Goddards go festive

We were over to Chris and Julie’s today for our Christmas get together with them. We only buy for the children and I’d planned to make rugs for their three but only got as far as making one for Jack before getting caught up in other crafty projects. I didn’t want to give something home made to one and not to the others so I got a book each for Jack and Maisie – and completely forgot about Lorna! 😳

So yesterday evening Ady reserved a playmat for her online at Argos and we collected it on the way over this morning – result – it had 70% off :). While Ady and Scarlett went to Argos to collect that Davies and I went to Sainsburys to get some sausages as requested by Chris. A&S saw one of the adult helpers from Rainbows at Argos which Scarlett was all happy about :). I got a really nice necklace in Sainsburys that I’ve had my eye on for months since it was a new range and has finally gone into the half price sale. I also got the matching bracelet :). I have got a necklace that Ady bought me as a birthday present the first year we were together and the clasp has gone on it. I’ve been carrying it around for weeks in my purse but keep forgetting to get it fixed and it’s only in not wearing it (and having shorter hair too) I realise quite how much I fiddle with it normally (or my hair) so I’ve taken to wearing necklaces to work more in an effort to stop me developing alternative twitches 😆

We had a nice few hours with Chris and Julie. Julie is ill, with this cold that hopefully all of my lot have now had. I think I got away with a very mild case of it but hopefully enough of a dose that I won’t get it again. All the presents were well recieved (they got Davies a set of watercolour pencils and Scarlett a book) and the kids enjoyed playing together, Jack and Maisie showed off their new toys and they all spent a lot of time running around outside which I’m sure did them good. C&J had a plan for us to all go to the beach but having been yesterday and with none of us remotely attired for beach walking we put them off and have arranged to meet at the beach next week instead.

We came home via the 3 different Woolworths that were on the way home, two of which were closing today. In both there were long queues, plenty of people coming just to gawp and very little in the way of anything to buy. In the third, which isn’t closing until next week there were plenty of bargains to be had but nothing we *needed* and as I anticipate January being a long month it isn’t the time to be stocking up on toys for next Christmas just yet!

At home I organised the kids’ tea and got ours all prepared then retired to a hot bubble bath with a book and a snowball. Unfortunately Tarly discovered me and was naked and in with me before I could really protest! I do love having her in the bath with me but I also love that time to relax, read my book and shut everyone else out – will have to go back to baths after her bedtime I think. We’ve decided to declare the DS charger lost so have ordered another one off ebay along with a pack of 10 stylus’ which will be kept at adult height and only dished out when required.

The kids eventually went to bed, we eventually had dinner and watched a couple of episodes of Armstrong and Miller on dvd. I’ve just spent a very happy half an hour perusing the Book People website (I’d stopped going there 3 years ago having broken my monthly order from there habit but was reminded of it by Julie today when admiring some of J&Ms Christmas presents.) choosing everything I would buy if I could afford it and reserving them all online from work instead. Feel very virtuous :).