An ongoing history of almost everything: IT'S NOT LIKE I NEED A PLAY BY PLAY...

This Christmas was a lot of fun. Charlotte didn't quite get the whys and wherefores of everything that was going on, but she definitely enjoyed herself. With my Mum coming to stay I felt a lot more prepared this year, since I actually had time to do things I usually only get chance to think about.

We baked Christmas cookies and gingerbread, which we delivered to people from church. In my head this was going to be really fun. Charlotte would help cut out the cookies and apply the sprinkles as we decorated them, and it would be very cute and cosy. The reality? The kitchen became a baking sweat shop. The dough was too sticky, and the icing went runny, and we didn't weren't even close to having enough trays or. I think we were all driven within an inch of our sanity, with the exception of Charlotte, who lost interest after about three minutes (though had a great time 'decorating' the cookies that didn't make the cut). We did manage to deliver them with smiles on our faces, but next year we'll definitely scaling things down!

We got an advent calendar this year, which I filled with scripture readings. One for each day. Charlotte really enjoyed it, probably because she didn't know yet that children all over the world were picking out sweets, not laminated scrapbook paper. She had fun picking out the cards and handing them to whoever was holding the scriptures, because even that is fun when you're two, but since Daddy will be a Dentist I have a feeling she might need to get used to it.

We all got a new pair of Christmas pyjama's, courtesy of my Mum and Dad, and and though we opened them well before any other presents, Ryan's little Hulk number remains the most memorable gift.

We were joined for Christmas by Ryan's Mum and Step Dad. We were definitely spoiled by being able to stay at home but still get to see some family. We decorated our Christmas tree with them on Christmas Eve. We'd kept all presents tucked away in cupboards since Charlotte can't resist wrapping paper, but a friend dropped by with a gift on Christmas Eve. I set it under the tree out of convenience and proceeded to ask Charlotte to 'put it back' for the rest of the day. As we were decorating the tree I heard to bathroom door close, and looked around to find that Charlotte had disappeared. Usually, if she's leaving the room she lets you know with a 'be right back, k?' or simply grabs your hand and takes you along with her. She never just leaves, especially if there's something fun like tree decorating going on. Her quiet slinking away piqued my interest, and wondering what she was up to I slowly opened the bathroom door. There she was, sitting in the pitch dark, tucked away in the farthest corner of the room, clutching the now half opened present. Her face was priceless. Caught in the act! I love how throughly she'd thought everything through. I think she'd been waiting all day for a chance to sneak away unnoticed with the present.

Charlotte had no idea why, but she set out a plate of treats for Father Christmas and some carrots for the reindeer. The carrots remained on the plate but Charlotte was determined that at least a few of Santa's chocolates should be shared with her.

Sneak peak of our stockings

Charlotte making her way downstairs on Christmas morning

This was the moment she caught a glimpse of her new kitchen

Charlotte's stocking was hand delivered by Father Christmas which, judging from her death grip, was a terrifying experience. She clung to me for dear life and refused to look up at the man himself. She slowly warmed up as, one at a time, he handed gifts to her. But stocking stuffers didn't prove to be enough to warrant a smile. He left her with her very own Christmas bell, which we hung on the tree. She really likes the bell, just not the famous guy who gave it to her.

Nobody was allowed to open presents without a little help from Charlotte

We opened stockings in the morning and but the rest of the presents waited until after dinner, not an easy feat since I'm about as bad as Charlotte when it comes to opening presents. We filled our time in between the opening of presents with movie watching and naps, and I made a Christmas dinner while everyone else kept Charlotte entertained. We had roasted chicken, roasted potatoes, parsnips & carrots, mashed potatoes, yorkshire puddings, american stuffing, green beans, and my Granny's sausage meat stuffing. I'm still amazed that I managed to get everything hot at the same time, and that I only burned myself once!