Thursday, December 16, 2010

Christmas is coming - oh dear




Ten things I would like the Christmas fairy to do.

Well, there’s bringing my children home, but apart from that:

1. Put up the Christmas tree, preferably without sighing and puffing to excess, and decorate it, making sure that the lights work.
2. Drape tasteful seasonal thingies in appropriate places round the rest of the house.
3. Clear up the resulting pine needles, bits of tinsel etc.
4. Put the empty decoration boxes back into the atticky space off Daughter 1’s old room.
5. Buy some inspirational presents for my dear ones.
6. Wrap them, ideally not at 1 am on Christmas Day.
7. Fight her way round Marks and Spencer to buy some festive fare for the fourteen people who are confidently expecting to eat it on the Day and beyond.
8. Do splendid things with brightly berried holly and stuff.
9. Wave her wand very vigorously at the extremely unacceptable weather.
10. Create an extra week – but, crucially, not a working week and not a week that the offspring aren’t here – between now and Christmas Day.

Anyone seen that fairy?

(Actually, she looks discouragingly like me. She's even got the wellington boots for the snow, though mine aren't actually pink. Mine are black and have my initials on the outside, in white correction fluid. I am sometimes mocked for this, but the boots were originally Son's when his feet passed through the size 5 phase, and they needed to have his initials on them for school purposes. It just happens that my initials are the same. My feet are a bit smaller than 5 but near enough. And wearing these boots, I'm less likely to forget my name. Or at least my initials.)

10 comments:

  1. You're so funny. I'd love to see you in your correction fluid monogrammed wellies -- too cute. When you get done with the Christmas Fairy, could you please send her over here? I'd like to add make cookies and candy, take mum shopping, clean the house top to bottom and make a few Christmas ornaments to her list!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous4:03 am

    I was just about to comment on how very sweet the fairy was...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh well, PP, she looks considerably younger than I do. I just really meant the non-ballet-dancer physique, the rather messy hair and the air of cheerful bewilderment. And the boots. And, alas, the lack of wand.

    ReplyDelete
  4. If you do meet that Fairy and she happens to have an afternoon off after dealing with your very reasonble requests, could you send her down to Derbyshire please??

    14!! Well, it'll be festive, if not a little exhausting. But knowing you, you'll be chuffed as anything to have them all around you.

    Happy Christmas Isabelle!!

    Lesley xx

    ReplyDelete
  5. We, if you find that fairy, please send her on to the rest of us! I'm putting my faith in gnomes at present. We have several towels and duvet covers with daughter's name tapes attached from school days - which sometimes puzzle new aquaintances!

    ReplyDelete
  6. If you could get her to concentrate on number 9, please - I really, really need to deport my parents.

    ReplyDelete
  7. No one could call you demanding, then.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I could certainly use that Fairy over here. Christmas is creeping closer and closer and I am still nowhere near done with my preparations.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Strangely enough, if you got your wishes you wouldn't enjoy the holiday at all. Really. Believe me.

    I firmly believe that it's the DOING of all those things that gets one in the spirit of things, and the actual completion of them that gives one the glow of all coming right in the end.

    I work a schedule which does not allow me holidays off, which means that my hubby and I cannot celebrate until four days after Christmas. And it means we cannot gather with friends or family, who will all be celebrating on the actual day. Technically, that gives me (almost) the extra week you were wishing for. And it does not give me any joy. I would much rather be home on Christmas day, whether all the holly berries were polished or not.

    So enjoy your decorating, your cleanup, and your preparations, and give thanks - because it means you're really going to have a proper holiday!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Goodness Isabelle, Scotland sounds like it has transformed into Siberia! I'm glad you had some unexpected days off though. What a gift! A snow day is always appreciated by one and all at our school. So far we've only had one, but winter has only just officially begun - yesterday.
    We've had very cold and snowy weather here as well, which is not at all condusive to getting Christmas shopping finished at the mall and beyond. However, online shopping has saved the day, thank heavens!
    If you find that fairy please send her my way when she's finished at your place.
    But wait...I see I'll have to get in line. Bother.
    She really is very cute :)
    And perhaps she has your sense of humour. Anyone who'd wear those pink wellies must have a good sense of humour ;)
    I've thoroughly enjoyed reading all your latest posts....much better than any magazine. Of course, I'm supposed to be baking Christmas cookies. But better late than never.
    It's been busy here. We had an early December wedding. Daughter number 2 married her fiance in a small, informal affair. It was a lovely wedding - great fun and they did all the organizing. All we had to do was show up (and send money) :)
    I hope you and Mr. Life have a warm and wonderful Christmas with all the family making it home through the snow drifts.
    Sending hugs xoxo

    ReplyDelete