Christmas morning. Dougie and I woke at 8.30am, excited to find out if Santa had been. We tentatively pushed open the door of our teenage son’s room and whispered,
“It’s Christmas! Are you getting up?”
The response to this was very much like what happens when a kindly hare wakes up a hibernating bear by giving him an alarm clock. I’m sorry but, unlike John Lewis Christmas adverts, peace and goodwill to all men and woodland creatures does not result from waking up teenage boys and sleeping bears on Christmas day.
An hour later, our little family eventually gathered in the living room for the traditional custom of ‘opening the presents’. The first piece of wrapping paper was just being torn off a carefully chosen multi-pack of men’s socks when our teenage son broke the spell.
“Need food!”
With that, the atmosphere I had tried to create – subdued lighting, cosy dressing gowns, Bing Crosby crooning in the background – vanished in an instant as Rory called a halt to the proceedings and fetched himself a bowl of Rice Krispies.
The rest of the morning passed off in good spirits as Rory morphed back into his old self and a few glasses of fizz kept the chefs happy. The inlaws arrived in the afternoon and surprised me with a pair of earrings identical to the pair they had bought me two years ago: handy if one goes missing? The Christmas dinner was a success, loin of pork for a change, and I was joyous beyond measure when my roast potatoes turned out just like Delia’s. After years of Christmas pud for dessert, I threw caution to the wind by serving a raspberry trifle instead. I had filled my own crackers – each person getting a miniature bottle, including Drambuie, cherry brandy, Benedictine and some very explosive spirit which we never did identify but the vapours didn’t half clear the sinuses.
Those of you who have followed my blog for some time may be saddened to hear that the usual game of arthritic charades, played with father-in-law’s crooked fingers, making the indication of number of words nigh on impossible, was abandoned this year. If you need a reminder of past results, please see here, here, here and here.
Instead, I bought some new games to get the old ‘uns going and give us all a laugh. The timeless classic ‘Tell Me Quiz’, where you have to shout out the answer to a category on a card, using the letter which is displayed after spinning the wheel, brought out the best in my family.
‘Name an insect beginning with……S’
‘Centipede!’
‘Name a fish beginning with….Y’
‘Yuppy!’
‘Name an American President beginning with….E’
‘Eisenhower!’
‘Correct!’
‘There used to be a lad lived down our street, Tom McTavish, who looked just like Eisenhower’
‘Name a luxury beginning with….M’
‘Marzipan’ (shouted simultaneously by Dougie and Rory. Marzipan? Seriously?)
Perhaps my best decision for Christmas Day was to buy a game called Basket Case Headband Hoop Game. Tie a mini basketball net to your head and try and throw ping pong balls into it. Dougie and Rory played with this most of the morning, making up their own versions of the game. But it came into its own, after dinner, when Dougie’s parents, George and Emily, who are both 80, showed why they are such good sports. George was completely hopeless, Emily was determined yet adopted a rather unusual method. Finally Dougie, still resplendent in his Homer Simpson apron, showed everyone how it was done,accompanied by his mother unaware she was doing an impression of Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally. Awkward.
Have a look at all three in this short video clip:
She was obviously very proud of her boy! My mum would love that game.
I hear you on the trying to engage a teenager front!
Glad you had a good time. x
She does get excited when we play games – such a good sport.
Rory, bless him, was lovely once he'd eventually woken up. But gone are the days when he would wake us at 5 in the morning!
Having a ten year old in the house, the big 'uns promised to get up at 9.30am, which they did, but personally, I would have preferred them to stay in bed until they could behave like humans!
Merry Xmas. x
Ha! It was 9.30 that Rory eventually surfaced. I don't know why we didn't all have a longer lie in. Oh, I know, I was excited!
Hope you're all having a great Christmas xx
I would have loved to have woken up at 8.30 on Christmas morning… instead, my eager boys woke us at 5.30. Still, it means I had a slightly longer Christmas than you did!
Ah, maybe not. Depends on what time you zonked out in front of the telly. Me, I was dancing 'til dawn….
I love the video, so funny! I am going to make myself feel better about the 5.30 start we had (no wonder I was tired and emotional all day) by thinking to myself that one day they will be teenagers and we will have to get them up!! 😀
You will blink and they'll be teenagers before you know it.
Sounds like fun!!
Loads of laughs for under a tenner.
How funny, we can identify with the sleeping teenagers! But Kevin Bridges singing a song or too between his stories and jokes, now that would be funny!
I know! These modern comedians just don't know the value of being an all-round entertainer!
I played a mammoth game of Monopoly with my older kids on Boxing Day which took hours and resulted in my daughter winning by a county mile and being very ungracious in her victory! That video cracks me up! x
Kids! Insufferable when they lose and even more so when they win.
Marzipan is definitely a luxury – one that I forgot I had in the cupboard because my 10 year old told me to treat myself.
I'm lucky with my teen and he happily got up at 7am for his brothers, hope they are all as keen when they are older.
No-one in my family likes marzipan so the fact that they both thought of it surprised me! Have you scoffed it yet?
That's sweet your teen did the decent thing for his brothers 🙂
Oh that game looks like great value! and Dougie has obviously practiced and practiced…right?
To be honest, he was pretty good from the off, as was Rory. I was probably better than the old folk but couldn't match the boys. And yes, great value. Rory has been idly throwing the balls into the net at the other end of the room whenever he's sitting on the sofa…which is often.
whao!!!! chef is very good at the basket game, did the booze help his aim? happy christmas
He's so damned competitive. Got annoyed that he wasn't perfect for the video!! Made little difference whether he was tiddled or not.
It was obvious Dougie had been practising all morning! Glad you had a jolly time. 🙂
You know what men are like – both of them scrapping over who had a go next…all morning!
Sounds like you had a brilliant day x x
We did, Cass. Such a fun but relaxing day x
That's why we only ever play games that I'm good at, haha 😉
I made sure I wasn't too useless but it was easier just laughing behind the camera 🙂
Haha – typical proud mum! Dougie had obviously cheated by practising for hours beforehand! Sounds as though you had a great time. Happy New Year to you all x
He just loved showing them how it should be done. Typical bloke haha!
Happy New Year to you and the family too x
Aww sounds like you had a great day, after a slow start. Love the idea of Dougie's parents laughing along to Kevin Bridges!
Ours started bad with the 2 year old deciding that all of Santa's gifts were hers and threw a major tantrum when her brother tried to open anything. Mind you, when he did he just said "that's not what I asked for…." Thankfully the day got much better!
Aw your poor little girl, thinking she should have the lot! Love that.
Santa obviously didn't read your son's letter properly? Tut!
I loved watching the video on FaceBook – looked like so much fun! #1's flight was delayed from the US which meant he arrived in Seoul on Christmas Night, so we all drove home and opened presents, then went to bed – no worries about anyone waking up the next morning, either, since #1 was up betimes due to jet lag. Glad you had such a lovely Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Christmas is probably best as a moveable feast. I think we might have to try that and all have a good sleep 🙂
It must be lovely having #1 son back with you xx