I have spent a lot of time thinking about Christmas this year. Already. I’m really excited about it. I’ve also been thinking about the changes my life has seen over the last four years – I know..deep for a Thursday afternoon right?
Because 4 Christmases ago I was foot loose and fancy free. To a degree anyway. I had a sensible, full time job and a man who I loved very much and we spent most of our money travelling or enjoying good meals in nice restaurants. Christmas was a time to spend relaxing, indulging and enjoying our friends and family. Not much of it was completely sober and at least 2 – 3 hours on Christmas Day were spent cosy and wrapped up watching a film or two.
Oh how times have changed. In a good way of course but really how massive is that leap? I think Christmas is one of the major occasions which highlights the very obvious differences between our lives since becoming parents and our lives before.
So just for fun I thought I would share some of them:
PC ( Pre Children ) Christmas Eve was for catching up with friends I hadn’t seen for ohhhh at least a week in the local pub over a rather silly amount of wine.
AC ( After Children) Christmas Eve is spent in a blind panic as you realise you don’t have the only ONE present they have ever wanted ever. Oh and the shops are closed. Mum Fail.
PC – Christmas Morning involved something sparkly to drink and hunks of freshly baked bread toasted with pate.
AC – The stocking full of chocolate ( to make up for the present they always wanted) has kicked in and your children are on the beginning of a roller coaster of sugar fuelled emotion.
Breakfast? Hahah. The morning is spent trying to make sure they look appropriately pleased when they receive the same gift twice from well meaning relatives.
PC – Lunch was a long drawn out affair, Wine? Baileys? Why not it’s Christmas. Some chocolates too.. Ok after all I don’t need to move from the sofa for at least two hours.
AC – Lunch is hurriedly forced down your throat as you spoon feed one and stop the other one eating the insides of a cracker. At the end of it you are exhausted and yes your wine glass is still full.
PC – Christmas afternoon was definitely spent watching sleeping through the Queens speech and then eating a box of roses in front of the Gavin & Stacey Christmas special followed by The Royle Family, Only fools and horses and whatever cheesy rom com you received for Christmas back when people actually bought DVDs.
AC – The sugar high is fizzling out and you know they need a nap but instead they want to play with the only toy you forgot to get batteries for. You lie down in a slump on the sofa and suddenly they ignore all their toys instead choosing to jump on your overly full stomach. The joy.
The day winds to an end and you can finally spot relaxation in the distance, your children are rubbing their eyes and you carry them up to bed. Peace at last. The house is a chaotic mess of chocolate coins and wrapping paper but it’s quiet and all of a sudden it hits you that this was the best Christmas ever.