So I took the day off and headed into Capitol City. There I had a couple of pints with one acquaintance and a carvery lunch with another. Prior to that I did some shopping and after that I did some shopping. I then spent two and a half hours in the car on the way home. The end.

Except the builders are coming tomorrow to build us a new chim-chimeny. So I had to help empty the 'messy room' in preparation as I'm the only one allowed do heavy lifting. (I'd like to make my 77 year old mother in law do it, but she won't). Now all of the house is messy. And somehow smaller. I really like the idea that that room will be ready for christmas even though it might mean we'll need three trees.

The shopping was a qualified success and my initial enthusiasm failed me by about 3:30. Prior to that I had all the christmas spirit in the world and was determined not to be all neo-scrooge about it (tm Neilo). The time spent in the toy shop was interesting and I was looking for something egregiously Harry Potter-y for Paddy, but got nothing. I can't say what I did get of course as he might read this.

This will be his first consumer christmas. He watches all the ads on TV and asks for everything (most things). His heart isn't in it though, he hasn't learned the power of the pester. Yet. The Santa thing hasn't happened yet either. He has been told about him but he doesn't realise what it means. Yet. But Santa's pretty low key in this house -- he only fills your stocking, the big presents are from us.

A friend's daughter has apparently been lying awake for the past week going on one hand my parents could never afford to buy all that stuff, but on the other hand, how DO reindeer fly? and in my friend's house Santa puts the presents in her stocking, but at home he puts them under the tree. Back and forth, until she was driven demented and wasn't sleeping. When she was finally congratulated and welcomed to the Club That Knows What's Really Going On, she was so relieved to have the question resolved that the other disappointment didn't sink in. Yet.