Christmas stress

Less than D H has manflu. Sniffed and snivelled all day, retired to bed at dinner time leaving 5 of us to eat without him (hurrah!)Then has spent this morning sniffing and complaining I bought and made too much food! ?

For the first time in thirty eight years I didn’t cook Christmas dinner. I went to my DDs and enjoyed a lovely lunch with her, DS and gkids. My ex and his second wife joined us later. They offered me a lift home and that was great! I got one of those ullo wine filters as a present and that was great too as I have no hangover today from the wine! And a lovely pair of fancy wellies! Designer power-hosing beckons!

Anniebach, that made me sad and grateful at the same time. For the future if you want someone to fall out with or even fall in with message me I’m sure I can do both in equal measures. Enjoy your Boxing Day.

Happily, can't fault mine one iota. Leisurely awakening and telephone contact with important persons. Short drive to family where GC were excited as could be. Lovely family lunch and dinner with real fun present opening session in between. Left after bath time as parents did storytelling and I managed a gentle departure. What's not to love. However........ I am EXCEEDINGLY aware of my very good fortune.

Not applicable so no battles in my house .Slummed around in dressing gown ,endless coffees, watched recorded movies.Lunch was my favourite chicken curry followed by Xmas pud with rum butter from a Harrods hamper ,a gift from my family the other side of he world. Miss the Christmas's past with my family but it could be worse and what I do have am grateful for when I know there are those who do not have a home or food.

Wrote on two presents my Daughters name instead of writing one to my Son, he had left by then, but he has an honest Sister, so he will get his present tomorrow.Was this a senior moment on my part?

Didn't fall out with anyone, DD did come close to losing her temper with DGS1 (aged 7), bit over-excited & wanting everything doing immediately. Not helped by DGS2 (7 months old) who wasn't very well but smiled through most of the day as long as we kept him amused

Lunch was about 1 1/2 hrs later than planned but was delicious.

Left at 3.30 with lovely pressies, home & feet up to veg out in front of tv. I managed to behave apart from spilling gravy on the (disposable) tablecloth & down my Christmas (white) T-Shirt

Well, we had a peaceful day this year all to ourselves! No Monopoly playing with DS after lunch (he stayed in his new home with his new fiance); my sister had my mother for the first time in twenty years and we're off to Cornwall for the New Year. It was pure bliss!

DS and his lovely partner came to us for the day last Saturday. Arriving in excellent time they took us out for Xmas lunch and stayed till early evening. DS 's birthday is on the 22nd, so two birds etc!! Yesterday we were on our own which was fine, today DD along with DGC are arriving at lunchtime. This year it was her ex's parents turn to have the day with DGC and Boxing day for us! Oh dear these extended families can be a bit wearing to say the least. Just hope we don't get the flack of a perceived bad day yesterday!!!

I've just discovered my disaster . Trying to get ahead of myself, I made the meringue base for today's Pavlov and I stored it, still on its original baking parchment, in an airtight tin. Just tried to remove the baking parchment so that I can put it on a plate and finish it off but the parchment is welded to the underside of the meringue. Tried to slide a wide palette knife underneath and I've destroyed the pavlova. Eton Mess it is then. I'm so cross at myself right now

For the first time in years we - or should I say 'I' - had a stress free Christmas Day! I visited DD on Christmas eve and we got on well and she and her children are likely to drop in today to help eat up the left overs. The problem with DS and family I mentioned in a post a little while back is solved and he agreed that coming on Christmas Day and leaving by 2.30 would have been a rush so they're coming for New Year's Day for a 'second Christmas' but I've decided to service it 'school dinner' style to save loads of washing up!!!!!

I fell out with me for being such a grouch, missing my children (in laws and abroad) and just remembering past family christmases and regetting being alone with equally grouchy DH
Feel great today and glad that, as Raymond Briggs says, Christmas has blown over

I came very close to having a go at my mother as she totally monopolised the TV from the minute she got to our house at midday until 11pm. She also insists on the volume being so high it's hard to ignore what she is watching. If we dare to retreat to another room she would accuse us of ignoring her!
I was expecting my mum to moan about dinner too as our expensive free range bronze turkey turned out to be off so we ended up with a very small chicken, but for once she didn't complain.
It was also the first year that my son didn't spend Christmas Day with me, he did pop in for a little while in the morning, but then went with his family to see daughter in law's sister, which I am totally okay with, but I did miss him being here all day.

I had a lovely Christmas. For the first time ever I wasn't so tired that I could have slept for 3 days, not fretting over turkeys, potatoes, presents, etc. It was a lovely day.
The only sad thing is that DS2's girlfriend left him "because she loved him too much for him to destroy himself like this", then last week told him she was bug...ing off with this new (mega-rich) bloke becasue "she was moving on"!
My poor darling spent his day in and out of tears. It broke my heart.

I put money wallets in with 2 DGS's gifts, but no money in them. They were very polite, and didn't mention it until I asked if they had found the envelopes with the money! Might even give them a little extra now!

Having had my DS DDIL and 2 teenage DGD's for Christmas Eve until midday on Christmas Day my DH and I vowed never to do it again - every year we wait on them hand foot and finger with never an offer of help and certainly never an offer of having us to their mansion house! They then move onto DDIL's parents for them to do the same I imagine! We are definitely going away next Christmas - enough is enough! We did however have a lovely relaxing Christmas Day lunch with our DD and family and DS 2 so it did turn out well - in the end!

Apparently most of the food I served up was cold. It must've got that way while I was trying to strain some lumpy gravy! Next year I shall wrap everything in foil within the serving dishes!

No one to fall out with as only DH here. We had a late night so slept in until 11am. Checked my phone to see a text from No 1 son at 10.30 to say he had rung the house phone but no answer and would try to ring later if it wasnt too hectic. Sent a text back saying no enjoy the children today you can always ring tomorrow. Had calls from all my children except one. Even my DD who had advanced Huntingtons Disease managed it. The DD who couldn't be bothered is quite normal as she is only in touch when she wants money. Yesterday the only cooking I did was jacket potatoes to accompany the gammon and coleslaw prepared the day before. Today is full on cooking roast beef with all the trimmings for friends coming for lunch

12 of us ate at the pub - I ate my sorbet too quickly according to my DD's MIL! I knew I would have been very lucky to get away without any criticism from her whatsoever!!! Lols. Happy days x

Lovely day for us. All the family at DD3s. 85 years old down to nearly 2 years. Lots of laughter and silly games. Delious food, no falling out. I do appreciate how lucky we are.
Off to Dd2s for more of same this pm minus Dd3, SIL and DGS who are spending today with the other half of their family but plus a couple of friends.

My lovely DiL cooked a lovely Christmas dinner. She worked really hard & made it a really lovely day. My wonderful GS & GD were over the moon with all the presents Santa left for them. All in all a very Happy Christmas for us all. From thinking I would spend Christmas at home with my cats to having a lovely time - brilliant! Hope my DiL has a rest today as she worked so hard.

I was fairly surprised when my normally intelligent husband thought that the HUGE Christmas pudding he made and was cooking (far too late early on Christmas Day morning) wasnt cooked after 5 minutes in the microwave - the instructions had said steam/boil for 8 hours!

DH was quite unreasonable (ie totally unreasonable) when as requested, I made sensible suggestions! Anyway, have learned not to shout and after a suitable cooling off period (him not the pudding) I divided it into five smaller bowls and cooked one in time. The others then slow cooked in the oven for future use.

We then took the pudding to DD and family and had a lovely day. ?✅??

Had a lovely day at DD1’s and haven’t fallen out with anyone BUT my dogs disgraced themselves overnight in her kitchen and are banished outside. Feel very ashamed of them!

It was ok . DGC get bombarded with presents from the other GM which swamp our pressies so next year we will give them to them on Christmas eve next year. We are the bread and butter, every day GPS and not the fun special event ones.
And my DDs oven decided not to work so they used the next door neighbours. Despite this the dinner was fantastic.

DD came for the day which was wonderful, Skyped loads with Grandson which was lovely, hubby cooked a delicious meal for DD DM myself and him. Presents given after lunch. Our daughter received a musical Christmas tie from my mother, (she’s 27) she’s extremely fun loving but even this threw her. It was swiftly explained by grandma (my mum) that it would make a lovely tie for her wedding because she is marrying her long time girlfriend in February. She then went to say that obviously one of them will need to be the man at the ceremony!!! But then made it worse by saying it’s only a pretend wedding anyway because it’s not right for 2 women to get married. So sadly that really put a downer on our day until Dm went home. We all had a good laugh about it then. But on the scale of things we had a wonderful day