Catch-up, Part IV : Wherein we celebrate Birthdays ...

My mum's birthday is Christmas Eve. So we drove up to Oamaru on Saturday afternoon, and went out to their favourite restaurant to celebrate her 60th birthday !!!

Way back a long time ago, my mum and I used to go to church for Midnight Mass. Obviously, geographical circumstances have prevented that from happening in recent years, but this year we were able to go. Honestly compels me to admit that I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I used to ... I don't know whether it was the unfamiliar church, or the different service, but it completely failed to engage me on any level at all. I enjoyed being there with my mum though ...

Back home we stuffed the rugrats' Santa stockings hanging in front of the fireplace, ate the carrots, drank the milk, crumbled the cookies ... and went to bed :)

Now, I firmly believe I must have two sets of children. The ones I could cheerfully give away to the first person who came to the door or drove down the street that agreed to take them. And the ones who continually amaze me (not that the former ones don't amaze me, but in a totally different way).

Six-oh-five am on Christmas morning the rugrats woke up. I know this, cos I woke up the second they did (my folks' cottage not having any internal doors bar the one to the bathroom). One by one they crept through the lounge, stopped, continued on to the toilet, crept back, stopped .... AND WENT BACK TO BED !!!!

At six forty-five we caved and let them get up and open their presents (we usually make them wait until seven). It was fabulous to see them with their other set of grandparents, but weird in a way, because it's not the usual.

So all in all, a pretty good Christmas. A lot quieter than usual, my family being tiny in comparison to the MOTH's where we usually spend our Christmases.

And as we're only here for two years, it's not going to happen that often ...