This morning, I awoke to squeals of excitement, announcing the most fabulous news that the Christmas Tree Fairy has visited our house and decorated the Christmas tree overnight. In my awakening slumber I could hear:
"Wow"
"Look at that one"
"There's a Father Christmas"
"That one's shiny"
"This one's red"
"Mummy, Daddy, QUICK! The Christmas Fairy's been!"
And behold, as I wandered into the living room, rubbing my eyes to overcome my tiredness, there in the corner was our tree, decorated with all our lovely decorations."Look at that one"
"There's a Father Christmas"
"That one's shiny"
"This one's red"
"Mummy, Daddy, QUICK! The Christmas Fairy's been!"
There are the ones that I had bought for our very first Christmas Tree, when 21st C Dad and I lived in Nottingham and we had a red and gold traditional colour scheme. Now, it's a fabulous eclectic mix including the old glass baubles from my grandmother's tree, the lovely wooden baubles that we bought during our adventures in the Lake District, the little wooden decorations that I collected when our eldest son was born and the handmade beaded hearts that I made for 21st C Dad a few years ago.
These days, it's a wonderful case of "anything goes" featuring all the oddities that we have collected each Christmas.
If the excitement of the Christmas Tree Fairy wasn't enough, we ventured into town to witness something very special. If ever you have wondered how Father Christmas delivers all the presents on Christmas Eve...I'll let you into a huge secret...it is because he has hundreds of helpers who help him on his way and they are not just elves.
For those not in the know, Bury St Edmunds is the highly classified location, where Father Christmas holds an annual competition to test the speed and dexterity of his team. So, we rushed into town this morning to witness the event and there they were, all running around the Abbey Gardens and the streets of Bury, giving new meaning to the phrase "The run-up to Christmas"
With a quick visit to Santa's Grotto and then a stop-off at Moyses Hall to pick up a silver threepenny bit for our Christmas pudding, we ventured home for what has become a new tradition in the 21st C household...the making of the nativity costume for the school play. This year, the eldest 21st C kid is a Wiseman, which is more advanced than last year's snowflake affair and has required a tad more creative thinking.
Despite about ten days notice, I'd completely forgotten about the costume until this weekend and panicked when I saw the reminder notice on Friday that the costumes must be in by Monday. So armed with some shopping time yesterday and some time on my hands this afternoon, I set about trying to make something from this pile of materials.
Not being a natural seamstress, I had thought that it would be just a case of cutting a hole in the middle of the beautiful fabric and just putting it over the little man's head and then tying some braid around his waist.
Oh um....if only I hadn't cut hole so big.
Instead, with a hole that was way too big, out came the needle and cotton, which then led into a complete afternoon of dressmaking. However, I am dead chuffed with the results that I can now see me competing for the Martha Stewart award. Here's the little man modelling the finished results...(note to self...must send my mum the photos to reassure her I am not a lost cause!)
So after a busy day of festive traditions, new and old, I think it's time to put my feet up and watch Cranford on BBC1, with a glass of the Drunken Monk's Christmas Mead. Not to be confused with Ruby's monk of course.
All across the land there will be mothers uniting in the taste of fortified wine and honey. To you all, here's a toast....
"To Christmas time and the joys of traditions, borrowing from the past and creating your own and setting great memories for your children to take into their future....Cheers".
