A big fat Christmas catch up

Due to some very frustrating laptop issues (still just hoping we can retrieve our photos, back them up, do it now!) here is a great big, late, picture-less Christmas catch up. Including Mabel turning 11 months old and an older post previously on decorating the tree.

We spent Christmas morning at home, Mabel had yet another virus which meant she didn't fancy opening any presents or eating pancakes for breakfast, we very much ate enough for her and indeed the entire country. Then suitably dressed in a red outfit, Mabel that is, we headed over to Manchester where we stayed in / took over Grannies house for the rest of the week (thanks Mum).

I discovered that some of the Christmas excitement from your own childhood is reignited upon becoming a parent. Opening their presents is as exciting as if they were your own, I took in the twinkling lights as if seeing through her eyes for the first time and they were all the more bright. I can't wait for such times as staging, sorry, welcoming a visit from Santa.

We received gorgeous presents; books, clothes, a bag for nursery (auntie Fee nearly crashed the car when I told her that once I took spare clothes in a carrier), her first doll (currently sporting a scratch from being thrown across the room, hoping empathy kicks in any time), bath toys and messy play stuff. Great food ( the legendary boxing day ham stepped up a gear with home made coleslaw & pickles), great drinks (2011 saw the return of the snowball, yum) and great company, lots to be very grateful for.

We returned to Hudds for New Year and as usual splashed out on good food and champagne. One of G Kisbys resolutions is to live for the moment and stop hoarding i.e You shouldn't die with champagne in the fridge. So we glugged Bolinger and due to a distinct lack of drinking throughout the previous year both then sat on the sofa struggling to stay awake. Party!!! We made 11.15- said with genuine amazement. And we also made some resolutions for 2012...

One of them was the vague and top line, 'be more organised'- as I said, too much alcohol.

I'll post them on the blog when we get round to deciphering what they actually are...ah the irony!

Oh and in the middle somewhere our baby turned 11 months old. She is attempting loads of new sounds, in fact she doesn't shut up. Think she has realised she needs to keep going to get a word in edgeways. She will stand on her own but so far no steps without the aid of a walker. Opening and closing are her favourite games, her fingers have little red marks where I have been too slow to avoid a minor slam. The dishwasher opening is a sound that will have her crawl at speed from anywhere downstairs. Like a hawk. You literally have a minute to load before her pesky little fingers arrive. We finally clap and wave. It just gets more and more fun...

Deck the halls...

Old posts, having finally accepted we will have to buy a new laptop I will publish picture-less...

Last weekend Christmas launched in our Huddersfield abode.
Normally,due to our combined love of this season, we do this a week earlier, so I was really giddy about getting started.

First stop, get our tree.

Now, we have a little history with trees. Ever since we first got together and g Kisby bought me a real tree for my bedroom at home. I loved it, loved the gesture, loved that every time I looked at it I was reminded of us. The tree however did not love me and literally dropped all it's needles within a week. It turned into a Christmas twig, to be fair if it was 2011 it would have been bang not trend. In 2000 it was very much not.

Then over the years we have continued to have drama. There was the year on our old house where g Kisby got carried away and bought a huge tree which when the net opened in our front room meant you couldn't see the tv and had to shimmy to get out the door. In a strop he announced we had to take it back. I got upset at the idea of a tree being unwanted and pleaded for us to keep it. I then realised he had no chance of now getting the large tree sans net back in the car so we ended up sawing off one side. It was an intereting look.

There was another year where size clearly mattered and we drove home with me sat with my head on my knee and a tree on top.

Then last year we got home to realise that our stand didn't fit and therefore the tree wouldnt stand up. G Kisby went out in the snow to try and saw it, I made useless suggestions like, "couldn't it be wedged with bags of sugar" and in the end we had to abandon ship and make a trip to b and q the next day to buy a new stand. Normally on these occasions g Kisby tries really hard not to get mad, I try not nearly hard enough not to humour his frustration, and the tree decorating event starts pretty quiet until in dolce jubilo, his favourite Christmas tune (what?)comes on and all is forgotten in favour of singing.

So this year what could go wrong? We were going for a smaller tree on account of the child, we had two stands, the decs were out of the loft ready, we even made a pretty quick decision on the tree itself ( g Kisby normally spends about an hour looking at every angle). He is a huge fan of the tree.

I tell you what could go wrong...trunk too big for the stand. What the hell. Our trunk was fat and a little wonky(is that ever good?) G Kisby stayed remarkably calm. An hour later he was using a meat cleaver, in the kitchen, to hack at the edge.
On the tip of my Tongue... "erm maybe a job for outside"?
As a large chip is made right in the middle of our wooden floor.

Anyhow it all worked out. We just have a 600page book holding it up.

We had a gorgeous time decorating. Mabel tried to eat the lights, mabel tried to eat the tree, mabel tried to eat the wrapped presents we used to barricade the tree. We watched elf, she loved the'this is not a toy' light decoration I bought for her and G Kisby only once asked for her to held back so he could check how even his lights were.

Let the festivities begin...