The day after the day after the special day

Now that it is the day after, the day after Christmas I was asking myself what my favourite part of the day is.  Once you have grown up and have a family of your own I think Christmas changes so much and in many ways is just a whole lot better.  In my mind the children's enjoyment is what makes the day, and the younger they are and the more they believe, the better it is.
I always have a mental check list of jobs to do just before the big day.  Most important is to remember where I have hidden the presents I started buying in September, and once this is done they must be wrapped with no little eyes near to see me.  This gets harder as bed time gets later but being very organised (for once) they were ready a week in advance, and then on Christmas Eve hidden downstairs in every nook and cranny for the children to find on Christmas Day morning.  This is definitely the best part of Christmas.  Even my older children who are too cool to do most things, love hunting for their gifts and it has become a bit of a family tradition.  The value of the items is not important.  There were little bath bombs that only cost a couple of pounds but if one child has one then the others all have something similar be it books, DVDs or toiletries.
It is the sort of thing I hope my boys will remember when they have children of their own and possibly carry on doing for them.
I love the turkey, the mince pies, mulled wine, watching too much TV and general lazing around, but presents in the morning when the boys are running in and out of rooms with excited faces has to be my favourite time, and long may it continue.

Growing Up

From the minutes our babies start moving and rolling away we have a dilemma, how far should we let them go?  Is it safe to roll away?  On the bed, definitely not, elsewhere possibly yes! As they start to grow we have to decide when to leave them at a friends house or a party, when they can walk home from school on their own or take the bus by themselves for the first time.
My 15 year old was unwell on Sunday.  When he came home from school on Monday he felt so poorly that he made the decision not to go to a gig at the O2 in London as he didn't think he was up to it.  This was his birthday present so it was a big deal but I was very impressed that he was so mature.  After a duvet & sleep day at home yesterday he felt much better and has gone to school for the final day today, but now he wants to go to a sleepover tonight.  The first reaction is no way, you have been ill, it is too late, you will be bad again or poorly over Christmas, but if he is sensible enough to miss out on the gig surely I must give him credit to make the right decision for tonight?  He can come home early if he feels bad, and I have to trust him to get some sleep and not overdo things, but it is another letting go. He is taking responsibility for his own well being and I can see another little bit of my baby has now grown up

Sort of Holidays

On Friday when my youngest finished primary school you could see parents visibly relaxing in front of your eyes as there is now a break from washing uniforms, making lunches, ensuring homework is completed and most importantly, no clock watching or rushing in the morning.  However, what if you have children in a different school that has not broken up?  It is a type of limbo.  On the one hand there is a child who wants to play, see friends and be having fun, and on the other side there is still the early morning start, any last minute work that needs to be completed and remembering the money needed for pantomime, Christmas lunch and various activities.  I want to wind down but know I can't as that means something will be forgotten! So whilst others were having a lie-in or planning their duvet day we were still up at 6.30 this morning, but on the plus side by 8am we had dropped off the older boys and were ready to go out and fun - all we needed now was for everyone else to get out of bed!

Dilemma

My youngest finishes school today for the Christmas holidays. My head knows I should be out doing the food shopping and any last minute bits BUT  I have a black tie function tomorrow evening and hair has to be done.
I can't do both and was thinking about why I worry about spending time on myself.  If my husband needed to get his hair cut he would just go and not think about it, so why is it an issue for me?  Highlights are essential and  too stressful to do with children around so perhaps I should just get on and organise an internet delivery before I start the pampering.

Hello New World

Hello to my brand new world of blogging!
It was suggested to me that as a mum of 4 boys there would be plenty going on in my and their lives that will (hopefully) be interest to you and so here I am.
Before anything else let me explain that Winzies is NOT the name of one of my children but is the name of my youngest son's most precious and loved teddy bear who goes out with him as often as he is allowed.  Endowed with almost human like qualities we have to make sure he is not left alone, and is cuddled and fed honey on a regular basis, almost like having a 5th child!
Looking forward to lots of posts and chats
Good to meet you