I spy with my 10/10 eye, a snifter of currants in a fat mince pie

[FrannyandZooey]

For anyone who wants a boost to their general health. The suggested goals are:

EAT 10 PORTIONS OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES EVERY DAY - if you don't usually eat much fruit and veg I would build up gradually or you could upset your digestion.

DO (AT LEAST) 10 MINUTES OF EXERCISE EVERY DAY - can be yoga, stretching or something more energetic. The plan is that the idea of doing 10 minutes is not too daunting, and having started you may well find you want to do more.

There are no restrictions on what you eat so long as you get your 10 fruit and veg as well. The focus is not on weight loss but on improving our energy levels and hopefully our general mood and well-being. Sign up below and post here to tell us how you're getting on and how you are feeling.

Basic guidance on what constitutes a portion of fruit and veg here and you can download more detailed information by following the link at the very bottom of the page

I was wondering whether to do something diofferent and unusual, but maybe simple is best.

Inlaws here and so much to do and still achieved nothing! Still considering canceling phase one of dd2s party as feel so crap, and she's asleep with a temperature anyway.

Was shouting at dp last night for not helping me sort and do things on My Important List, but then I found he was making origami butterflies for his friend whose daughter died as she asked for butterflies instead of cards, as her daughter loved them. He was very sweet, and made 19 beautiful butterflies out of lovely paper (she was 19) and has just been over to see her.

We then went for a cup of tea in a cafe with no children but it was ruined by me crying snottily as he told me all about it.

I have permission to go to bed now so i will.

Boco I hope bed does you good.

I have lost all patience for arguments and lies and gameplaying and snubs and manipulation. I really fucking have. If anyone tried anything with me this year they can all sod off, I am not interested, it is SO BORING AND PATHETIC

have been to party was fun.

Hello

Oh dear, it#s that time of year isn;t it, when things go pearshaped and everyone howls.

DS is a bit better today but the kind of better where he wants to do things but hasn;t got the energy, so it all goes wrong very quickly.

I am feeling like someone took out my lungs and replaced them with lead weights and have gone to bed once already today and may have to go back soon.

DH is snippy and muttering "I bloody hate Christmas" under his breath because I have been shouting at everyone.

DS found the box with his stocking presents in it which I had got down from the top of the wardrobe but forgottent o tape up (presents not yet wrapped) and came to ask me what they were just as I was trying to stuff the cat into her carrier to take her to the cattery - an operation that usually involves major lacerations and chasing about under beds and stuff.

I went into a major panic and shouted a lot at DH, DS ran back upstairs to the spare room where the box was and shut himslef in and I opened the door, cue major, major tantrum which went on for about 30 minutes while I tried to catch the cat...no opportunity to explain anything rational about the presents. Then we all went out in the car and DS went to sleep and he is still asleep.

So, what the feck do I tell him when he wakes up? Box has now been packed in car but I fear the absence of box may make thigs worse.

Help!!!!

FK oh dear is it very very important to you that he absolutely believes in FC for now?

some alternatives that occur to me are:

you could say that mummies and daddies help FC by getting some of the presents?

I don't think 3 y olds (or in fact most children) care whether FC is strictly true or not, as long as they still get the magic feeling and the presents.

It is important that I give him some kind of explanation. I'm not sure how much he saw.

I will probably say something about FC being very busy and needing us to get some of the presents. But how to explain where they are now... Did FC just pop by and collect them...he might see the box again? Tangled webs

Avi you so have the right idea about all of this

oh dear I didn't give any alternatives did I

the other one was going to be just explaining that FC is about the love and magic of Christmas and not really an actual person

we told ds this but he insists FC is real, as he does fairies, etc

I don't think telling them the truth spoils things for them when they are this age - they believe what they want to anyway, and stop believing when they are the right age to

Isn't he quite little FK?

I'd wing it if it were me. I'd not SAY ANYTHING, I certainly wouldn't OFFER an explanation when he wakes up.

If he asks what they were just say they were 'presents for friends.'

He'll forget what was in there won't he?

I'd be airy and vague. I like airy and vague in a crisis.

he probably won't put two and two together by christmas morning.

By which I mean you'd be amazed at what you can get away with and you don't have to explain things all the time.

'Hmmm?' is very helpful at times like this and 'what darling? You saw what?' as are small vague smiles and a change of subject.

lol 100 - acting vague; that is my entire parenting repertoire...

100x, does airy and vague work when they are demanding food and you don't have the energy to move or think? If so, you could sell your system!

I don't think airy and vague works for food requests, but a full fruit bowl, and a stool on which to stand and reach the fridge, work wonders, from my own experience

Lol 100, that is so me. I hate confrontation of any sort and awkward moments. Coming up with a reasonable explanation is something I have to make myslef do despite my feelings of wanting to run away sticking my fingers in my ears shouting la la la.

Anyway, he hasn;t mentioned it again, and hasn;t gone looking for the box, so airy and vague it is until it should crop up again (which it undoubtedly will on Christmas Morning when he unwraps the things that he saw in the box). But I think that will be easier to explain rather than now, iyswim (that we bought some of the things to help FC out).

I think you are probably right F&Z about believing what they want to believe anyway

Right well anyway I'm not doing badly f&v wise despite a few chocolate biscuits sneaking their way in.

Everything is done pretty much and I'm looking forward to an early night and we are off to my family tomorrow morning.

oh fk - i think i would go for an all out drama fantasy involving one of santa's elves who decided to turn naughty and rebel against santa (oh it is all a bit like lucifer getting thrown out of heaven) He decided to try and ruin santa's plan by showing all the children their presents before christmas so no-one would like santa any more and he could be the new santa but because the children loved santa so much they all forgot about seeing the presents and then santa gave all the reindeer some magic straw that turned them all vicious and they hunted down the naughty elf and ripped him limb from limb.

well maybe not the last bit.

oh and i know that it is wrong to lie to children and trust and all that but i cannot help but desend into a world of fantasy and drag them with me - but they know - they are always telling me I am making things up - but then we live in a world inhabited by a monkeygoblin and an evil kitchen bat.

fk - you have the makings of a thread title there - something like "it is christmas time - has it all gone pearshaped for the 10/10ers?"

Oh no TooT - it only works for things like FK's problem. I was just recommending not offering an reason or anything about it. I think we can over-explain things actually, and if you adopt airy and vague you get away with all sorts of difficult things.

You sound tired TooT. I am tired and sulky. I have been cooking all day. We have made a gingerbread house with serious subsidence. And we made that chocolate thing MrsC - it's delicious - and the children were sent out with bags of it to neigbours. They came back and said 'sorry we were a while, Mrs X wanted to show us her toads.'

do you live in royston vasey?

We gave Nigella fudge cake. She gave good toad viewing.

oh god this is the thread where we say about fruit and vegetables oh maybe am mistaken.... will anyway.

3 apples
salad at lunch
mince pie dried fruit
leeks and pasta and cheese

BBBee, that's an idea. Shall we count the points in some traditional Christmas things?

Ok I'll start

Sherry trifle with a tin of fruit salad in it - 1

ooh me too! glace cherries in homemade truffles

ginger wine

squished cocoa beans blended -with-- sugar and milk

chocolate orange

pickled shallots

five a day!

i'm for fantasy lying every time babes

erm

banana (not albanian like zippi, just the usual kind)
raisins
kiwis
mushrooms in dp's fab cheesy frittata (we have been having this quite a bit lately )
erm a tiny few artichokes, ditto sun dried tomatoes, at the party
bit of salad in sandwiches
some hummus and carrot sticks

not bad not bad, C for effort I think

ooh ooh SWEETCORN

and I know new potatoes don't count but they were very tasty