David Currie

There were a few false starts to Christmas Day. Emma tried getting up before midnight and thankfully failed to notice the full stocking lying at the end of her bed. Duncan’s night time nappies ran out on the 23rd and he woke at 6am with wet trousers but went straight back to sleep after he and his bed had been changed. Emma surfaced again shortly after seven and refused to believe that Father Christmas had been as her stocking wasn’t where she’d left it downstairs. She eventually found it and we spent most of the next hour playing Moshi Monsters Top Trumps in bed!

We managed to delay opening of presents until after breakfast and getting dressed but there wasn’t much hope of stretching it further than that. There was a good haul of presents at that although the only notable items were a keyboard for Emma, an electric guitar for Duncan (it was never going to be a quiet Christmas) and a shiny new iMac for me the family. We all (Christine’s parents were still with us) went out for a walk up St Catherine’s Hill before lunch. The newly tarmacked cycle path was crowded with walkers (mainly with dogs – not many cyclists in evidence). There was a cool breeze on the way up the steps but the sun even shone as the children played in the mizmaze. Unfortunately the descent back to the car park was a bit of a mud bath.

The afternoon passed playing with toys and a little Christmas TV and, after a slight underestimate on turkey cooking time by Christine, a traditional meal was served around the children’s normal dinner time (I was even granted gravy this year!). After a few rounds of Santa Dash (courtesy of the crackers) the children went to bed suitably tired and a peaceful evening was had by the rest of us!

Each year Christmas is proceeded by my father in-laws birthday and this year the party was at our house. Christine’s brother and his family arrived late on the Thursday night but Emma and I were still hard at work on the Friday (well, Emma was watching videos at school and I did a half day at work so not that hard!). The weather wasn’t up to much the next day and we headed over to Romsey Rapids which was perhaps the quietest I’ve ever seen it on a rainy Saturday. Obviously we should have been out Christmas shopping with everyone else!

The day itself didn’t get off to a good start with Emma displaying the same sickness that Duncan had earlier in the week. Fortunately she also had a similar remarkable recovery. She missed out on the morning stroll but was eating crisps and cake by the time the party lunch came round. After lunch we waved goodbye to the Cornish contingent who were heading home for Christmas.

Christine was off to Germany for a conference on Sunday so I decided to take the children to Mottisfont to do this season’s attraction: the star trail. It had taken us so long to get out of the house that we had start with lunch though. Emma went for the bacon in a roll and Duncan the burger in the bun. That was exactly what they got – no frills – but it all got eaten and no-one seemed to complain (perhaps that was down to the chocolate brownie that followed).

We then made our way round the sculptures on the trail (with the occasional detour for impromptu toilet stops). Emma was remarkably good at following the map so perhaps the orienteering is sinking in and both children enjoyed plotting the constellation on their trail guide and the craft activity. One large star (the sun) even came out for the last hour we were there although I’m not sure it justified Duncan’s decision to dispense with his coat.

The visit was punctuated with calls from Christine whose flight had been cancelled due to snow, its replacement postponed, and then the replacement also cancelled. The Lufthansa check-in desk closed before she’d reached the front of the queue of people trying to rebook for the following day and she eventually arrived back home after midnight having spent the whole day at Heathrow.

Friday was the annual pilgrimage to the clubhouse at work to see Father Christmas. Emma was fairly sure that this was just some man dressed up but did periodically have to check with me that we weren’t going to see the real Father Christmas! We timed our arrival for a short queue and, although short, it wasn’t moving all that quickly. The children were in good spirits though and bore the wait well.

When the time came, the children were as wary of strange men in fake beards as they should be! Emma received a book (London – See Inside) which was a welcome gift. I’m withholding judgement on Duncan’s Farm Carpet Croquet (it was at least in a large box)! The DJ was winding up as we arrived in the hall so with mince pie and mulled wine consumed, we made for a quick getaway.