On Christmas Eve I went into the city to sign my contract for my new job - Process Improvement Specialist - which is due to start on January 19th. Darren finished work at lunch time, so I met him afterwards and we went for lunch at a little place close to Axa. In the evening we put the lights on our minimalist Christmas tree and tucked into pizza and garlic bread, followed by mince pies and toffees. The pizza on Christmas Eve tradition was started by my mum the first year that I brought Darren home on Christmas Eve - and I think we've had it every year since!!!
Needless to say I was excited Christmas morning - and I must have been a good girl all year because I was completely spoilt! Darren and I had said 'no presents' and normally when we say that I get him stuff anyway. This year however roles were reversed and Darren got me 3 lovely tops - made all the nicer because they were a surprise and he'd chosen them himself! I did manage to get him some After Eights from England though, and a Tim Tam mug so at least he had something from me to open! We got so many nice presents - so thank you everyone!!!!! Really appreciate them and knowing that you're thinking of us when we're so far away!
Once the pesents were opened we had a big breakfast of scrambled eggs and beans and watched all 3 of the Wallace and Grommit cartoons!
Then just before lunch we headed for Brighton Beach to meet Mark, Emma, Mabel and Kieran! We made camp and then Mark and I went in the sea for a swim. Only Mark and I were brave enough - it must be a gene thing! Swim in the sea on Christmas Day - tick! Then after we had dried off we opened a bottle of fizz and raised a toast to Christmas!
Then is was back to the Perry's to see all the children's presents and play with a few of their new games and toys - I did let them have a go honest! - before lighting the barbie and getting ready for Christmas dinner! This year Christmas dinner was cold turkey, some lovely salads, sausages, burgers and lamb koftas! Not a roast potato in sight and it was yummy! And then it was mango Christmas pudding! Again it's strange because you know it's Christmas, but it doesn't feel like Christmas - just like a really nice day!
After dinner Mabel and Kieran performed 'Bill Goat's Gruff' with the new puppet theatre that they had got for Christmas from the grandparents - although I think daddy quite liked playing with the puppets himself!
All too soon it was bedtime for Mabel and Kieran, and Darren was the favourite of the day as he was nominated bed time story reader - although I think he struggled to fit in the bottom bunk!
In the evening we skyped both sets of parents and it was at that point that I think we realised that it really was Christmas and that we were missing out on a Christmas back home. We would have loved to have popped back, if only for the day, to say thank you in person for our presents and to share a meal and drinks with everyone back home. Our Christmas couldn't have been better, other than to have had everyone here with us to share it.
A mince pie, a few more glasses of wine and last year's Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special and Christmas was done for another year! Our first upside down Christmas and we enjoyed it all - thanks to the Perry's for a great day!
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