Are you looking forward to or dreading xmas ???

[IllegallyBrunette]

I am more or less looking forward to it.

I do get slightly upset at things being the way they are at what is supposed to be a happy family time, but then the kids are happy most of the time anyway, and we are still a family.

I find it all so boring. I spend christmas morning picking up bits of paper, cook lunch and watch tv. It's like any other day. ds is happy though but I do find it difficult to muster the enthusiasm when it's just us. My family come to visit on boxing day, I just cook (again!), they stay for an hour or so then go home again. It's crap really.

Tbh I think I would feel the same if I had to just spend the day with the kids, but as it is my mum alwasy comes too and this year I think both brothers are also coming, so I will have a houseful.

I always find boxing day boring. When I was a child we'd go to my nans on boxing day, every year without fail and we'd have such a laugh, lots to eat etc.
It doesn't happen since my nan died though.

Last year I did invite a couple of relatives over on boxing day but I was really ill so it was a bit crap.

I must find something to do this year on boxing day.

What about a walk or a games day? Eat left overs so you don't have to cook or buffet food (sausage rolls et) and just play games with your children all day. Monopoly takes ages!

Yeah I was just thinking that we could do with a couple of god family games.

We do have Monopoly but Ds loses interest after about 5 minutes.

I think dd1 mentioned one called Pictureka or something so will have to investigate that.

Ds will be having a new scooter (if i can get it), so we could always take that out for a spin lol.

Cranium type games are good fun for the easily distracted. There's also cluedo, you can get a simsons version. A game and movie day maybe? All the good movies tend to be on boxing day rather than christmas day.

Oh yes movies, hopefully they will put some decent ones on.

Plus dd's are having wii fit for xmas so I am sure we will all be having a go on that too.

I'm really looking forward to it this year - 1st one on my own with kids. No compromises! We can do it our way and just the way we like it. I can do all the magic for the kids (reindeer food, polishing a redapple nice n shiny for Rudolph etc etc) without someone harrumphing in the background about how pathtic I am!!! Can't wait!!! Am not thinking about Boxing Day tho as kids have to go and see their dad. I've got them lots of good games for Xmas this year - Monopoly, Pass the Bomb, Operation so we should be busy . Mum, dad and Gran sent me money to help buy a Wii from Santa so no doubt we will be kept very busy - if I can work out how to set it up of course!

Ohh, Lego Star wars is a fantastic wii game it keeps them busy for ages and you an get light sabres for it.

It's really easy Les, you just plug the scart connector into the back of the tv and plug it it. So simple.

It is a bit hard to make it different to any other day I've found, especially when its just me and dd (5.6). There just aren't enough of us to create a party atmosphere!

Luckily we live near my family now, so we'll be able to go over there for dinner. But its still a bit lonely the rest of the time. I know what you mean about the 'family' thing, it never usually bothers me, and I do consider DD and I to be a family. But it'd be nice to have more of us to share it all with iyswim?

bitof both really. it's the time of year when i hear those xmas carols and have a little weep, cos i miss my ex husband, and this is not what i wanted.

Yet i get happy for dd. Boxing day is total pants isn't it, then you get people saying 'oh it's still xmas' but it never feels like it!!

I love eing able to do the day the way we want to do it.

When I was with xp he would always find something to moan about and spoil it. Plus he'd get drunk and becaome an even bigger tosser.

He will come round and see the kids xmas morning, staying for about an hour max I hope, and they the rest of the day is ours

I am just praying no one is ill this year.

It's new years eve that has me feeling absolutly devestated most years.

I hate new year. Anyone want to come to my hovel for a party?

I'm looking forward to it
I havbe mostly finished all my shopping, just the dreaded wrapping to do

we are having xmas dinner at mil so I'm not cooking

I actually do get on with my mil so thats a bonus and we are staying over so I can have a drink

i bloody hate new yr too. when me and dh were together, we just stayed in after we had dd, and it didn't matter. Yet when you find yourslef single again, that has to be the most soul destroying night of the yr.

My birthday comes the first week of new yr too and this one is a biggy, which only serves to remind me that i am on my own.

I would love to go to a really good house party!! Snog someone on the stairs that type of thing, drink too much in the kitchen !!!

LOL Pc, sounds like my ideal new year too.

Have totally forgotten what snogging is like.

Thanks Phantom - might have to try it out before Xmas - just to test it of course!!!

i am not looking forward to christmas i haven't made any firm plans yet and cant decide if to go away for christmas or to stay at home, we have been invited to friends for christmas but i don't know if i want to be around couples as i am finding that difficult at the moment.

It is perfectly understandable for you to feel like that OJ.

I'd just make sure that you do whatever you want to do and what you think is right for your family.

What do you think your kids would prefer ?

Oh OJ, it must be very hard for you.

I don't know what is happening over Christmas yet, but it won't be like last year when I had to spend my whole Christmas with ex H, although I expect he will be invited to my parents house on Christmas day.

The last few years we have had one of us ill over Christmas, so I am just praying that isn't the case this year.

the kids won't mind what we do, i am dreading all the family christmas stuff at school, last christmas steve was quite poorly so we stayed at home for the day.
if we stay at home there is always the worry that steves family will turn up and cause trouble. i cant book to go away yet cos i have to wait for a date for my operation.

I'm dreading it all, and haven't even bought the DC's a single present yet.

Boxing Day and New Years Eve are particularly difficult.

I am dreading it but at the same time it will hopefully be better than last two years.

The last two years ex H has come around for the whole day and it has been awful. As he moaned about everything and been miserable.

However this year he is living with new P and they have new babies so he will not be coming round all day.

I will be quite happy to take DCs round there at some point on Christmas Day and have a quiet evening.

We are going to my mums between Christmas and New Year.

Too much enforced jcviality and pressure imo.

New Year well it sucks.

phantom - I'll come

dreading it. There's just me, dd (2) and ds (4). We will have nice xmas eve, then christmas morning, and their dad will come to steal them away and keep them for a few days. He wants them at 11 but I've told him 1 is more reasonable. I feel so sad not having them all christmas. And then once they're gone that's it. I have no family at all so it's just little old me.