What's your favourite bit of Christmas? And your children?

[freakinundercover]

Mine is the anticipation. Decorating the house and making it all sparkly. Shopping for presents for my nearest and dearest that I know they'll love and enjoy...

My eldest just said her favourite part of Christmas is opening her stocking and getting lots of silly things from Father Christmas that I would say no to and thinking back on all the good things she has done that year to deserve her presents. (I have never told my children that FC brings them presents if they're good so not quite sure where that comes from!)

My youngest says it's Christmas eve and all watching a film together then waking up with a stocking filled with presents on the bed.

I think the build up is better than the actual day in many ways. I love the anticipation and the festive feeling in the air. I love the decorations, baking (especially the smell of cinnamon in the house), crafts, the movies, music... Just everything about it!

Christmas Eve is awesome, I still feel as excited as I did as a small child if not more!

I don't like the come down on Boxing day though, like a really shit hangover.

Seeing the kids open their presents. Never gets old.

.

My favourite bit of my children is the soft skin just in front of their ears.....

Christmas eve always used to be my favorite time. Pottering around and getting everything ready, eating chocs and watching Christmas films, new PJ's!! Now, it is seeing my daughters face light up on Christmas morning. Last year she was almost 18 months old so it was our first 'proper' experience of Christmas as parents and she was just so cute. She had about 10 little things wrapped up that 'Santa' had left her and she just kept on looking at them and saying 'oh tank oo Santa, tank oo!' When we went to PIL's and then to my parents she loved giving everyone else the presents we had bought them and then helped them open them! It was bloody brilliant!

I love the build up too, planning things for them. (DS has a December birthday too)

Today we went to Bluewater, they had a Young Driver Lesson each (early Christmas) really enjoyed it,
KFC for lunch and Pizza for dinner (I know, I know )

I wanted to go to the Christmas Shop. DS was

I said "Christmas doesn't just happen you know. It takes alot of planning"
DS (who will be 14 in a couple of weeks ) was horrified that we had lied to him all these years. Christmas was always seamless , they had no idea what went on behind the scenes.

That was always the nice bit for me, when everything came together and the excitement for the DC built up.

We do a London Day Out (to Kew this year)
DH and I take a day off to go shopping (no DC)
A family shopping trip late night
Cinema trip
DD and I go to the ballet

DS wants to go to the Toby Carvery for his birthday

Lots of nice things to look forward to. Then the final few days , hopefully organised and calm.