Q: I really really realy love christmas, its def my favourite time of year so just asking about your christmas's...only 99 days wooohhhooo :D :D For me its the build up to christmas and all the lights and just being with my loved ones, i love watching christmas films and cartoons with my 2 year old daughter and drawing christmas things with her.. ooh i am gettin sooo excited about christmas this year xx
A: How lovely for you to have kept your enthusiasm for Christmas. It is all the more important when there is a small child or children about and you try hard to preserve the magic for them as much as for yourself. In these days of commercialism where it seems to be "Buy, buy, buy" and so many people have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas, it is wonderful to find somebody who enjoys being in the warmth of the family and doing simple things with their child. Christmas has always been the major annual get together in our family, first at my parents, then at our house. I have always made a special effort to make the house look nice and welcoming whilst avoiding anything tacky. I take the children to the garden centre where the array of baubles etc... is dazzling. I am now a granny but when our children were small, we also went to the shops and they were allowed to choose one bauble/decoration each that was "theirs" . They loved helping decorate the Christmas tree, often picking old and cherished ornaments, and after Christmas each of the children put their decorations in their own "treasure" box (a metal biscuit tin) and the tradition has continued with the grandchildren. They also love setting out a crib. We have collected various characters from France over the years and we have the whole retinue including camels and elephants with the three kings. We always play old christmas carols as we set them out and the youngest child places the baby in the crib as a special privilege. I make a fresh wreath of ivy and holly for the front door, hang some mistletoe in the hallway, and holly on the bannister tied with red ribbons. We bake cookies and ginger bread in the shape of Christmas subjects like trees, stars,angels, etc... in advance and the children have a great time pressing the cutters into the pastry and decorating them with raisins and shiny balls made of sugar. I save Christmas cards and the children love cutting them up and making collages, sticking lots of glitter on their final effort. I make our pudding well in advance and slip in a silver sixpence and a small thimble in their portion at the last minute. This is exchangeable for a shiny new pound coin and re-used next year. We are lucky in that our local vicar has a donkey, there is a realistic and almost life-size crib in the church, and the flower ladies always make the place beautiful. A special service is held for the children, donkey present in the church, on Christmas eve with christingles for each child to take home afterwards. Back home the children are treated to a special meal with their favourite foods (usually saucages, and pancakes with chocolate spread) before being sent to bed. They each have a picturesque home-made stocking (not one of the hideous huge prefabricated ones) with their name knitted in and that is filled with small bits and bats that I have acquired along the year. They have a great time unwrapping these "treasures"when they wake up in the morning. We limit really "big" presents to one per child (there is a pre-agreement as to what between parents/grand-parents/uncles and aunts) as we do not believe in spoiling them too much, and we do not want them to take expensive things for granted and always want more. Those are under the tree and it is lovely seeing them being opened and the pleasure they give. After Christmas lunch the whole family wraps up well and we go for a brisk walk altogether before it gets dark. I have a collection of Christmas videos, and I also record any programme that I think is worthwhile like annual cartoons such as "The Snowman", and we watch this and the Queen on our return whilst drinking tea or hot chocolate. We also play various games with the children. On Boxing day we all go out for for a long walk, unless it is pouring with rain, either in the country or at the sea-side which is near, and have a late lunch in a pub, after which we disperse and the members of each family make their way back to their own home. The clearing-up and washing pile afterwards is a awesome and a major operation, but who cares...we have had two or three lovely days altogether as a large family. Have a wonderful Christmas with your little girl and your loved ones!