With my daughter and son growing ever closer to independence, and with Christmas drawing near, I find I’m in a reflective mood.
This time last year, I was gearing up for wrist surgery, knowing I’d be spending several weeks in plaster, including the entire festive season. I was called into hospital at short notice, and didn’t have time to do much in the way of preparation for the Big Day, but I needn’t have worried. Gajitman and one of my lovely friends made a beautiful job of wrapping presents, my daughter baked an incredible gluten-free, vegetarian pie for my Christmas dinner, and with her dad, cooked the entire celebratory meal. My son made sure I was comfortable, and on the day, helped me unwrap my gorgeous gifts.
I remember our daughter’s first Christmas. She wasn’t old enough to furniture cruise, but had learned to stand and lean. My parents bought her a walker that year. With a crash course in how to use it, she was soon pushing it around the living room. A few years later, it was passed to her baby brother, who was more interested in the mechanics of it. However, not long after establishing what the wheels were for, he was zipping around, careering into sofas, and belly-laughing at his new found, if a little hazardous, sense of freedom.
I love my children for who they were and who they are now, and wouldn’t want it any other way, but seeing photos of when they were younger evokes strong emotions in me – immense delight and happiness, tinged with a touch of melancholy.
It is a little like being taken back by the ghost of Christmas Past …
Laura x
The Romaniacs 
Oh I can so relate to this, Laura! I have five children and Christmas, when they were little, was chaotic. So much noise, so many presents, wrapping paper all over the floor…Of course it was stressful, having to buy so many gifts, not to mention the amount of food I had to buy and cook. Even so, as I survey the very “grown up” pile of presents for them now and contemplate a Christmas dinner with only one of them present, I long for those chaotic, noisy, messy Christmases. If anyone reading this has small children and finds Christmas stressful – because it is – make the most of it. Cherish it. It’s gone all too quickly…Merry Christmas x
I will enjoy every second, Sharon. I promise. Merry Christmas to you 🙂 Laura x
What a beautiful post! Wishing you a merry Xmas, Laura, and here’s to treasuring every moment of it! X
Thank you, Nicky. I believe you’ve already had a visitor shoot down your chimney 🙂 Merry Christmas. Laura x
Ohhh, love this, Laura. How lovely that they memories you cherish are those of your children proving what a fab mum they think you are. Have a good one this year, sweetie. 🙂 xx
I’m very lucky, Sheryl. Thank you for your kind words. Merry Christmas. Laura xx
This really strikes a chord, Laura. The Christmases since our two were little have flown by. I hope you all have a wonderful time together.
I think time is getting faster, Clare. Sundays are far shorter now that when I was a child. Merry Christmas to you all 🙂 Laura x