Fireworks, bonfires and long winters' eves will herald the Rat Smacketeers' BFPs this month and we are Brooking No Argument!

[Shrieklette]

Welcome to our new humble abode for the next six weeks or so, Brookers!

Here's hoping this fred will be as lucky as sparks' and scarlett's [hgrin]

Aw Sparks Christmas is so complicated here. DH feels obliged to go out for Christmas lunch with his family and I would prefer not go out. I would prefer to go to my parents for a home cooked Christmas lunch, DH doesn't like that says it is bedlam which it is. So every year one of us has to compromise. This year is especially complicated as DH thinks we should support FiL who is down on his luck through his own fault but another storey for AIBU if I were brave enough Bet you are glad you asked!!!

Anyways any suggestions for my Christmas name change? How about SweetieSnowball? or SantaSweetieSurprise?

I will check back to see what everyone else has said, it seems busy in here today.

sweet clip I failed to post correctly before

Hope this works this time.

Oh dear sweetir I'm glad things aren't that complicated for us!!

we stay at home, have dinner sometimes with my mum but she usually goes to my sisters. the day starts with a few gifts, massive fry up, play, drink (well not this year) pop to the pub for an hour to see db before starting the big cook, I love Christmas what does everyone else do?

bartlet how about PresentsForBartlet?

sweetie I love SweetieSnowball or you could just be ChristmasSweetie? That clip was sweet but I couldn't watch it to the end. Just having one of 'those' days I think. I wonder if I would have the patience to do something like that all the way through from start to finish, or would I get bored at 4.5 months hehe

sparks Well done on finishing secret santa, this is my first year of not organising it but that's mainly because it hasn't crossed dink-boss's tiny little mind that it might be nice to have a team christmas meal. That said, we have 5 meals planned already so a sixth would probably be a bit much... Our Christmas should be pretty quiet, we tend to keep ourselves to ourselves and, being Pagan, do our 'thing' on the 21st so are sitting back enjoying our fourth version of boxing day by the time everyone else is stressing getting their turkey dressed I would personally like to go really low-key this year, just do a bog-standard roast dinner with maybe a couple of crackers left over from last year. Somehow I don't think MrGeek will wear that though - he is already planning the Christmas booze while I'm still trying to work out how I am going to do Christmas weightloss (back up to needing to lose 8lb - not good ladies!)

Ooh I forgot about the Christmas name for Sweetie I like sweetiesnowball :)

Ah, okay, the MrGeek reference has let me work out who MaryDidnt is! I was fascinated to read that "being Pagan, do our thing on the 21st" etc. Tell us more about that. I know that in polite society, we are not supposed to talk about religion or politics, but I am just really interested as I have never known anyone who would describe themselves as a Pagan before.

We made Advent calendars at Brownies tonight, so we are beginning to get in the Christmas spirit, but I am not sure that I can quite face a Christmas name change until Saturday at the earliest!

I prefer SweetieSnowball too.

geek we don't go mental on the food front, just have a turkey crown, and use the short cuts available aunt Bessie's yorkie puds etc!! Mrsparks has been told he can have a drink but that's it!!

Oooo Geek you should be using my name in that case!

morning all! sparks that sounds like a lovely christmas, especially as you will be knowing all is well with twinkle so can just be quietly excited. We normally go to either my parents' (great fun, lots of siblings etc) or to DH's mother (not fun. lots of bitching. have to visit his dad too). This year we have my brother and SIL visiting and will be on the beach. awesome!

my job finishes just before christmas, and nothing sorted for next year yet. I'm not too bothered...

bartlett are you now discharged from consultant care, lovely? Hope you and the other triple whammiers are doing well. You must be, what, 7 months now? Wonder who'll pop first... Do you all have the same EDD?

happy birthday for yesterday, maybe. I am very impressed at someone knowing that...!

bit rainy here today. Humph.

ooh i want an advent calandar!!!

and solars 14th dec is awesome. great to get that out the way and then get on with your xmas bfp! Aren't you in the tww now? when will af not be coming?

meany bo beany faces!!!!

My name now sounds less to do with Santa having access to copious amounts of porn!!!!

keep your normal Christmas sound more like ours than idealic Sparks festivities. Am well of your situation this year though.

barlett as brown owl do you get to keep one of the home made advent calendar? How are you doing my dear?

Sorry ffsmary I didn't mean to upset with that clip, sorry if you were feeling a bit down {{{hugs}}}

Right I have the morning off to get my hair done, get me i am almost a lady who lunches!!
Will be back laters all glam and coiffured.

Keep how weird will it be spending christmas on the beach?

Geek Yes it would be nice if you'd tell us a little more! I dont really do christmas for the whole christian link, just cus I like sparkly things and turkey and getting presents [shallow].

Bartlett how do you 'make' an advent calendar? Im assuming this isnt a chocolate style one?

Im currently contemplating whether I should go and get cakes for my office as its my last day, but as there are no 'sorry you're leaving' banners up, I might blow the morning on a stupidly unhealthy english breakfast instead!! bahahahaha

I love how my christmas is idealic /[smug]
My old ones, pre mrsparks, were pretty rubbish, so Im making up for lost time!!!

Snowie Yay for a festive name change, but you get zero points for a rubbish twirl!!!! have fun lunching!!

can you tell Im currently trying to help you guys fill up this thread so you can have a proper festive one!!!

idyllic, girls, not idealic
[pedant]

we need some new blood. All us lot have been hanging around ages, we need some new whipper snappers. Ideas?

Just popping my head in, will catch up properly later!

We don't celebrate Christmas really but as we all have the time off we do get together, we do alternate years at my family and DH's family. But then we try, if we can to fit the other family in over the period, however DH has been on call the last few years so it's been tricky, i think this is the first time he's not since we've been together. This year is my family! But we may go to inlaws on boxing day. All the kids do get pressies though, not usually the adults we get ours at Diwali!

Catch up properly later x

Sitting in Sainsbury's cafe having drunk a bottle of Lucozade and waiting an hour to get my bloods done. (Yes, antenatal bloods are done in Sainsbury's here!) having drunk 273ml of the disgusting stuff, I am feeling pretty queasy!

Confused by all the name changes though! Just got Solars namechange - very clever. We celebrated Diwali at Brownies. One of the girls who is a Hindu told us the story of Rama & Sita and then we made rangoli.

sparkly , I'll take a picture & put it up on Facebook later because I am very proud of it! The Brownie Guide law is 'A Brownie Guide thinks of others before herself & does at least one Good Turn every day', so, instead of chocolate, when you open the flap, there's a good turn to do each day. Just as much fun as eating chocolate surely...

sweetie, yes, I get to take one of the advent calendars home because I had to make an example one. DH had lots of fun that evening :-/ but I enjoyed it.

Will get on with a namechange soon. Just not feeling inspired, so, as my DS would say, "help me!" (except whenever he says that, it is because he wants to help us no matter how dangerous or inappropriate that might be!)

Oh yes solars i hear you. dh has worked every Xmas since he qualified, so 'Christmas' for us isn't nec on the 25th...

Bartlett good luck for bloods. That advent calendar's not exactly one to make you leap out of bed in the morning.....

Ha ha my niece does the same. No darling, I will not help you pull that pile of clothes on your head/open the dangerous window/get you out of your car seat... Does he understand about the baby?