The Crepe Papers

[motherinferior]

Did it!

Oh Herbs that sounds tough. I love and hate Christmas in equal measure. It was so much easier when dp and I were sans ds. I'd go home and he'd go home - we'd each do the family Christmas. It was fine. Now it's a bloody minefield. And add in various health scares over the years it has got progressively worse.....

At least I clearly won't get an invite to SiLs ;)

Oh Herbs, that's tricky. I guess he wouldn't prefer to spend Christmas in his bedsit? Could you invite others over/go to the pub, etc to make it less "odd"?

Herbs - difficult one - maybe just break out the alcohol in big measures and know that it's not your turn next year. We just stay at home (in France) for Christmas so we're well out of it. We went to friends last year but DD1 (then 16) was put on the children's table and was seething so this year we're staying chez nous.

On the dog front - I want a Jack Russell top rat catcher!

Mrs S - did your children learn to do long division and subtraction the French or the British way - I have never yet fathomed out French division.

Herbs we have the same bull every year with our complicated extended family . Some of us are jewish obviously ( and not exactly on board with the whole thing) and dd has extended family in England . My dsis family is also involved in the rotation. And they are mad keen good living types who take the whole 'who's turn is it ?' thing deadly seriously . No- one speaks to dh's dad. ( incidental but awkward )
Dh's sisters partner has two children in England that live with their mum( lots of to and fro there) .
This year for added hilarity my mum will have just had a new hip: dsis is having a day procedure on Xmas eve so she has time to recover before returning to work. I'm not exactly in any position to host anyone ( although I'd hope to be a good bit better by Xmas)
No invitations whatsoever have been forthcoming.

It would be nice just to peel off the lids of a few m&s goodies and light the fire wouldn't it? Bah humbug.

Cremo, good luck to your DSIS in hosp - a colleagues dad was lined up for similar, but it was cancelled and someone at the hosp said it was never likely to have happened, it being Christmas Eve

And what's stopping you doing just that, Cremo? Or your baking DH doing some fancy baked goods for lunch? You should be taking it easy!

I have an "odd" DBro as wll, but he stated categorically a few years back that he has no intention of ever going anywhere for Christmas, thank you very much, and he is quite happy in his own little home. Which makes it easier. The sad thing is, while he is generally a moody bugger, he can be brilliant company, chatty and funny. Alas, those occasions are as rare as rocking horse poo.

Anyway, odd DBro notwithstanding, we are hosting this year, and it's dinner, B&B for 13 (unlucky for some). My task for this evening is to purchase a double airbed and commence my research for the perfect Christmas table decoration.

So glad it's just us for Christmas dinner!

Pressure BTM . Everyone wants a piece of dd. Her 3 sets of grandparents have a bunfight every year over her presence.
Dd would quite happily slink into a chocolate induced coma in front of dr who in her onesie . I am refusing to umpire the thing this year as I am incapacitated n'est-ce pas?

walks zombie-like towards 'dine in for £20 offers'

We have managed the rather fabulous trick of having child-free friends who enjoy cooking Christmas dinner. (They should have had masses of kids, and sadly didn't - they would have been so good at it. OTOH they are great with my two, having stepped into a family-style role with them.) So we saunter over the park, eat and in my case drink ourselves into a coma, and return home...

In other news, I got three commissions today. All of which are 'can you do this NOW' but frankly, I'll do anything at the moment!

I used to have a guy in my office who used to go on Holiday somewhere exotic every Christmas and come back when it was all over. I think if I didn't have kids I'd go for this option.

Well done on commissions MI.

Well done, MI.
We are currently under pressure thanks to dh taking on a rather massive job last Friday for next Monday. Trouble was, he forgot (as per usual) about some commitments we have from Saturday to Tuesday. So I'll have to do a goodly chunk as we have to deliver the job this Friday. Friday is also an INSET day. Bum.

Christmas? I'm not thinking about it. The only way in which I will allow myself to think about it very slightly is to make a pact with myself that this will be the first year that I will endeavour not to get my knickers in a twist. There will be no upset about my lack of culinary talent or relative lack of funds, or what Cousin A said to Cousin B or any of that stuff. No. I shall smile sweetly, sprinkle (edible) glitter over everything and anyone who doesn't like it can just get stuffed. Please someone remind me of this in about 6 weeks.

The person from whom I bought my chickens told me a story about a customer who was due to come to buy some chickens just after me. The chicken lady sold this person chickens last year and the chicken-buyer and her family fell in lurrrve with their pet chickens and all was happy for many months. They even sent out family Christmas cards with a picture of their chickens all in Christmas hats. Awwww. On Christmas Day, this person invited round her in-laws for a trad lunch. They brought their dog. Just as the turkey was about to be served, the in-laws' dog appeared in the house all covered in blood and feathers. A dreadful discovery then was made - the dog had been down the garden and massacred all the chickens. Cue all the children crying and terrible recriminations flying and possibly one of the worst Christmas lunches ever.

Well done MI. Not so well done MrStropps. But at least it's more money
Oh dear on chicken tale. I thought it was going to end up with multi-roast chickens

Last Christmas it was just us and it was the best ever . We had a fondue . This year they are all coming to us so 14 at the table... Might invite my friend and her kids too as she has just had a horrid divorce. More the merrier I guess!

I do get lots of help from dsis and dsil though, so it's not too bad...

We are planning a pre Christmas Christmas for just us two weeks before where we will put up the tree, wear indies and eat what we actually want to eat ! One family I know sent their kids round the supermarket with twenty pounds and that was what everyone had on Christmas Day! The mind boggles

Onesies, not indies.... Seeing as this is style and beauty!

Blimey Beachy if we did the £20 thing with dd we'd get:
Tin of hot chocolate
5 bags of veggie Percy pigs
6 bags of bagels and a tub of value cream cheese.
( although possibly this year a 4 pack if Koppaberg pear nonsense too)

Mi- marvellous news on the work front. !!
Stropps- poor chooks; that's grim.
Good luck with the pile of work this week too.

DP is going to Austria to do t'ai chi (yes, you did read that right ) this weekend. The Inferioriettes and I are planning to watch Pitch Perfect and eat Snacks.

I meant to go to bed an hour ago but have got sucked into one of my fave teen movies, 10 Things I Hate About You. Am now feeling a bit weepy and wishing I were a teenager again with swishy hair and the chance of a snog with Heath Ledger or anyone who isn't dh tbh.

MI, at least that's only once in a while - DH spends all of every weekend on DS's footy/watching his clubs!

Wilbur I think we have that one somewhere!

DS (without being asked) spent an hour and a half studying conscientiously last night for a science test. This morning he was studying his notes at the table
However, he returned 5mins after he had left as he had forgotten his PE kit.
I have just spotted his revision notes on the sofa

I love that fillum. I also love Never Been Kissed, which I watched happily the other night with a glass of prosecco.

Hurrah, just got charity mag gig that will help keep wolf from door

Yay!!!

Plus extra for commissioning

Thank f*ck I have sorted some childcare for next week apart from just shipping off DD1 to the Schadenfreudehause. Great relief to be able to say "yes, I can do a meeting on X date"...

Glad to hear good work news, MI. Know how it feels to be able to say "Yes, I can do that". I get invited to theatre stuff every week which I long to go to and would really help my work (just got an invite to an opening night of a show I REALLY want to see but can't ) but have to decline due to not being able to get kids back from school and then find sitter who can come at 6.30 and then back out the door in time for curtain up. Have used up all favours for after school help with dcs, so I need to do some serious sleepover/playdate offerings so I can build those up again. However, they are going to MIL's on Friday, so I am going to play reading on Fri night, and a thing at the London Festival of Cabaret on Monday .