It's the most wonderful time of the year...

My Christmas Canvases. All the paintings in the house, are
replaced by festive ones for December

Christmas happened in our house last week. Gone are the days of a beautifully decorated tree, with immaculately wrapped presents (I have been know to add sleigh bells and bows) stacked up underneath, with candles and flowers perched on every surface. Now I've found a corner, used only decorations that wont fit in Daithi's mouth, and packed all breakables away, 'till next year at least.

Yes, that is Henry the Hover under the tree.
He doesn't fit anywhere else.

I first met Shane in July 2012, by that Christmas we were living together in a tiny, dreary, one bed, basement flat in Rathmines. This is where our first annual 'Real v Artificial Christmas Tree' argument took place. I informed him, that he is never, ever going to win this particular argument so should just save our time and his energy and give up. 

Our First Christmas in England
(not pregnant!)

You'd think, as we approach our 8th Christmas together he'd have learned. But no,  two different countries, four different houses and eight different arguments. We had our Christmas tree fight early this year. And I won. As I do every year. So last week we got this years, a real one, in a pot, ready to be plated in the garden next to the last 3 we've had since buying this house. 

The first Christmas in our little house I was very, VERY pregnant on Fionn. So much so I ate, what I could of my dinner, while balancing on a birth ball. Our house is tiny, so the glorious 9ft tree I wanted was never going to happen. So we agreed (Shane never agreed) compromised, on a cute little 4ft tree, still in pot, perched on an IKEA Lack table. We planted it in the garden the day Fionn was due, and so a new family tradition was born. We planted a tree on Fionn's first Christmas, and another while I was very pregnant on Daithí. I make a horrible habit of that. And we'll do the same this year. 

The Grinch and I may not have a traditional Christmas dinner. We have fajitas with all the trimmings. But I still insist on going a bit OTT with decorations, and I'll be dammed if I ever give up fighting for a real tree.

I'd love to hear other families quirky Christmas traditions. S x

Christmas 2015

Home-Made, Potty Training, IKEA
Advent Calendar