Christmas Eve

Not too bad a start to the day - Charley made it to 6am before getting hot and uncomfortable, and lasted another hour and a half before begging for medicine. And after an hour downstairs we came back to bed and stayed there till 11!

Ben made pancakes with his Daddy for breakfast and there was still batter left for me when we finally surfaced. And then we headed out into town and actually had a pretty alright afternoon! Shops weren't crowded, rain held off, we got enough bits for dinner tomorrow, and had coffee out. Definitely worth getting the bus to preserve our energy!

I read the Polar Express while looking for Christmas books for the boys and fell in love with it - I'd not read it before, didn't know the story, not seen the film - so asked Steve to get it to watch with the boys this evening after the Christingle service.

I don't think we've ever actually made it to a Christingle service before. When Ben was a tiny baby we went to a carols by candlelight service in Steyning (or was that before I was even pregnant? Maybe) and that's as close as we've got. Living across the road from an anglican church though it's nice to have finally made it to one. I learnt the reason and symbolism behind the christingle candle which is lovely: the orange represents the world. The things you stick into it represent all that is good about God's creation. The red ribbon around it represents all the wrong we've done, and the candle represents Jesus, the Light of the world, come to redeem and save. We lit ours again when we got home, and settled in to watch the Polar Express.

I've not been so emotionally up and down and on the edge of tears so permanently through a film EVER before I don't think. And Ben, poor kid, was terrified scared and then terrified exhilerated, heart pounding, clinging on to either Steve or me as the film progressed.

I don't think he fully "got" the film. I think next year he will though. But my goodness it definitely got me!! I managed to get a sleigh bell this afternoon so we'll see if he remembers what it is when he opens that present tomorrow :)

Charley has soldiered on today. I think the 'flu is on its way out at last. Steve's had a mild case but has been protected from the severity of Charley's infection because he had the 'flu jab when it was offered. I didn't, so am relying on my antibodies working up a sweat while I'm feeding Charley. Ben seems quite fine so far!

Ten to eleven and the boys are finally both in bed asleep. FINALLY.

I guess we're not the most conventional of families. We've not done Santa very heavily or used him as a bribe to get Ben to sleep. In fact a lot of our chattering about him seems to have had the opposite effect, Ben declared he was scared of Santa and didn't want him to come!! However, finally, FINALLY, at ten to eleven the boys are asleep and we can become Santa's helpers. The tree is now harbouring a pretty big pile - but it looks like most people have been very well behaved and not gone overboard!! (Thankyou!)

Just need the lurgy to go away now...