spend)

A baking session with the DC (cakes) for Christmas Eve.
DC and I are going to the cinema on the 24th (DH working)

Slowly getting there