Is anyone else glad it's over?

He did give me strict instructions not to remove the lid. Like I would have done.

How do you add stuff to it if you don't remove the lid?

I expect he would have removed the lid when he needed to. Just did n't trust me.

I love looking in my bin (in the garden) and seeing it full of lots of little red worms

I caught DD1 sucking a worm in the garden when she was a toddler. When I was at DDs last week, we were telling this story to GD2 aged 4. When DD finished the story, GD burst out with, "Oh Mummy, did you die"?

Way off topic I know but Imblame those two above ^^ for talking about worms

Agus
In 1982 we visited my best friend in Perth (WA). The week we were there, we took her DS (9 months) on a picnic with our DS(4) and DD(18 months).
I was busy getting the picnic food out and MrA was doing that man-thing of not watching the children as closely as a woman would.
I turned round to see that J, my friend's son, was hesitantly testing the flavour of kangaroo poo.
We agonised over whether to tell my friend or not.
In the end we decided to compromise and monitor him closely
and only confess if any symptoms developed.
We finally told her many years later, by which time J had fortunately grown up into a delightful young man

It isn't over yet. We'll still be subjected to all the overeating regrets and the rest.

Sigh.

You mean people regret too much pud?

I didn't have a Christmas pudding

Nor a trifle

Not even a tin of sweet biscuits

We didn't either, phoenix. But only because no one really likes Christmas pud, and I only bought a tin of biscuits when Tesco were selling them off cheap on the 27th...

jane and that delightful young man has probably had a lot of luck!

Well, all the family have gone and I miss them. We had a lovely time.

I have a strict rule at Christmas. I provide one hot meal a day and for breakfast and supper I have a fridge full of cold meat, salad, bread, cheese and other comestibles, and visitors forage for themselves and eat when they wish. It works very well and means the hostess isn't harried constantly preparing food and clearing away and can relax and enjoy herself as well as the others.

It also means that when everyone went the house felt quite empty.

I for one am sorry it all over , we had a really wonderful time !
My little crew left at lunchtime after 7 glorious days -- it was really great .
So naturally felt a little blue .

The only slight fly in the ointment was DD & GS had sickness bug for a day.

Still , will be seeing them in the not too distant future !

xx

Sounds like a good plan to me, flickety. Must be cos that's what I do too

That's what I do too.

We had a good time, everybody contributed a course of every meal so it was a real sharing time. And then we've come away with DD and her husband for a walking week. If only the wind and rain would stop.....

stansgran I certainly had too much Christmas pud! So much so that felt I was about to die or explode [whichever came first.]I have always loved the pud, but knew that it didn't love me, however this year.....! So, no more EVER for me , it will be apple crumble next year [you can't go wrong with apple crumble.] I will contribute to this thread by saying that I too want things back to normal,am not really 'old' old but it seems to make me tired these last couple of years, and due to family circumstances if we do not do the hosting then nothing will happen, and I can't see us being invited and our children doing the hosting, sadly.I would like to be away for Christmas, but know it can't happen for quite a number of years.I used to enjoy Christmas when the kids were at home, but that's a while ago now.If you treat this thread as a survey, it would seem that a large proportion want things back to normal, it all drags on and on.

It does, because you end up having not one xmas, but two or three or even four.

Mine have just left, I was sad to see them go, the babies were sad to leave but I know they will be happy to see their Nanna who is housesitting at the other end. I, on the other hand, no longer have a house that looks as if the burglar didn't like any of our stuff and just threw it all back in, I can see the carpet, have my computer and tablet back and don't have to play monopoly when I am knackered from seeing to a 2 year old in the night - how did she wake me but not her mother????

I shall have to copy the food idea. I make them get their own breakfasts, then most days I put out all the salad stuffs and meats and things on the table. Then in the afternoon I prepare a big pot roast or something fairly easy that the children will eat. We go out for one evening, the night before they go home, and on that morning I do a big cooked breakfast/brunch, then we finish up all the salads for an early lunch on the day they go home. I used to make all the salads myself - couscous, potato, colslaw, pasta - but found I was spending all day in the kitchen and none of it with my family, so now I buy it all in and it's much better. I also have two small 'helpers' to carry it all into the dining-room so that works quite well.

It is so quiet when they have all gone but I
am loving the lull (and the chance to have a lie in) before we go to stay with them in Somerset on Thursday!

Our decorations seem to be looking tired ! Has anyone taken theirs down yet?

My tree is wilting. It's going to have to come down either tomorrow or Wednesday.

New Years Day and it will all be down.