Mum went offshore on the 23rd of December this year, meaning dad was organiser in chief (for the actual big day itself - MPLST had done most of the ground work beforehand.) Neither of us are strangers to our respective roles this Christmas, for me looking after kids, for her spending festive holidays on an oil rig, but this was the first time MPLST had worked JC's birthday since she had kids, and therefore the first time I've been home alone so to speak at that time.
It started off so well - Mrs Santa had set all the gifts in groups, boxes and bags and all I had to so was deliver them. In the space of 10 hrs or so, it went from this...
...to this. Actually, it was nearer two really - we spent most of the day at the kitchen table.
We got there with a lot of fun in between though...
The boys received their letter from Santa. He's pretty impressed with them this year apparently.
When you find a clementine in your stocking, clearly the world should stop so you can eat it immediately. No gift, even from Auld St Nick would stand between C and his clementine.
Later, as I said, we spent most of the day at the kitchen table playing with Santa's gifts. C and his Great Grandma are in deep conversation about how to play this game. I can't recall who had the last word in that one...
Just like this time last year, R spend hours building lego. His Santa list consisted of just 3 things (he cut it down himself from 5!). The boy will happily spend endless hours building lego. On Boxing day, he even got the offer of stopping to watch a movie, and go back to it, but the obviously takes pride in his work (probably gets that from his mother, bloody perfectionist) Oops, must be Christmas, there's a back handed compliment for the wife...
The finished article. Before dinner as well.
Meanwhile O floated back and fore between playing with his little brothers trains, and playing with his toys in the kitchen.
Everybody stopped for eats though. Looks half way civilised, don't you think?
After that, we embarked on opening the gifts under the tree. It's taken me a couple of days to get this post together, mainly for the wife's benefit. We've managed this Christmas apart thanks to Facetime and plenty of instant message conversations (clearly they need to work the Chemist a bit harder there!) Hopefully, she'll find time between lobster courses to see what it's like on the other side...
The boys have been fantastic this Christmas - but I must admit, between them and the puppy, I'm knackered. Roll on Monday.
