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The plan to make Christmas all about gluttony seems to have worked, but after 3 days of it I've had enough and want to return to my old world of beans and avocados. I have taken the opportunity to sample most of the things I've denied myself in the last four months. I had a bacon sandwich for breakfast (first bacon since August) and even a Diet Coke yesterday (again stopped drinking those when I saw how low they scored on Zoe), but mainly chomped down on sweets and chocolate, confirming that I am all or nothing on those. If I am eating them I eat all of them.
It was a solid Christmas Day. Santa came and Ernie insisted that he saw the sleigh parked on our neighbour's roof and a red light that he assumed was Rudolph's nose. Maybe he did. I don't know where all the presents came from. I certainly didn't play any part in buying them.
I did buy most of the presents that I got though, which is a system I think we should probably introduce for everyone. Set the budget and then everyone just spends it on what they want. I got everything I wanted.
Catie did buy a couple of things for me on top of the ones I bought for me. She'd bought cute little framed posters for the kids saying stuff like "Sometimes you have to be a little but naughty". I had something framed print shaped, but as I went to open it it suddenly struck Catie that it might be taken the wrong way. As it turned out my poster said "Wash Your Hands, You Filthy Animal." It was hard to see what other way I could have taken it. The others seemed to be quotes from films or whatever and whilst there was a possible nod to Home Alone, this just seemed to be saying that I had a bad hygiene routine.
I don't really mind, but it made me laugh that Catie had only been struck by how this could be seen as offensive as she handed it over. I pretended to be affronted, but Ernie stood up for his mum and ratted me out, telling everyone that I didn't always wash my hands after going to the loo. So it was an attack from all sides.
I do make sure he washes his hands on all possible occasions though. But yes, I am a filthy animal!
The kids had a great time and even gave gifts this year. Ernie gave me one of his cars. It was a bit broken and wrapped in a scrunched up piece of A4 but it's the thought that counts. Phoebe had made me a couple of things which was lovely, but also bought me a jigsaw from a school fundraiser and was looking forward to doing it with me. Which is not only a great present which shows she knows who I am (ie not a filthy animal), but also the fact she was exited about the two of us doing it together meant a lot to me. She plays her love cards very close to her chest, so this gave me some indication that my excellent parenting is appreciated and maybe this girl has some affection for me after all.
We did Lego together and played chess (which she's picked up very quickly) and Ernie managed to resist shooting anyone with his new Nerf gun (as Santa had insisted). The gun jammed a lot and was hard for a tiny child to operate, but he still loved it. Me too. I managed to avoid shooting anyone too, but it was hard not to.
I have felt in the past that Christmas comes round too fast, but the kids are a great age for it and although they got spoiled rotten it was a lot of fun to be around them. Though I did take 30 minutes to myself after I'd done the post prandial clearing up. Didn't think I'd make it to bed time, but somehow Catie and me got a little time together once the inlaws had left and the kids were in bed. DIe Hard 2 (even though I'd watched it three days ago). We know how to live, you filthy animals.
