Despite getting made redundant from my full-time job mid-December, this Christmas was the best one yet! I am not including the Christmas I received a Super Nintendo with Super Tennis. My dad purchased the console two months prior to Christmas so he could practice and beat me on Christmas day. He was hugely disappointed when I dished out what can only be described as a severe whopping on my first go! To this day I am still unsure as to whether it was pride on his face or disappointment, I suspect the latter.
December is a busy time for us with several birthdays, including our eldest’s Eva’s. This year she was presented with the option of either having a party with her mates or going to a new city with her family, making memories and gaining life experience. She chose the city break with the family. This was Bekah’s brilliant idea and we proceeded to book a couple of days in Dublin over the festive period. What I did find very confusing was that on the day of her actual birthday, I was told we were going to Laser Tag in Sheffield and I was to collect several of her friends on the way. After Laser we were taking them out for food and the girls will also receive party bags at the end! Now, forgive if I am wrong, but this sounds suspiciously like a child’s birthday party? I pointed this out to Bekah, but was ignored as usual, so I did what any self-respecting dad would do in that situation, I drove the kids to laser tag and systematically destroyed them all with the skills I developed playing Call of Duty on the Xbox. #winning
Last Christmas our youngest Florie was only nine months old and was quite ill over the festive period. In fact, we ended up in A and E with her, twice! This year not one of us fell to illness and we were able to enjoy the holidays with only the usual stressors: kids searching and finding Christmas presents, Florie deciding she does not require sleep to sustain her lifeforce, ya know, the usual…
Bekah always goes above and beyond to make Christmas extra special. The thought she puts into every single detail is astonishing. From the decorations inside and outside the house, to the festive buffet that seems to last for a whole two weeks. Needless to say, I am festively plump (I was an adonis in November, shame).
This year I asked family members who usually get me a gift to donate to Crisis instead. Crisis are a homeless charity and for £28 a homeless person can have a bed for the night and a Christmas dinner. I am happy to say that several people donated to Crisis on my behalf, meaning three people were able to eat Christmas dinner and stay warm for the day. Best present ever!
I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas. Peace, love and positivity, Simon