I've only just gone and done it! After spending a half hour locked away in my bedroom, all the presents are finally wrapped. Now I can rest easy knowing the hardest part is over with. With a little one in the house, keeping the magic alive for as long as possible isn't always easy, but it will be worth it to see Lily's eyes light up on Christmas morning.
I woke earlier than usual this morning. Something disturbed my sleep shortly after 4am and then my mind started to wander to what I needed from the supermarket, what else needs to be done before Saturday, and what do I need to remember to take out of the freezer. There was nothing else for it, other than to get out of bed and write myself a list. Fortunately, an early start also meant I could get to the supermarket before the rush, and so I was back home with everything on my list by nine o'clock. What a relief, I really don't enjoy shopping, even less so when it is busy. And better still, I managed to fit everything I needed into the fridge freezer. It took a bit of rearranging, but I should now have enough in there to last me until next week.
After my second coffee of the morning, I set about clearing the huge pile of ironing, before topping up the bird feeder and cleaning our walking boots, which was quite a job in itself - somehow they had gotten filthy with mud yesterday.
This afternoon I baked some mince pies. This is a sure sign we are getting closer to the big day. Mincemeat shortbread is my preferred choice and it is so much easier for taking with us when we go walking, but on Christmas Eve only a proper mince pie will do.
And of course, I had to try one, just to make sure they tasted delicious.
J. X
