Christmas Comes but Twice a Year!

We had Christmas at our house today! Yes, I know we're early but because we will be flying to my parents for the actual day and the luggage allowance doesn't really accommodate taking all of OB's presents with us, we have become a two-Christmas family.

This is the second Christmas I've had with OB, but it's the first Christmas where it's just been the two of us and, to be honest, I really felt that today. We made it special - I was up late last night festooning the living room with decorations, wrapping presents and placing them under the tree. But there's no denying the fact that the present-opening was all done before 9am and, although OB was happy with his presents, I really missed the oohing and aahing and general excitement that is generated by just having a few more people around.

The odd thing about having Christmas not on Christmas Day is that, obviously, nobody else is having Christmas. There is no special movie on the TV or Queen's Speech or any of the other things we take for granted at Christmas, even if we don't pay much attention to them. Of course, we had special food, but OB doesn't really care about that (he declared the roast dinner I had made "dirty" and only ate the lamb and the pigs in blankets!). He wasn't even bothered by his mince pie, and he usually loves those.

Thankfully, I had arranged to go round to a friend's house and do a present exchange with their children, so we had tea there and there was plenty of excitement between the three of them when it came to opening presents. I loved watching them together comparing their presents and saying how cool they were and for a moment it did make me feel a bit sad that OB is an only child.

So, I've resolved to plan a bit better next year for our English Christmas and try to create something that is unique for the two of us and not just a quieter re-creation of the proper Christmas, which we will be doing brilliantly in France on the 25th with all of my family anyway. There, OB will get all the excitement and the people to share it all with, so I'm not really worried he's missing out. We'll find something different to call our English Christmas, and try to invest it with a meaning and set of traditions all its own for a Mum and her boy to share together.

Merry sort-of-Christmas everybody!