Grotto

School Christmas Fair this evening. They put on a great show ! There's always loads of home baking, the mulled wine is divine, and loads of (affordable) stalls for the wee ones to enjoy.

I spent years volunteering with my older daughters's school fairs - now I'm a bystander. It amazes me - how imaginative and resourceful people can be for a good cause.

The highlight for No 3 was a trip to Santa's (beautifully decorated) Grotto. Complete with a teacher-elf outside ~(giving up her spare time for free - as were all the staff). No 3 gave him her list of presents - most of which had never been mentioned to me before tonight (gulp!).

When I was growing up, MRS SANTA was a big character in our house. She delivered a small present and an egg at Easter when Santa was off duty.

My mum LOVED Christmas. We had many traditions around the baking of the Christmas pudding, the turkey stuffing, the 'star', the Red Candle at the window (when the candle was blown out the visitors were sent home!), the phone calls on Christmas eve to Dublin, The mince pie and Whiskey, going to Mass on Christmas Day - and we were always reminded by her how much work Mrs Santa did.

She didn't get the credit she deserved.