why I'm now free to be miserable before Christmas

They say Christmas is for kids and I used to think: what a short-sighted, narrow, mean-spirited and Scroogeish point of view that is. Now that Husband and I are official Empty-Nesters, with no kids turning up until Christmas itself, thereby leaving us free to prepare for the event however we wish, we have seen the light. Being short-sighted, narrow, mean-spirited and Scroogeish is actually quite fun and absolves you from all kinds of rituals and pre-Christmas tomfoolery that kids con you into. So, as a result, we have been free to:

1. put up the Advent calendar on the 18th, tearing off 17 windows in one go
2. drink ginger wine at inappropriate times of the day without being looked at disapprovingly
3. eat dinner without having to light an Advent candle while the peas go cold
4. eat dinner without having to keep a close eye on the Advent candle in case it burns too fast and takes us to Christmas Eve on the 12th
5. leave the presents we've bought lying around the house without having to hide them in the airing cupboard, thereby melting the chocolate coins
6. listen to proper music in December rather than the kids' favourite CD, 'Songs to Make you Want to Slap an Elf'
7. pretend we're not in when the Rotary Club's Santa chariot comes to the street and someone knocks on the door wanting a donation of fifteen quid in return for a glimpse of him
8. go to Sainsburys just to buy pickle and Bran Flakes
9. buy tins of sweets for Christmas that actually make it to the 25th
10. complain to each other about how commercialised it all is without being accused of acting like old fogies

This Empty Nest business isn't turning out so badly after all.

Comments

  1. Lesley22/12/08 09:03

    Love your blog! We have a similar sense of humor, I think. So you may love mine as well. I'll look forward to exploring yours a bit more when I have time.

    www.Lesleymodallas.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous23/12/08 03:56

    Fran, Lovely to have found you and your highly amusing sense of humour once again!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Fran Hill23/12/08 05:02

    Thanks, Lesley. Yes, I agree. Looking at your blo, we do indeed find the same things funny. That's good, because I need more people around me who enjoy my sense of humour to make up for the others around me (ie family) who claim not to ...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lesley23/12/08 06:28

    Yes, humor can be a bit subjective. My husband does a lot of that "rolling the eyes and hiding the Merlot" stuff. I think your posts are charming. If you detect a British accent in my future posts, you're to blame!

    ReplyDelete

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