holidaydaythreeandfour

Why do we do this to ourselves?  Rush around like termites before a storm on the last day before Christmas?  I had prided myself that most of my shopping and wrapping was done before we left for holiday and yet somehow there were still one or two pressies to buy and late morning on 24 December saw me sweating through the malls with the other panic stricken shoppers.

One could barely move and it appears that panic (of whatever form) makes one lose one’s natural humanness.  People push you out of the way, stand on you, swear at you and just generally behave like piglets in a rather cramped sty.  Fortunately I was on my own (Jerry and Séan had headed off on their own anxiety driven adventure) and so I was able to elbow, swear, scowl, growl and stampede with the best of them.  Huge fun!!! J

The day passed and calmed considerably after a while.  Pressies were wrapped and placed under Chris’ tiny tree, sweets and nuts were strategically placed about the house and we slid into the oblivion Father Christmas creates in order to do the job only he can perform.

For the first time in nine years Jerry did not keep us waiting.  She is usually the last kid to wake up on Christmas morning – keeping all of us adults sitting expectantly around a pile of gifts waiting for the only kid in the house to finally rise.  We usually get too impatient and I will wander into her bedroom and make a lot of noise doing chores until she wakes up enough to realise that it’s Christmas.  This year she woke up as we were about to head towards the lounge.  Yay!  It’s getting better.

And the wonder she displays at finding the gift she asked Father Christmas for (always wrapped in red with a gold bow) under the tree will never cease.  For that excitement alone I think I’m gonna hold off telling her the cynical angle of Christmas until she’s about 42!  This year her excitement was over a much coveted (and requested in a gorgeous letter) Monopoly game. J

Given the heat in Cape Town we had already decided that our Christmas fare would be appropriately prepared.  All the meat had been cooked the previous night (ham, beef and gammon) as well as the potatoes and rice cooked for the potato salad and rice salad.  All that was required was to finish off the salads (including a green) and set the table.

Once the groaning table had been relieved of its burden of food, crackers, hats, pudding etc etc etc in pure enjoyment and good company we headed off on our second Christmas tradition.  An evening with the Maraises (what is the plural of Marais?)

This entails sitting visiting with some of our nicest friends that we only see at this time of year and drinking too much and singing loudly and laughing about silly things and just generally having a jol.

I rolled into bed just before pumpkin time well satisfied, well spoilt and having thoroughly enjoyed my Christmas.

Happy Day! J

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