Start your runners (talk) and your new jars of Jam, 'tis the season-almost.

[Vagolajahooli]

Here we are ladies, time for all that talk of christmas table runners and chrissie deccy colour combos. And will we be getting some new Jam in this thread! Maybe not quite.

Congratulations MOM! What lovely news! Come on Jammie, we are all rooting for you darling. You have made that boy too comfortable in there. Fingers crossed for your good news soon xxx

Come on Baby Jam!!!!

DD still isn't right. We have my Mum, Step Dad and Brother coming for dinner, so I've been trying to make meringues and pie while looking after her. Could've picked a better time to be ill.

I am still so excited about tomorrow!!!

Hello me dears, just wrapped the last gift. Phewy. I confess I only posted my Secret Santa yesterday (first class!) But I haven't received mine either

Mom, that is super news. What a lovely prezzie for you and the boys. Jam....I hope you aren't too cheesed off my love.

Well, things have taken a bit of a turn here. My precious FIL, DH's Dad, has been diagnosed with leukemia. I spent most of yesterday at Cheltenham Hospital with him. We have to go back in a week's time for the full picture but he is 80 and I don't think it looks that good. Both DP and I are devastated - DP is also very close to him. However, he's coming here tomorrow for Christmas so it will be brave faces.

Sorry to bring the thread down. Actually I am extremely grateful he's still here at all so we will be making tomorrow a special one.

I have really missed coming on here. I don't know why things have been so barmy here (aside from the above). Anyway, time to pour myself a glass of something sparkly - a spot of cheerfulness, remember? - and read the girls some Christmassy stories.

I am so grateful to have you all even though I can't always come on as often as I like. Here's to you, you most excellent ladies. XXXXXXXX.

Did I say that MIL and her DH opted to go to Bermuda instead of coming here? Can't think why

Well, after tomorrow I will be sitting on my expanding butt for a few days so surely, surely I will be able to do that oft promised catch up.

Anyway, bottoms up!

Lady what terribly sad news. Thankfully he will be with you all tom lots of cherished times for you. No loss tomorrow mil and her h though.

Kayz how is DD?

How is everyone else? Full of Christmas cheer I hope.

My two are beside themselves. We went for a long walk this arvo to try and stop them behaving like loons. Didn't work. They are all bathed and pyjamad now watching nemo. Then off to bed.

Cross fingers y'all that no.3 stays put now till tom lunchtime. As the childcare situation is vvv complicated. MIL would need to taxi to us then I would have to get my parents who are visiting my sis in Yorkshire to drive back so they could relieve mil and she could go home to cook her dinner!!! This is all if we have a middle of the night scenario. If it's around lunchtime onwards no prob chuck them to my friends house. Just don't want the boys to have a cocked up Christmas morning.

Oh lady I'm sorry you've had such rubbish news.

Just scared ds2 watching the gruffalo. Other 2 being chased to bed. hope they sleep!

Lady, i am so aoery to hear your sad news. I am sure FIL is hugeky cheered by you, Dp and the kids. Love to you.

Jammy, no better reason for a cocked up Christmas than a new brother. It will be fine. Fingers crossed he stays put short term now.

I have received my santa but still not posted mine. So sorry. Fri am for definite. We have had so many people here for drinks etc that its been a but hectic. Last lot only just left. Will definitely be more organised in 3014.

Off to get stocking my stockings sorted. And not in a good way.

Perhaps it will indeed take another millenium for me yo get organised ! 2014 for definite! Xx

Gosh Sybs. I'm happy to keep helping with the secret santa but not sure I'll be up to much in 1000years!

Bloody hell Lady, that is devastating. How sad for you and so scary for him. Thinking of you my lovely. Hoping he feels all that love tomorrow.

Well it's all white and fluffy here. We are just waiting to be sure the boys are asleep then we'll get all the presents out. We wrapped them before we left so just need to place them around the small Christmas schrine we have made, in the absence of a tree. Had a great day snowboarding, went down a crazy black run to get to a sweet little piste pub we saw from the cable car. It can only be accessed by this one black run. It took us so long to get down we had to neck a kleine biertje before racing down to the cable car back up to pick up the boys from ski school.

We have to get the kids up and presents opened early so we can get off to the slopes in time for ski school. So better get on and sort out these presents.

Oh and Kayz gin definitely improves tonic. I think you definitely need one....with lemon.

Lady, I am so sorry to hear your sad news.

DD's temp went up to 39.8 which was quite worrying but ibuprofen brought it down quite quickly. Usually I only use calpol so will be making sure we keep it in stock now.

Happy birthday to the Christmas day babies - and a huge merry christmas to everyone else. We've been chatting for nearly 6 years now. Amazing.

Huge hugs, too, to anyone whose Christmas is touched by sadness. I hope that you all have a peaceful day.

Jammy, keep your legs crossed for another 12 hours!

Love to you all.

Happy Christmas! Lots of love to everyone.

Lady, sorry to hear your news .

Kayz, I hope Dd is feeling better today.

Merry Christmas!

Happy birthday Christmas babies

jammy keep your legs crossed for today

ds1 and dd playing. ds2 cried, put his wellies on and told dh to take him to the park. a little too much going on for him I think! He hasn't opened anything other than stocking yet. Nor have I. Should take advantage of relative peace

Can I have that gin now?

We are in hospital with DD. Suspected chest infection. About to have xray. Utterly terrified.

Oh no Kayz, any news?

All calm here. FIL ate well and we had a jolly time.

I am too full. Happy Christmas to you all and Happy Birthday to the special ones

Glad you're enjoying your splendiferous hol, Vag.

I had an iPad Mini for Christmas! Excited. It's our first iPad.

Jam, did you get through the day?

It's a chest infection. We are probably in hospital until Friday. I feel so terrible.

Oh Kayz, poor DD. Which hospital are you in? My lovely friend is a sister on the children's ward at Scarb, she adores all little ones so I'm sure will administer additional cuddles alongside all the care if you are there.

So sorry to here about your FIL, Lady, I hope you've had a very special day with him today.

Merry Christmas to all of you, I hope the excitement hasn't been too much xx

Hope everybody had a lovely day. Lady I know I was texting you - I hadn't logged on here. So sorry to hear about fil so nice he's got you both.
Kayz I'm so sorry about dd. hope she's on the mend v soon.

We had a lovely day. Ds up at 630. Giddy. Dd up at 730 (respectable). Then she saw her full stocking and properly peed herself right there she was so excited! We had bil kart night making his legendary pizzas from scratch but had to go to his mil for Xmas, then mil and gmil over and had a lovely (quiet) boozey Christmas lunch just the 6 of us complete with a very poshly laid table accented with napkin ties courtesy of lady on my last birthday
Kids pretty much have every toy in earth now and I got some lovely gifts including a dinner for 2 at a Marco Pierre's joint and lovely cashmere socks I was after
Jammie hope that bub hangs on until time suits
Finally thank you so much to my "secret" Santa perhaps not too secret! Lovely. And Great timing!
Posted mine awhile back. Hope it was received ok.
Right, I guess the post Xmas lul sets in now...

ZJ, we are in Scarborough. Everyone is being great.

Kayz poor you. What a horrible end to the day. Sending speedy get well wishes.

Hope you have all had fab days.

I have been ridiculously spoilt. We had a fab dinner and lots if games of battleship and building of Lego and playing with joke kits.

Baby jammy has behaved and has stayed put. I feel so much more relaxed now so hopefully he will put in an appearance soon.

Merry Christmas!

Kayz, I'm so sorry to hear about your DD's chest infection. As I said on FB, I was in hospital with DS and a bad chest two months ago and it's scary and horrid but they turn around so quickly. How is DD this morning?

Lady, I'm also v sorry to hear about your FiL. I don't want to give false hope but I know several older people living with leukaemia and it can be more chronic than acute in old age. I'm glad you got to enjoy Christmas with him.

Yay to baby Jammie staying put. When would they want to induce you Jamster?

I hope you are still having fun in the snow Veg. Think how different your Christmas will be next year.

I love the image of your DD spotting her pressies and wetting herself Rubes! Bless her!

We had a good day. Fun opening of presents at home in the morning (DH excelled himsrlf buying me a new digital SLR camera, a huge Laura Mercier make-up set and a gorgeous scarf). After that we went over to the outlaws with all 16 children and grandchildren. MiL cooked an amazing Christmas dinner and the kids had the time of their lives running feral with their cousins. DS took his first ever 3 hour nap to coincide with lunch which was nice of him and then he smiled all afternoon. We came back home to sleep but the girls stayed over with their grandparents and cousins so we will be back soon. I just realised I didn't think of my mum all day which is a first for Christmas and a bit sad actually.

ZJ, I though of you as I forced sprouts onto the girls plates. Does your DH get a break for a bit now?

Oh and a big thank you to my secret santa for lovely chicks and an ornament making kit. I'm intrigued as to who it was. Whoever you are you are the neatest wrapper ever!

Chicks??? Chocs.

Sweep No4 done!!

Merry Christmas everyone! hope you've all had a great time. I finally managed to wangle an invite to MIL's for Xmas lunch which meant that for the first time on living memory

Sorry not been on for ages - no idea where the time goes! Had a massive read of the last couple of months' posts the other night during a bout of insomnia but I didn't catch up till 3am and now have only a hazy recollection of what I read. Thanks for the birthday wishes Rubes .

congratulations to MoM! Hope you and Elspeth are doing well. what a lovely Christmas present for the family.

LadyT sorry to hear your FIL's news. Does he have any idea of the prognosis?

kayz are you out of hospital yet? How is DD?

Vag did you say you're around last week of Feb? that's half term for me, although will be away probably the last weekend (passing by your way Lady on way to Gloucester). Would love it if we could arrange something. Fascinated to hear about DS1's tests. We finally got our appointment with paved the other day for Ds's tics and stuff (much much better now but not gone completely) and are being referred on to a speech therapist and an opthalmologist, which was a bit of a curve ball).

Oh better go. just on way to mum's for a few days and nearly there. hello to everyone I've missed. hope to get back on soon

oh and COME ON JAM!

Go Jammy Go!

Kayz I hope dd is starting to feel a bit better.

A neighbour passed away on Christmas day. I feel so sad for them all, they are a close family with all the children, grandchildren, nieces etc living locally. Their house is right next to the park and we were playing out after dinner when we saw the ambulances arrive, sirens blaring. He was very ill but still :(

Relatives gone. House doesn't look too bad thankfully. Dc's bedrooms need a good tidy as does the craft stuff to incorporate all the new stuff. Ds1 has half a million new lego sets to build including a mahooooooosive Starwars X-wing. I need to have a rethink of the lego storage .