We went away on Boxing Day for two nights to visit family.. and are back again today having a very slothful day, but that's ok, because IT'S HOLIDAYS! and we need the sloth time in between the visiting. Worth the 4 hour each way drive which will be duplicated (plus some) in less than a week.

What's important is that "I" survived christmas with the least amount of stress possible - although the cleaning I didn't do still has to be done, and no elves or pixies helped me out in that respect. And there is still more family to visit - thus more packing. (And present buying issues to deal with) Etc. Perhaps we are just prolonging the agony.

But a 'just us' christmas day had much to recommend it. No frantic cleaning. (I keep mentioning cleaning and stress in the same sentence don't I!) No visitors to prepare for. No relatives to pander to or endure. No need to hurry out of bed to get anything done.

I was woken at around 7.10 by the sounds of "Oh cool" coming from the unwrapping of Santa pressies - this year just the floor below us, because I'd banned the christmas tree from blocking the sea breeze through the window in the lounge room downstairs. (There is an open staircase leading to our room - so you can hear what's going on in the playroom quite conveniently - at times (and quite inconveniently and in reverse at others, but anyway..).. The girls had agreed on the civilised time of 7am to open presents, but I think there was some waiting endured by at least two of them who would have been awake with the sun!

The louder of the accolades that woke me were from the 14 year old - so obviously Santa has still got it.

I lay in bed and strained to hear the other reactions, but it was difficult through the sounds of the birds outside (and scratching on the tin roof!) But all seemed pretty happy. They then all traipsed upstairs to display their loot all over our bed, and we oohed and aahed over their acquisitions. Marc at least didn't have to do any acting!

They seemed to appreciate the new soft-top surfboard for all three.. and also the new computer chair (though we have discovered today that I will need to take it back because the seat slopes forward and doesn't adjust. This is what happens when you buy things in the still stressful lead up to xmas day.)

I wasn't forgotten - they did buy me presents! A 'saddle bag'/rack bag/trunk bag for my road bike plus a rearview mirror to attach to my bike glasses. And a mug, which handily replaces the one I accidentally smashed on christmas eve! And a new mouse pad which handily replaces the one I drenched in coffee in the aforementioned coffee cup accident. They got me one with a gel wrist thingy - given my RSI type- no doubt mouse-associated wrist complaints - which is taking some getting used to but is probably better for me.

Then breakfast, and then the beach - just a short stroll from our place - which no doubt I have mentioned before!

For lunch we all bogged in doing a bit to prepare. Cold prawns, and some salt & peppered (and floured) calamari on the bbq. A couple of salads, some cold chicken (roasted the day before) and ham off the bone. All pretty much a toned down version of what many Aussie families have for christmas these days. I think the excuse to buy a leg of ham is one reason why Marc still likes to do the special christmas lunch, even when it's just the five of us. (It's very nice, but I will probably be heartily sick of it by the time we finish it! - but the substance of Aussie christmas fare and the 'leftovers' phenomenon is a topic I might explore separately in another post. Sometime! Except that very soon I won't have to think about christmas for another year!)

By 4.30 it was back down the beach again... and we followed that with a very casual help-yourself-to-whatever-leftovers-you-feel-like for dinner. And put off even thinking about packing for our two-night trip away until the morning.

The highlights package:
















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Labels: beach, Christmas