Categories: uncategorized
Date: 18 December 2007 21:35:32
This Saturday I decided that Smudgelet and I needed some quality, stress-free time together. He's been driving me up the wall just recently and we've got into a bit of a vicious circle as he's creating so much extra work as a protest against me being busy working, I get irritable, he gets sulky and intensifies his silent protest by leaving doors wide open, leaving the milk out of the fridge, spilling drinks, leaving the taps running and lights on, putting the lid loose on the coffee jar so it all spills, refusing to do homework unless I sit with him, ignoring his single chore which is loading and unloading the dishwasher or deliberately doing it badly so nothing washes, dropping his clothes on the floor etc etc etc. I then get irritable, which makes him think I don't love him and don't do anything but nag and so goes into a sulk and steps up the protest another notch..... Get the picture?
Well, Saturday we decided that we'd get up early, slip clothes on quickly, and head out for the morning. A real indulgence - breakfast at the nearby garden centre which takes Christmas decoration to extremes! It was wonderful. We sat huddled together in the almost-empty cafe, gobbling full English breakfasts with decadent glee (though rather shiverily decadant seeing as Smudgelet had an urge to sit at the far end of the new conservatory instead of in the cafe and it was a particularly frosty morning.
Then we "did" the decorations. Oh, how I wish I'd taken my camera. There were wonderful displays - the same ones as every year but no less enchanting for that. A nativity, an Arctic scene with penguins and polar bears and seals, parachuting penguins, and a delightful lifesize Father Christmas sitting in a rocking chair by the fire and reading stories to two sleeping reindeer. They're such gentle tableaux, with sympathetic choice of movement e.g. the tiny reindeer curled up asleep by the fire has a chest which softly rises and falls with each "breath", the penguin just moves a flipper now and then, the lamb in the stable moves its head slightly. And the whole place is festooned with different decorations and lights, although both Smudgelet and I were disappointed with the trends this year which resulted in most of the decorations being really quite kitschy if you looked at them individually (though this helped me avoid spending money, of course).
Having been promised that he could buy a decoration and feeling most miffed that he didn't like any of the "cheap" ones (if you can call up to £10 cheap) and I refused to pay for any of the more expensive ones he wanted (oh, it was like taking a moaning and demanding two-year-old, but I managed somehow to maintain my patience!!!), Smudgelet asked if he could go and see Santa. I decided you're only young once. Even though we've had the "S" talk (and more recently the toothfairy talk ;o) ) , or maybe even because we've had the "S" talk, Smudgelet throws himself whole heartedly into the magic of Father Christmas. He happily went in, dragging me with him, to see the man in red ...I suspect it was mainly with the mercenary intention of getting a present out of him, seeing as I wouldn't let him buy anything!!! But he chatted merrily with Santa and was polite and friendly and not too demanding. Santa then dipped in one of his sacks, asking Smudgelet as he passed it over what he enjoyed doing at school. Smudgelet replied that he liked ICT and reading. Santa smiled - "In that case I think you'll really enjoy this" he said.
As we left, Smudgelet was very restrained, waiting for permission before eagerly ripping off the wrapping from his cuboid (book shaped) present. He was sure it was going to be a new book. His face was an absolute picture when he finally opened it and saw what Santa had given him.
"Learn to count" dominoes :o)