Christmas is coming…oh god, really?

As I don’t now do a paid, sitting at a desk type job, I should, in theory, have loads of time to get ready for Christmas this year.

Of course, like every year, it’s heading for mid November and I am beginning to have a mild panic about cards, presents, and the logistics of presents (who is going to be where, and when, and when will I need to get their presents posted by etc)

However, despite not doing that desk type job stuff anymore, I seem to be busier than ever. And, as with every year, I start off thinking I am organised and on my way to having all my presents bought when I hit October and not one, but nine of my close family and friends begin a domino-like roll of birthdays.

These birthdays carry on until Boxing Day but by early December, my present box, which was beautifully stocked ready for Christmas, is looking a bit sparse and I end up panic buying Christmas presents and spending more money than I had planned for.

It is one of those strange things that I can see coming, it happens every year, yet it seems that there is nothing in my power to prevent it happening. This year, I predict that it will only get worse; our eldest is going to be five in December, and for the first time, will be having an all singing, all dancing party, six days before Christmas. In addition, for reasons unbeknownst to me, I have been roped into (no, I think I may have volunteered) to being on the committee which organises the school Christmas fayre.

My inside voice tells me again and again that I am taking too much on while I find myself smiling and using that annoying outside voice to say:

“Are you still looking for a school governor? Oh great, yes, I’m very interested, especially if it means taking on so much that I collapse into a heap each evening feeling more tired than I did when I went to work. Marvelous, yes do tell me all about the role…”

Anyway, I digress. This post was meant to be like a glossy “wow, what an amazing woman she is” Woman & Home Christmas Special type feature about the Christmas craft activities that I have been doing with the boys this week. Perhaps I have inhaled too much glue and glitter this week for that type of post.

So instead some lovely snaps and more of a “Well, she’s keen, we’ll give her that” type post.

Here goes:

This week, in the time-honoured Ellis family tradition (a completely unneccessary tradition that I bizarrely invented myself as soon as I became a mother) we have begun the Christmas card making in earnest.

And despite my bah humbug-ness that is radiating from me today, we have had a lots of lovely glittery fun and the boys have been enjoying themselves. They have even spot welded so much glue and glitter onto the dining room table that there will be no need for me to decorate the table for Christmas dinner this year – well done boys!

I wanted to do something that both of the boys could create together, and as our eldest’s artistic talents are, at the moment, somewhat superior to the rather splodgy artistic talents of the youngest, this wasn’t going to be easy.

While the artistically brilliant eldest has been off practicing his drawing, painting and sculpture at art school (otherwise known as reception class), the youngest and I have spent a couple of happy afternoons doing sponge splodging, er I mean painting. We splodge to our heart’s desire, away from the meticulous and expert eye of the eldest, and once we have finished we set them aside to dry, ready for the master glitterer to arrive home from school.

Once he has assessed our craftsmanship, he sets to work, turning, our basic splodges, into something shiny and beautiful.  It is like working in Damien Hirst’s studio I like to imagine. The youngest seems to adore the fact that him and his brother have produced an object of beauty together and was delighted to show off the finished product to daddy last night when our lovely breadwinner arrived home.

And there are only another 40 or so to make. Hurrah. Oh and then I have to write them. And then find my address book that has been missing for some weeks, and then address them, and then post them, and then do some more panic present shopping, and then wrap the presents and then distribute the presents, and then start thinking about stockings, and advent calendars and Christmas lunch! Not bad for someone who doesn’t have an ounce of religious belief!

Anyway, better dash. Today’s craft activity is making our own wrapping paper….here’s how it’s looking so far…