This time last year, the tree was up, the Advent calendar had been homemade way in advance, the carols had been playing for a while, festive activities planned for each day and I was some version of Father Christmas gone bridezilla. It was all had to be merry or else – got it?!
But I am just not feeling it yet. Yesterday morning, Talitha asked for “Jingle Bells” so I put it on. Our tree is arriving today. She opened the first window of her Advent calendar yesterday. The markings of Christmas coming are there, even if part of me feels like I just want to go back to bed (preferably on my own, without any children), pull the duvet over my head and pretend it isn’t happening.
I’m feeling a little Grinch-like partly because we overdid things this weekend. It’s so hard to get the balance right. Should you make the most of the time together and pack in lots of fun out and about or should you just spend the whole time vegging at home? This weekend, we ended up doing all the things. And that’s with me cancelling some of the things.
Saturday started with charity shopping and a pub lunch (wonder if my mum used to buy us gifts in front of us too? Talitha didn’t notice). Then we went for a walk in Prior’s Wood with friends. We took home happy, tired girls. A friend from uni stayed over and it was lovely chatting with her into the night.
On Sunday, Laurence and Talitha went to church while Ophelia and I stayed home because she was snuffling with a cold and I figured she should have her morning nap for once. After that it was go, go, go rushing off to the Bristol Vintage Clothing Sale. We had a quick lunch with my brother and his wife at their flat. Then it was off to The Mall at Cribbs Causeway for the weekend’s main event.
All weekend, the thing we’d most been looking forward to was taking Talitha ice skating for the first time. I think we must have sold it really well because she wasn’t even that fussed about seeing Santa Claus. The whole time in the queue to meet him, she just wanted to know about the ice skating.
I have to say, I’m not such a Grinch that I wasn’t affected by my three-year-old’s excitement about her first time on the ice. I do wish we’d had a quieter weekend leading up to it, but even though she was tired, she skated for almost the entire thirty-minute session. She only had a five-minute break.
While Ophelia enjoyed chilling on my back in the sling, looking up at all the crazy lights and colours that make up the Cribbs Winter Wonderland, Talitha had her skates strapped on and just couldn’t wait to get out on the ice with her father.
She sat on a plastic seal for a bit, which she loved because they could gather speed, but for most of it, he held her hands and gave her a go at skating herself. I think it was a much better introduction for her, heading out with a confident skater, than it would have been if she’d gone out with me, stumbling about.
While I can’t say I’m really feeling it yet (maybe I will after our tree arrives today), I’m living with a small child who definitely is and I think her enthusiasm just might prove infectious.
PS: We were provided with free passes to come visit The Mall at Cribbs Causeway’s Winter Wonderland
It sounds like a super fun weekend to me! Lucky you being able to take them skating – although these rinks are a relatively new thing, I love the fact it’s fast becoming a festive tradition to go skating. And PS – totally buy all my daughter’s presents in front of her. Ha!
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Very true. Lots of these new things are becoming “tradition”, aren’t they? I grew up with hot Christmases so none of it is a real marker to me. I need to break out some parang music and make some sorrel to drink.
We’ve never taken little T out skating yet. Must do that, it looked so exciting on your photos! Normally, I feel really “Chrismassy” when it’s a few weeks before December. This year, wasn’t really into it much, even though we’ve actually started decorating our house, no tree yet though. We put a real tree up sometime in the second week, wish we could do it earlier. I love Christmas trees, especially real ones, since it’s still such a novelty for me! (We don’t have those in a tropical country 😉 x
It’s a novelty for me too since I’m also from the tropics. We’ve got a new tree. It’s arrived today. As long as you get one that doesn’t drop its needles much and water it properly, it’ll keep til Christmas.
I’m so jealous!! I had so many plans this weekend and had to cancel them all to sit in the boring house as I had done all last week! I really wanted to go to the vintage sale too, was it good? Don’t tell me if it was! I am feeling surprisingly festive, I usually don’t feel it at all ever but this year I really am. And that’s so impressive you can buy presents in front of Talitha, Cherry is a like a hawk and would notice straight away although I guess I could do it whilst she is lying on the floor having a tantrum because I won’t buy her something! x
looks fun! no skating for us this year because of bump!!!
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We are bad parents, we still haven’t got our advent calendar up and no tree or decorations out yet. Will have to pull my finger out soon and let the kids have a chocolatey catch up session!
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It does sound like a busy, but fun weekend. Gorgeous photographs. I can completely emphathise with you on the grinch-unfestive-feeling…I’ve been so busy lately that getting ready for Christmas feels a little like an inconvenience this year and I know how awful that sounds. I’m hoping that I’ll soon kick this feeling when my Christmas decorations are up and we enjoy some family/friend gatherings xx
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I have to admit it has also been pretty slow on the Christmas festive spirit front in our house – we have done a few crafts and I just about got together to make the advent but no tree of yet – have just been to busy, although we have been talking about it more with Mr A and just taking things slow – have a few crafty bits and bobs line up and went to Winter wonderland on the weekend. Oh I love the look of this ice-rink and mini skates and seals by the way – so much fun. I think sometimes we put top much pressure on ourselves at this time of year
Laura x
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i’ve never tried skating. nice to know talitha enjoyed it!
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What a fab weekend, I know what you mean about getting in the mood for Christmas, hoping the kids enthusiasm is infectious for us both. I know you are keeping it simple, which I think is such a good plan! We are off to do festive stuff this weekend – hope it makes us as smiley as you and yours are here.
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Ah this looks so fun. I’m thinking of taking E for her third birthday/ I’m terrible at it, but Laurie can skate backwards and all sorts, so he’ll be a much better skating teacher than I could ever be. I just drag myself round by holding onto the edge usually…ahem. Love that you had Ophelia on your back 🙂 xx
aww looks like such a lovely weekend! I’m still annoyed that the one in millennium square didn’t give Wilf those little kids skates, we might have managed more than 30 seconds if we had them! Good Christmas jumper by Laurence there too 🙂 x
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Oh wow it looks like she had such a wonderful time out on the ice with her Dad – I know what you mean about the madness around Christmas though – it’s hard to be a grinch sometimes
Laura x
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