The end of 2011 and the start of 2012

I have been a bit quiet of late and am ready to get back into blogging with more gusto. I began to wind down before Christmas and during the Christmas period and I think I needed it and I feel better for it. We didn’t have a busy time, far from it, compared to our last few Christmases but it was lovely non the less.

We decided to spend the festive period just the three of us seeing that both sets of parents were off galavanting around the globe via planes and ships. It gave us the chance to have our own little celebration and enjoy our time as a family of three before we are soon to become four…this year.

Christmas morning started off with the opening of our stockings in bed and I was so proud of how patient Beastie was and how he seemed to already know the drill. He sat opening each stocking filler individually wrapped and was delighted with them all.

We then went into the lounge where we proceeded to open the main presents under the tree. Beastie was greeted with his supermarket already assembled, ready to play with.

I haven’t got excited about Christmas for a fair while now. The most obvious reason being that I am not a kid anymore and I have never had younger siblings or nieces or nephews to make it more magical. Now Beastie has a much better understanding of the world around him and what Christmas is about (ok maybe not exactly what the true meaning of Christmas as yet) and what Christmas Day would involve, it’s opened up a whole new world for me. Christmas through the eyes of children is simply a joy to see and I can’t wait for what the years ahead have in store for us. We can all think back to when we ‘believed’ and there is nothing else that is quite so wonderful and innocent as when children believe in Father Christmas. I can indulge my inner child whilst at the same time creating family traditions for my children to remember for years to come.

On Boxing Day we decided to hit town and have a look at the sales. Madness some might say and having been involved once before in shopping on Boxing Day, I was somewhat dubious about how horrendous it might be. Well we were pleasantly surprised as it wasn’t much different than an ordinary Saturday and we just mooched about a bit without really having anything we desperately wanted to buy. We then had lunch in Zizzi’s where we ate pizza, something which I never thought I would do on Boxing Day! however there is a first time for everything and it made life easier for me not having to cook that day. In the afternoon we were visited by my sister in law and her husband, where Beastie got some more spoiling and enjoyed showing off his new presents.

So now Christmas is over with for another year, we can properly look forward to what 2012 has in store for us. First up is my countdown towards my maternity leave at work. I have six to eight weeks left working (depending on how I feel) and the glorious end is in sight. I am finding work more difficult now simply because of the nature of my job and my bump getting in the way and although my colleagues remain extremely supportive, I am none the less looking forward to removing myself from the equation.

As a family we have lots going on this year and lots to plan for. We are serious about relocating and really need a plan of action. There are a few factors involved such as a pesky mortgage and my job but with some careful planning and forward thinking I am confident that we will be able to achieve some of our dreams this year. I am not scared of changes and I think it does you good to take a chance and I always remember this quote, it’s the three C’s of life; Choice, Chance, Change “You must make the Choice to take the Chance if you want anything to Change”. Enough said.