Last week we celebrated our Grandsons 17th birthday. He’s not much of a party animal (I think that’s quite a good thing), and with restrictions on going out, our daughter ordered in a Chinese takeaway, the 10 of us huddling round the table to enjoy the feast. It was like the feeding of the 5000. She’d ordered so much it lasted three days! But it made him happy (although that’s quite hard to tell) as did the pre booked driving lessons he received. He was pretty nervous the following day as the instructor pulled up outside the house, but now with two lessons under his belt, we think he is starting to enjoy them and the thought of the freedom it will bring.

The following day our friend Charlie also celebrated his birthday and joined the retirement club. Enjoy every day Charlie and hope to be able to catch up in the not too distant future.

With the Grandsons birthday being the last in the family for us, we have started to prepare for the festive season. Well in truth, my daughter and I have been preparing for months, buying gifts and hiding them away, wrapping them whilst the little ones are at school, deciding on and purchasing food, organising and making doorstep deliveries of gifts for extended family.

We have four freezers in the house, which are all bursting at the seams, and stocks of non perishables hidden away from the locusts that attack our cupboards on a daily basis. We are pretty much ready, just a click and collect shop booked for next week, which is the only time we intend getting anywhere near a supermarket till the New Year.

Our Christmas trees are popping up around the house, one in each lounge, a little pop up one in the porch and a new one in the conservatory. With lights now adorning the windows and the outside of the house, the little ones are getting more excited by the day.

The twins designed Christmas cards in class, which the school then had printed, together with fridge magnets, for parents to purchase. Lovely idea, but with the school not allowing the exchange of cards in school, they had very few people to send them to! Their paternal Grandparents and their Great Grandparents are the lucky recipients. Twin 1 gave one to us, wishing us a jolly merry Christmas, from Dexter, aka your Grandson 💙 as if we didn’t know. The card took pride of place above the fire, and then he was showing his Dad the fridge magnet with the same design and pointed out the banana having a poop!! Not sure it should remain on prominent show 🤣🤣🤣

Can you spot it (responses in the comments box)

We have written cards to our neighbours and following tradition since they could walk, the twins posted them through the letterboxes with Granddad.

Twin 1 loves arts and crafts, and after being shown by his auntie (staying with us as part of our social bubble) how to make snowflakes by folding and cutting paper, he has been adorning the conservatory windows with his creations. They are quite large so I think we need to find him some smaller paper otherwise we won’t be able to see out of the window.

They have both also joined Beavers. They love it and so look forward to weekly meetings. Last week arts and crafts were top of the agenda and they brought home some fantastic sock snowmen ⛄️ they’d made. Then last night was a Christmas movie night 🎞. Respect to the two leaders who give up so much time for the children.

For the final week at school, they have been allowed to wear festive headgear, to school and in the playground, although it must be removed inside school. The twins love a bit of dressing up and have fully embraced it, wearing a different mask and headgear every day and of course, together with Li Li, Christmas jumpers on the last day of school.

With the schools now closed, and Dad finishing work for the year, we will be trying to keep them busy in an attempt to contain the excitement for the big day. Wish us luck 😂

Our Daughter & Granddaughter both still have a few shifts at the hospital and our Grandson a couple at a supermarket, so we have our own little team of key workers who have been working extremely hard and deserve a relaxing Christmas. Fortunately no one is working on Christmas Day, meaning we can enjoy at least one day all together.

It is sad that we can’t share Christmas with ALL our loved ones and friends, this year. But if we’re all sensible, life will hopefully get back to a more normal in the not too distant future.

However you celebrate, stay safe and have a wonderful day.

 

Have you spotted the banana poop yet?

🤣🤣🤣