Family

This is the best week of the year, as far as I’m concerned.  Hands down. The week that starts with Christmas Eve and glides confidently all the way through to New Year’s day. Just long enough to step away from routine, shut out the work conversations and be enveloped into our very own snow globe, where we can live out all the family traditions and fun, to our heart’s content, without distractions. Everyone has something to hold their attention. No one is bored. We live off left-overs and ignore the dust. It is real.

OK. It’s not perfect. Even a snow globe’s walls can feel cramped at times. Falling-outs are brought to me. Often it’s less than clear whether I should be stepping in or recording them for posterity. I rule out the option of hiding under the nearest homemade quilt with a large box of chocolates, in the hope they might not find me. Believe me. It never works. Instead, I listen and gently guide each one to find a good solution that works for all. Helped when they remember how much more fun it is to be with their sibling than sulking alone.

Even our imaginery snow globe is a little bit light on the snow side, compared to the rest of the country. Still we managed a table top snow person, a fuzzy snow photo taken in the wee hours and optimistically watch the forecast.

I can also see some of those smaller traditions disappearing without a big send off, as the children notch up another year. Momentarily I feel sad. Maybe I’m the only one to notice. Although being woken early on Christmas morning for the stocking opening ceremony, is still firmly entrenched. Coffee?

This week is all about family time. We love it.  The house is full of music. I’m not sure I’ll ever grow tired of hearing the full belly laughs caused by the whole family playing a board game together. Seriously. I think our new favourite game is the 5 Second Rule board game.

We’ve been out. We’ve been to see the new Star Wars film, which we loved. We’ve visited family and celebrated more. There’s been a birthday (mine) to squeeze in too. (A shout-out to my youngest niece who remembered I always ask for a chocolate and peanut birthday cake, and baked me a darn good one this year. Thank you.)
I took the two teens shopping, before Christmas, and learnt that this means shopping alone. Feels a hundred years away from shopping with young children. Side-stepping pester power opportunities is replaced by clock watching to make it on time to pre-arranged meeting points. A civilized start, sitting in leather chairs and sipping coffee, while watching other stressed shoppers pass by. I could do this more often.

It has been a good week. Just as the Fairy Godmother warns Cinderella that it will all disappear at midnight, I can hear a nagging voice telling me that my snow globe will need to vanish, back into the attic, at the first strike of the school bell next week. Not yet. We’re good. We have enough left-overs to survive.

I’m going to carry on enjoying my week.

How about you? Do you love the week after Christmas or do you wish it away?

Joining in with #wotw

11 comments

  1. I am totally with you, this is my favourite week of the year, too. I love the little Christmas bubble that we live in. The kids still have another week, though my husband’s back to work on Tuesday so normality will creep back in then. We all enjoyed Star Wars, my daughter’s favourite gift was her cuddly Porg. Enjoy your family time x Thanks for sharing with #WotW

  2. I agree so much with you. It is, or should be, a wonderful time, and I have been longing all week to have a quiet day, and couldn’t until today. I had to work Tuesday and Wednesday, Thursday was impossible, and worked yesterday. But today was very good: a bit of snow, watching Sense and Sensibility, reading, Christmas music, taking it easy. Tomorrow too, I hope.

    What a nice niece you have! And a Happy Birthday to you.

    1. Thank you Lisa. Glad you found some time to enjoy the week. It sounds like a good way to spend the day. Hope you managed the next day too. Good to switch off and put your feet up.

  3. Happy New Year!
    It sounds like a good time has been had by all..isn’t the 5 second game fun..although we have the card game not the board game version.
    We are lucky as we have one more week of break (just as well as my OH had Flu for Christmas,,poor chap)
    Wishing you peace and chocolate x

    1. And chocolate. Now I like your style. 5 second rule is perfect for getting everyone laughing. Not sure the board part adds much but the answers are so funny. We’re back to school and work now, except the older two. They have another day. Would it be too greedy to say, I could do with a few more days of having them all around.

  4. Hi Cheryl, I to love the week between Christmas and New Year. In fact that ‘week sort of extends for another week for us we continue to enjoy that ‘limbo’ feeling until the 8th as the 6th and 7th are big names days here… Sadly it’s been a few years since the ‘children’ have been up and excited about their stockings from Father Christmas ( of course he still comes!). But old traditions have been replaced by new as I enjoy a couple of hours of peace before waking the family up to head down the beach for a walk with the dogs…. The saddest thing this year was that no one put out a mince pie and drinky poos out for Father Christmas. I’d gone to bed well before everyone else and thought ‘let’s see’. I hope you enjoy these last few days of the holidays. And I wish you and your family a happy and healthy 2018.

    Thank you for linking up with the #MMBC.

    xx

    1. You are so right. Traditions change and are replaced by wonderful times. (not including the mince pie neglect, of course) I like the idea of an extra week, although I guess it balances out, as you are so busy in the summer.

  5. Aw I love this post Cheryl I totally agree that little snow globe is just the best place to be, I have loved the magic of Christmas with my little family its such a special time, enjoy the rest of your time and have a wonderful 2018 xx

  6. I’m with you on this one too. The week between Christmas and New Year is usually my favourite week of the year too because of it being the one time when we can really focus on enjoying family time. I’m always a little sad when it comes to an end too. Hope you had a lovely birthday as well – that birthday cake sounds very yummy. Happy New Year to you and your family. #WotW

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