Down for the count? Any way you choose it
IT’S beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
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Whether you have a cheap and cheerful chocolate advent calendar, an Elf on the Shelf or an ever-diminishing Christmas activity countdown calendar like me, you’re live on Thursday, December 1.
- Put up Christmas decorations. Having been held at bay since mid-September when the stores put up their decorations, our two girls can’t wait to make over every inch of our home. Less is more has no place here.
- Watch a Christmas movie. Every year I forget to account for the ballet concert full dress rehearsal, which makes for a late feature, an even later night and a yet uglier morning after.
- Go to the ballet Christmas concert. I have just found out the girls will wear their hair pulled straight back rather than parted and twisted into a bun. The part and twist has a degree of difficulty beyond my skill set, even after six years. This simpler do has spared me four parts and eight twists in 48 hours. Christmas has come early!
- Ballet Christmas party. Pirouette to the park if you can.
- Read a Christmas book. Five days in, my five-year-old will query the lack of sweets in the calendar.
- Make Christmas craft. Invariably this will clash with something unexpected, leaving unfinished objects and uncapped glue sticks everywhere.
- Write a letter to Santa. I worry we’ve jumped the gun; they will think of what they actually, really wanted and desperately needed by December 17.
- Do Christmas baking. I forget I have a Christmas party and this half-baked idea will go on the backburner!
- Go to a Christmas market.
- Go around the Christmas lights. Turns out we are invited to a street party in our old neighbourhood nearby and it would be rude not to eat, drink and be merry. Postpone lights to Sunday night.
- Water splash park catch-up. Burnt out we only see lights in our street; luckily they’re impressive three doors down!
- Wrap a present for the Giving Tree.
- Do Christmas baking. Same Donna Hay gingerbread recipe every year; new dove shape makes all the difference.
- Write Christmas cards. Having only allowed 10 days for postage, I realise the ones destined for Wodonga from East Albury won’t make it in time.
- Christmas shopping. Start and finish. I like a list and a tight deadline!
- Christmas shopping. Of course, I can’t wrap it up in one night!!
- Wrap Christmas gifts. Add gift wrap to shopping list. Always buy brown kraft gift wrap; it doesn’t have a season.
- Watch The Polar Express on the outside projector screen. Never tire of this classic.
- Go around the Christmas lights. Finally.
- Photo with Santa. It will take me the entire length of the lengthy queue to work out the best value package is not really great value at all, but now I cannot renege on a meeting with Santa.
- Albury Carols by Candlelight. #falalalalalalalala
- Finish handmade Christmas gifts for husband’s family. I am blessed to knock around with this creative crew.
- Read a Christmas book. Our five-year-old reminds me the calendar is repeating. Why don’t we have an Elf on the Shelf?!
- Sprinkle reindeer food outside where dogs cannot reach it.
- Someone finally remembers to open No. 25 late on Boxing Day night.
Jodie Bruton
Journalist
