I’m really tired today. I could do with a really early night followed by a nice long lie in but that’s not on the cards any time soon. I have a last few Christmas cards to deliver which I might get done in the morning, if not we’ll drive round Saturday and do it. All presents have been despatched other than the family one’s we’ll be seeing on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and I just have a couple of home made gifts still to finish off which I can do tomorrow or Saturday. I’ve got a last few of Tarly’s presents to wrap which I’ll do tomorrow night when she’s in bed and some final mince pies to make which I’ll do Saturday or Sunday. It’s been a fairly stress-free preparation this year, mostly due to having been planning the children’s presents for months which has really helped. 🙂
This morning we went up to Halfords and got the children new car seats. Scarlett has outgrown hers and been moaning about it being ‘a baby seat’ for months. Davies’ was still OK but very scruffy and not very comfortable being one of the cheaper, non-padded seats. Given how much time they both spend in their car seats as we gallivant all over the country and how often they are swapped between mine and Ady’s car we decided getting him a new one the same as whatever we got Tarly would be a good idea.
They had two left so we dragged them to the tills and bought them, they I fitted them in the carpark and we drove off with the boots filled with old car seats and cardboard boxes. Tarly is delighted, never known a child so pleased with such a practical gift – she looks so grown up and can strap and unstrap herself in it which although I need to check for now is going to be great. 🙂 Davies looks far more comfortable and hopefully he’ll be able to sleep more easily on some of our long journeys now. So hurrah for that – financed by Christmas and Scarlett’s birthday present cash except for a fiver I chucked in. Normally we’d either bank that money or give it to them to spend, but actually given how chuffed they are with the seats I don’t feel remotely bad about it and we couldn’t have afforded eighty quid on car seats. Going to try and sell the 2 Britax Eclipses we had (both belonging to Tarly, one in each car) and raise some cash from that too. 🙂
We went round to Lucy’s from there for lunch and a play. The dynamics between the four children seem to constantly change and although the best two playmates between them seem to be Davies and Rebecca there are scuffles of jealousy between the girls who are both rather protective of other people playing with their brothers – I’m sure the more time they spend together the easier it will become and it is still a little surprising that Scarlett and Rebecca are not bigger into playing together but sometimes I guess being the same age and gender just isn’t enough :lol:.
Davies spent a lot of time playing on a space hopper which reminded me that actually the reason I bought D& S space hoppers either last Christmas or the Christmas before was for indoor bouncing during the winter to help use up some energy when it was too cold to be outside. I’m pretty sure both our space hoppers are in the garden somewhere so I must find them, clean them up and bring them back indoors again. Davies was on top form with his imaginative games, often drawing the others into his world and making me laugh. They got a cardboard box out of the recycling and made a helmet with it, which they then cut a hole out of. Davies then asked to do some drawing and they all sat round drawing things, including an excellent Christmas tree from Davies complete with a star, candy canes and baubles.
We left there and at their request I brought the car seat boxes in from the car. Davies drew on his and folded it in a certain way to create a car with lots of details like wing mirrors and indicators.
Scarlett mainly scribbled on it and cut large chunks out but seemed to be doing it according to a plan. 😆
Nice seats.
I’ve never given mine any money or banked it- I’ve always relied on it for life purchases! You shouldn’t feel guilty it’s what most people need to do. My mum used to buy things like our school uniforms and underwear for the year from money my nana would send her. Last year I bought our Drusilla’s memberships with money Buzz got for his birthday. This year I’ve banked all the cheques to pay for paint etc for Pea and Boo’s new bedrooms as we’ll be strapped and they’ll need doing.
You can’t beat playing with a cardboard box!
Comment by Roslyn — 21 December 2006 @ 6:15 pm
yeah, i spend the girls money in my purse on whats needed, but think that they do get everything back with interest throughout the year!
Comment by HelenHaricot — 21 December 2006 @ 9:19 pm
bit late here, but we have those seats too! And our boxes became thrones, until I got so pissed off with them taking up half the house I convinced them to bin them.
Comment by Em — 24 December 2006 @ 11:47 am