Crepeys say Bah Humbug, (it's not Christmas yet)

[beachyhead]

Here we go

Afternoon crepes. Just returned from my lectures, and handing in my first assignment. It was not very good, but I'd stared at it for so long lost the ability to see wood for trees, so just bunged it in and hope to scrape a pass.

Turns out my hangover was mainly lurgy. I still feel awful today - sinus headache, sore throat, dizzy – and didn't feel too hot before I went out on Saturday night. Tried to drink my way through it, which was the mistake.

Enjoyed Paddington very much! Lots of actual laugh-out-loud moments for grown ups, while the kiddiwinks were entranced by the bear. It's a PG, rather than a U, because of 'mild sex references'. I like to think this means references to 'mild sex', which is frankly all I ever want these days.

Christmas negotiations are entering a war footing. My mum has arranged to spend it with friends, which was an established arrangement that she had forgotten about when she asked us a few weeks ago what we wanted to do for Christmas. Sis said 'oh, come to us', but she declined, having remembered about the friends arrangement. This has not gone down well with sis - who is having to host Difficult Brother - and even worse with bro-in-law, who is now refusing to go and visit M&D at all over the festive season.

I can see now why people go away for Christmas. I can't remember the last time I actually did anything I wanted to do at Christmas time. Does anyone actually enjoy it?

Eeek, Herbs, that does not sound relaxing! Are you well out of it or do you have to go to your sisters?
Well done handing your assignment in. And it sounds like the same lurgy that DD has had/still has. Horrid.

Sadly I am fully embroiled, and am going to sis's on Boxing Day.

Xmas Day - at DP's family, first Christmas without their dad, one sis refusing to come as new (I suspect controlling arse) boyfriend 'might not get on with us'.

Boxing Day - 'jolly fun' at sis's house, with BiL's hideous parents and Difficult Brother.

28th - to parents, complete with Awful Cousin and Difficult Brother, for awkward silences.

Kill me now.

Come to us Herbs!
Just me and dh (who doesn't do christmas on account of his secular jewishness) and two teenagers (one of whom is v anti-materialistic and vegetarian and the other who wants to have a full on christmas with lots of "stuff" and mega christmas lunch)... and we'll be doing all this out of London in deepest darkest East Anglis.... and with or without my dad who may or may not be there depending on his football watching commitments / whether he gets a better offer. You would be a breath of fresh air!

My own Difficult Brother has chosen to keep himself to himself this Christmas.

However we are still managing to cram in a total of 14 family members over the 25th and 26th. I may need weeks to recover.

A large turkey has been ordered!

Rose - in the battle of the ball dresses, Gok won (Gok won, Gok Wan..... see what I did there? )

Now then, Friday..... is it the restaurant starting with a K?

Ahh Herbs - I'm sure your essay will be fine. Your Christmas trials are exactly why we stay by ourselves here in France!

Meanwhile - we have advent calendar gate here. In France, they are rather hard to come by and to be honest I was so busy last week I forgot it was first December today so DS didn't have one (well he is 12 he'll survive). DD2 was given one by a friend and had flatly refused to share alternate days for the chocolate. She told me it's my fault I should have remembered. I told her maybe I wouldn't remember to pick her up from theatre at 10 pm on Thursday. She has stomped upstairs and I probably won't see her till tomorrow now. Let the Christmas Spirit keep flowing.

QQ, I can think of nothing I would like more than to join you in your Suffolk idyll for Christmas. I really am dreading mine now, even more so than usual.

Things have got even worse, with all manner of 'home truths' coming out of sis towards mum. Some of which were justified. She's got a lot on her plate, though. Her youngest daughter, my niece, was diagnosed with epilepsy a couple of years ago, and it's recently been discovered she's got a brain abnormality that is incurable, and they don't know what effect it will have.

Evening ladies. Have had a quick catch up and wanted to welcome MI back to blighty. Nice cold day for you too! I have been sat working in hat and fingerless gloves today as the outside temperature clearly dipped below the point at which my house can retain heat. Still, the several sets of star jump I did to ward off hypothermia will have been a good cardio-vascular boost.

So Christmas is done. Not really, but I have done dh's family Christmas this weekend and managed to exchange presents with half his relations, which is a lo of boxes ticked off my list. Smug . MIL did her usual infuriating decree of a clothing these - this year it was novelty sweaters. Sigh. Now I don't mind a sweater with an elf on it, but I do mind being told to buy new clothes for my rapidly growing children which they will only wear once or twice. So I bought a very overly large sweater for dd as she will wear it lots, and one for me which is quite cute, and then dh and boys got fairisle type sweaters, which I thought was suitably festive. MIL not hugely impressed, but thankfully dh's youngest bro and partner also failed to go the full reindeer. I'm hoping she might get the message and stop with the themes. It's always something like "purple!" in the year I've actually got a new frock in coral that I want to wear for Xmas.

I'm also a book club refusenik (too much reading that I have to do in RL, following a reading-heavy degree and A-levels) and birthday fuss requirer. I like something thoughtful to have been made/purchased for me and to spend the day being feted. I do it for the family - always a cake, and I have a length of fake leopard print fur and a big gold bow that I wrap round a chair to make a birthday throne, even for dh. So even in the year when present have been a bit thin on the ground, or homemade, it's still a special day.

Stropps, I read you bit about finishing CBT and just wanted to say really well done. You may not realise it, but the difference in your posts and general news from the personal and home front has changed massively in the past year. I'm sure it is scary at time and can totally get your desire to hide in the attic, but it's brilliant that you're out there getting on with new things.

And I'm sorry, I was hoping to be able to make the meet up on Friday, but I am out every night this week, on work or school-related things (although tonight it's keep fit), and I think I will collapse by Friday. Plus I have 40sq m of turf arriving on Friday for laying on Saturday, so I'm going to have to be up with the lark as I am on duty at the school fair at 10am Saturday morning. I actually think that perhaps there are not enough hours left this year for what I've planned this week.

CV, DD spotted Gok Wan queuing for a cab in Victoria when we were on our way to Paloma Faith!

We have just us 4 for the Christmas Day meal nowadays. Although any friends would be very welcome just not family

Hatty, I don't blame her DD and DS have one each and wouldn't entertain sharing!

CV, it's the one we staggered back to E&C from the last time!

BTM - I guess I was looking for a tiny bit of sisterly feeling from 16 year old DD to 12 year old DS. Obviously it's a lost cause. I feel like buying posh choc's for DS just to prove the point.

I'm thinking I might have a pre-Christmas Christmas Day for just the three of us, so we have a least one nice day not poisoned by family weirdness. We can then just get through the rest of it with gritted teeth, knowing we've 'done' it properly already.

That and, of course, booze.

Sisterly feeling?

yup that about sums it up - oh well - you've cheered me up BTM.

Good idea on pre Christmas Herbs - when all the children have gone I'm going to head for sunny climes over Christmas and come back when it's over.

Ah but Hatty, you will have to be the evil DM/DMIL who insists that the whole family rock up at yours wearing Christmas jumpers...

Do we have a dress code on Friday?!

Friends of ours went away last year from Boxing Day to New Year's Day, thus meaning they only had Christmas Day to endure. I think we might start doing that, too.

Purple Christmas jumpers BTM?

DOES EVERYONE KNOW WHERE THEY ARE COMING ON FRIDAY?

here

I see. How far would you say is it to walk from Waterloo? As per usual, I'll be one of the last to arrive, as I'll have to wait for DP to get home before I can go out. And then trek All The Way to South London!

Will you be doing a Pissed Lurch, a Normal Stroll or a Brisk Walk, Herbs? It's about 15 minutes, but you can jump on the 59 bus which will drop you opposite, at the IWM.

If you are still looking for a little something special for that Secret Santa, may I suggest you look here?

Herbs we go to a hotel with friends at Twixmas - it's really lovely to relax and they often have deals on

Oh well you'll be ready for a drink and glad to get away from the DC, Rudy How come they're off?

I am snuggling on my snuggle with my very lovely, very Sheepy throw, hiding from DD who is being obnoxious because she has to learn her French.

Yes, Rudy. About five minutes walk from Lambeff Nawf.