My kids don't "get" Christmas...

No tree is sacred to a 9 month old...!

I've never been a huge fan of Christmas... not since my early adolescence where suddenly the magic was gone, and Christmas was just about being dragged to a distant family member's house where you couldn't drink (too young) and was expected to look after any younger kids that were there... It was a bit of a drag from about 14 yrs of age onwards.... However when I first had Tyler, and his first Christmas rolled round (he was 3 months old) I was SO excited about the festivities again... That I could finally do the magical Christmas hullabaloo for my little family like I'd experienced as a child myself.

But Christmas when the kids are still very little is not that exciting really... Maya no doubt will just want to eat wrapping paper. Tyler will be a bit more excited by the prospect of "presents" but is still too young to understand the concept of Father Christmas, or why Christmas is celebrated at all... that an the fact that we're not overly religious means that really, it's just "present day" for Tyler and that's about it... Both kids positively shit themselves when I tried to introduce them to Santa for a Christmas photo this year, and thus I'm being ever so slightly "humbug" about it all...

I'm not putting up a tree this year - given I've beared witness several times to what happens to a Christmas tree whilst Maya is in the vicinity. It's stripped from the boughs within arm's reach down and glitter gets everywhere, Maya crunches on plastic baubles and decorations and the lights are dangerously yanked about leaving the tree rocking ominously from side to side... I can't take the kids to go see the Christmas lights as they're so adamant about being in bed before dark that they'd not get to see anything... I'm not even buying a great deal of presents this year - well, at least not toys... My kids have FAR too many toys as it is. They've got some pretty amazing hand-made/WAHM made gifts but aside from that, things are being kept pretty low key... We'll do the whole charity shebang - donating gifts reminiscent of those the kids would receive for their appropriate ages to our local Salvos or church Christmas collection as we do every year. But aside from that, we're not doing a great deal...

I do have three things on my own "wish list" which I'll tackle in the new year when Christmas has passed and I'm more financial for it... A bottle of Stella McCartney "Stella" perfume (because I just can't suck up enough of the smell of old fashioned peony roses), a new couch (because ours is squalid after Tyler has painted it with yoghurt or milk or whathaveyou on several occasions, and a coffee machine (because the nasty Ebay seller I bought one from this month never ended up sending it. Asshole...)

However in true single-mummy fashion, I of course feel guilty for wanting such "luxuries" and inevitably will either put them off until they're forgotten, or will end up buying them around August next year when there are no birthdays or holidays in sight!

Call me mean, but I think I'm just going to take it easy this year and relish in the fact that the kids still don't yet "get" Christmas... It doesn't mean I don't love them any less, nor will they miss out (especially considering how much the grandparents spoil them so specially!) but basically - Christmas Day in our house will be rather humble and low-key... Which is a big relief to me, especially when I contrast it to some of my friends whose days are racking up to be a manic, insane experience. So long as me and my kids get our breakfast bowl of Cherries on Christmas morning (tradition for me!) we'll be happy :)

'til next time - Peace (on Earth) Out :P

Wordless Wednesday... (though in fairness, it's hard to be wordless... I have SO much to blog about!!!)