We're rocking around the Christmas tree, waiting for Santa to come to town. It's countdown to Christmas thread 4!!

[SideOrderofSprouts]

99 days to go

disclaimer. This thread is up early because I am old and tired and need to go to bed. It's actually 99 from midnight

BTW, I just realized that 77 looked wrong (as that means 11 weeks exactly, and I know that Christmas is on a Monday so it can't be) -

are we talking the 76 days until Christmas, or 75 to Christmas Eve?

Only 11 weeks until we'll be surrounded by wrapping paper and in the depths of panics about whether the turkey is done enough?!!

Aaagggghhhh - don't panic Countdowners, don't panic!!! (Channels Lance Corporal Jones....)

We got over excited last christmas and lost a day didn't we?

77 gets us to Christmas Eve as Sprouts was over-excited last Christmas Day and started the count at 365 instead of 366 (to include the day she was in!). So we are sticking to that! 😂

Nope, 77 days to Christmas Day. As in, on the 77th day, it will be Christmas Day.

Christmas Countdown Clock says 76 days and some hours. Which makes Christmas Eve (which I always thought was our countdown destination as, at that stage, we are prepped and ready for "The Big Day"!) only 75 days away!!

So we must have skipped a couple of days in between somewhere....

It’s 78 sleeps til Christmas Day today though!

Or maybe not. What went wrong here then?! I must’ve missed one somewhere!

Ah. I’ve somehow got us back to sleeps until Christmas, which IS 77!

Let's do the time warp again......let's do the time warp again.......!!

Biddypop, your list of accomplishments makes me feel inadequate Since it's October I feel justified in leaving the cobwebs alone as part of my early efforts at Halloween decor.

I’ve been quite productive recently too, actually! I’m not following that plan thingy, but I feel like I should be!

We’ve sorted our under stairs cupboard; rearranged and cleaned our kitchen cupboards; sorted on top of the kitchen cupboards; cleared a load of stuff out for charity; DH has cleared the sheds of superfluous stuff; and I mowed and also chopped the buddleia yesterday.

Our window cleaner came today; I don’t do that job!

We need to jet wash the flags at the back before it gets to freezing cold. We still have a bit of sorting and clearing to do, but we have a much less cluttered house than it was 6 weeks’ ago!

Oh, it’s oven and BBQ shelves being cleared overnight tonight so DH can rinse them without the kids being about tomorrow!

Ann, I’ve sent DH round to clear the cobwebs recently!

So how many days is it now? I am getting a lil confused . I haven't recovered from last year am still scarred by the extra day . I am debating getting my step neice and her hubbs a hamper from Aldis ....... I think I will sit on it for a while

Tickets went on sale today for our fave Santa visit, so tickets bought for ds. We usually put our tree and decs up first Saturday of December so that will be the 2nd this year, then I've booked the Santa visit for the day after on the 3rd at 3.30pm. The following Saturday we are off to another christmas event at an open air museum. The following week it's christmas party time with our friends and their three kids, then the do.lowing week it will be Christmas!!!! 🎅

Muddling what is your DS's opinion on Santa? My DS is the same age and I honestly can't tell if he still believes or if he is messing with my mind . For various reasons last year we didn't get to Santa as a family and I'd like to go this year as he will definitely be too cynical next year and I'll then have to wait to see if I'm invited along to Santa visits with my as yet imaginary grandchildren.

Woolly ds was only 10 in August and in year 6 but being an August baby is one of the youngest. He's quite immature for his age and I'm convinced he definitely still believes. While we were in hospital over the summer, he was watching you tube videos of kids opening Christmas presents. One little girl was really not happy about something she had received and was having a right old tantrum. Ds told me that even if Santa didn't bring him what he had asked for he would still be grateful for what he did bring and so should the little girl!

I know that the majority of his year 6 buddies do not believe so I'm a bit surprised that he still does.

Both my girls definitely didn't believe at age 10. I think they were around 7/8 when they stopped believing x

Hi everyone, sorry for dropping off!

Work got insane, DS is cutting his molars then had a virus with a ridiculously high temperature, I had toothache, then developed an infection in the other side of my mouth, the antibiotics are upsetting my stomach, I've started rehearsals for the local panto, and DSis had her baby on Friday but has declined to call him Threaderick Phew. I've been so busy, I haven't even made it to M&S to collect a copy of their Christmas food magazine!

So, I've spent the evening catching up with this thread. With my tummy rumbling at the photos of homemade mincemeat!

I'm pretty much finished with presents apart from my parents, who haven't decided what they want yet. Still haven't got the wrapping paper out of the loft, so that's a job for another day.

I've got 3 Craft projects on the go just in the bedroom, and I reserved Jamie Oliver's Christmas book at the library so I've got that to read when I get chance. I may be overstretching myself slightly...

Ooh, but, we're going to visit DH's dad and stepmum in France next month, and we have to drive past Paris so... we're doing Disneyland at Christmas! Eek! I'm so excited!

Ooh Firefly DS is desperate to go to DLP - but he only wants to go to the Star Wars shop to buy a lightsabre kit so has said he's happy for us to 'pop in' if we are passing. 😂 I'm celebrating a big birthday next year and I'm tempted to go - it could work out cheaper than taking my gigantic family out for a meal.

The prices are not quite as eye watering as I always thought. £750 for 3 nights/4 days for 3 adults and 2 year old DS staying half board in Disney accommodation. We could have done it cheaper and stayed at a non-disney hotel, but it worked out most convenient for us to do it this way.

I may bankrupt us in the gift shops, though...

Do you frequently pass Paris, Wooly?

That price seems OK really, Firefly. In the scheme of things!

I can just imagine Woolly and her cosmopolitan lifestyle, nipping through Paris on a regular occasion! 😂

Woolly, we are down your way the weekend after next. Staying in K, not C, this time though. I’ve booked C for our Christmas trip though!

76

Disney sounds great and really reasonable actually.

Bought dh some pyjamas from gap for his Christmas ones. Just me to find some for now.

I'm almost scared to countdown but...

76 I think

Muddling part of my confusion about believing/not believing is both DH and I were a bit naive about DD1 who had lots of quite worldly friends and we sort of assumed she'd worked it out for herself. However, she hadn't and we had to break it (gently) to a senior school child. DD2 had it sussed before the end of year5.

Firefly that is a good price. Our problem is that our two ADULT daughters wouldn't let us go without them.

Fluffy - enjoy your visit in the obviously inferior hotel. I'm taking my baby for a tour of your old school this week. DD1 is coming with us and we are fully prepared for her to spend the evening hogging all the teachers in all the departments that DS doesn't want to visit.

Lots to catch up on ... sorry if it’s already been mentioned, but...

Popped into m&s (got my food catalogue) and noticed an awful lot of Paddington stuff in the Christmas section, as in a really usually large amount - Im thinking hoping Christmas advert maybe? Or would that be too obvious?!

I know the new movie is out in November, but it seems an awful lot of stuff to just coincide with the movie!

Woolly this will be ds' last year of believing. I don't want him in high school next year and being made fun of. I think we can get away with it this year though as he's missed almost a whole year of school and is currently on a phased return with the hope of being full-time or almost full-time by January x

I think it depends on what the school is like and how the rest of the family is about it.

I don't recall ever being told but I knew from about 9 or 10 and continued to pretend until forever for the younger children and so I still got pressies!