Christmas, fuckawesome isn't it? For me it used to be a bit of a stress, mainly to do with money but on the whole very enjoyable. Three years ago, in January the boy decided all he wanted for the upcoming Christmas was a Lego Death Star. So one was bought and the weekend prior to Christmas while he was at his dads I spent a very enjoyable two days constructing it. And before you say I ruined the boy's fun, I had checked, he wanted Santa to deliver it already built. The look on his face on that particular Christmas morning is etched in my memory as one of the highlights of my life.
This year has been a bit of a roller coaster to say the least. The boy now lives hundreds of miles away with his dad, his dad's girlfriend and her two daughters. The boy was given the choice of where he wanted to spend Christmas on the understanding that next year it would be opposite. So he picked his dads. Oh, did I mention that his birthday is on Christmas eve? So this year for the first time EVER I won't see the boy on his birthday or Christmas day. I am meeting his dad at a service station half way between us on Boxing day and will see the the boy in the flesh for the first time since October. I write this very matter of fact, but the truth is the lead up to Christmas has been very tricky. I can't even say out loud that the boy won't be here without crying and everything reminds me of his absence. For instance, previously I have known what he wanted because of the slow drip, day in, day out mother and son conversations we used to have to and from school. I knew what he was in to, which current craze was cool. Now, when I speak to him on the phone and ask him what he wants, he doesn't really know because he's getting everything at his dads.
So in order to get through the last couple of weeks, I have needed a distraction, a small project if you will to kee my mind focused. So, because we don't have much spare cash floating about at the minute I decided to bake friends and family's Christmas presents. The kitchen has been filled with tin upon tin of biscuits, brownies, pickled pears and home made Gentlman's Relish (no not that you rude bastards, and my dad likes it). Then, a tiny devious plan came to mind. What if I obtained by deception the addresses of my very favourite people on twitter and sent them a little something? Like I said, this year has been a bit of a roller coaster and sometimes it has been the kind words of twitter friends that have got me through the tough times, or a funny blog or the realisation that other people have been through much worse shit than me.
So from this very grumpy miserable mammy, I raise a glass to you all and say not bah humbug, but a very Merry Christmas from me, The Other Half, The Boy, The Baby and The Bloody Dog.
