Month: December 2017

Singing Christmas carols in the car helped with stress levels driving around and around looking for a carpark at the supermarket this Christmas Eve morning. (Buying a few last minute things I’d forgotten.)

Merry Christmas everyone. May you all have good health and happiness this Christmas season.

 

Everyone has things they’re good at, and things they’re not. I really like people and I’m kind. BUT:

I’m not a patient person. I wish I was. My husband and youngest daughter have the ability to wait patiently, doing nothing, in a queue for ages. That drives me crazy so I always try to carry a book or magazine in my handbag. Then I’m not bored. In fact I’m happy.

And I’m not good at camping. I try. I book the family camping trip to Tawharanui every year. It’s a stunningly beautiful regional park.

http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/auckland/places/tawharanui-marine-reserve/

I love it there during the day. BUT the facilities are nothing more than long drop toilets across the field and water taps. That’s it. No showers, no kitchen facilities. No electricity or Netflix. And sometimes other campers can hold noisy parties at night.

So, my husband and kids have come up with a plan. Because they love camping they’ll go for four nights and I’ll join them for the last two. Great idea. But I’m already wondering if I can renegotiate to come home on the second evening – maybe leaving Tawharanui about 5pm. Then I can have two whole days with them and still get home in time to have a hot shower and watch whatever I feel like on TV. Sounds like a great plan to me.

I have a feeling the family will not be keen on this idea.

What qualities do you find you lack?

I usually love, love, love Christmas but a month ago I couldn’t understand why I wanted it to be months away.

I couldn’t stomach the idea of putting up a Christmas tree or decorations. I finally realised that, as our house is currently a building site (literally), the idea of adding to the chaos and stuff we have everywhere just made me feel sick.

Some of the rooms now have new floors so we can put the stuff back. This has made our house much more livable. And my 15 year old told me firmly a week ago that she was putting up the Christmas tree – her energy gave me the push to drag all the ornaments out (four big boxes of them).

We put up the tree and selected a few favourite ornaments for the lounge. Not many. Then put everything else back into storage for next year.

And now I’m loving the twinkling lights on the Christmas tree and the silver deer and tree on the table. And the stockings hung on the chimney.