So this is Christmas....... and what I've done......

Well, Christmas is done & dusted.

It was good.

We drove to Poppy Ken's late in the evening before Christmas as the air-con in the car (which HAD been repaired was on the fritz again after just 4 deliciously cool days of driving....)

The day started with NOT waking up at sparrow fart, then having a swim at Newcastle Beach, followed by breakfast at Maccas. Yes, you read that right: breakfast at Maccas.

And it was good.

Then, my Dad, Beloved & I & the kids all got together for lunch at my brothers house with his wife, kids & inlaw family types for lunch. Cricket was played, copious amounts of festive food/drink were consumed and a few people napped after lunch, as is the custom.

And it was good.

Then it was off to my sister-in-law's place to get together for a while, without too much food/drink involved. It was good to get together with everyone there, especially Beloved's mum, the lovely Nanny Val, as she sufferred a stoke a couple of weeks ago. She is doing well. She still has her mobility & physical co-ordination, but is finding speech, reading & writing difficult. There is a long road of therapy & a few lifestyle changes ahead for her, but she is facing the challenge head on with her usual approach of humour & grace in equal measures.

And it was good.

All three of the kids then returned to GG's place in King Street to watch Xmas-gift DVD's for the evening. A sleep-over at Sisters! That was different! My babies are growing up..... Beloved & I returned to Poppy Ken's and turned in for an early night.

And it was good.

Beloved & I had a day together on Boxing Day, not doing much at all until it was time to collect the kids & head off to Uncle & Aunts for the traditional Boxing Day/Night get-together. There is always such good food at Aunty Dor's..... it's changing though: I'm not sure if it will still happen in a few years.... this will be a shame. GG couldn't be there, as she had to work. And Sboy was very busy socialising. But Vboy had fun with his cousins.

And it was good.

Breakie on the Deckie at Nords Wharf with lovely friends started the next day, followed by a visit back at Sister-in-laws to see Nanny Val again, and more relatives..... We rounded out the day by catching up with a family that we hadn't spent time with for at least 7 years.... Their oldest is the same age as Vboy, then a boy who was 2 or 3 last time that we saw him, and the youngest is a delightful little girl that we hadn't met before...... we dropped in at 6pm and talked our way through until 11..... then drove home..... 1.40am was the end of our journey.

And it was good.

The rain has continued up here, which is marvelous, even though it has effected Sboy's "holiday" activities. I gave up almost any pretence of hanging the washing on the line: it is happily tumbling around & around instead. I've spent a fair bit of it watching "Scrubs" dvd's and pottering around dusting & wiping surfaces........ There may have been a wee power nap in there, too.....

And it's been good.

I have 3 days of work ahead of me before another 4 day break over the New Year period. It will be interesting, as I'm having a night away, sleeping in a nurses' home in between shifts at a hospital a little further west of here.

I'll fill you in on the details.

Hopefully, it will be good.

Bye xoxoxoxo