2010 - Christmas Round Up and Goals

I was supposed to blog about Christmas Day and Boxing Day, and just run out of time.  I haven't really had much time to write, with both kids and hubby at home, I can't sneak off like I want to into my study.

The boys' faces were perfect pictures on Christmas Day opening their stockings.  Kieran especially as he's really coming into an age where he understands it.

We have my dad over for Christmas Day and it's always a relaxing day.  We put on one of the kids DVD's they got from Santa for some quiet time, and caught a little of The One Ronnie, but otherwise we don't really put the TV on.  Who wants to watch Eastenders and Corry claptrap?  They are the most depressing story lines ever and how many wives can Ian Beale have?  Or kids for that matter?  I know it's for some, but it certainly isn't for me.  Since I have found writing, I don't find time for TV - not much that is great to watch.  (We have recorded Doctor Who though!)

Boxing Day was spent with hubby's family.  They all came over early and we had a lovely day with them - and the boys got MORE presents!  And we still had snow on the ground by this point.  But Monday the thaw came and our snow is completely gone now.

My Christmas cake is a success!  Still half of it left though - it's a very big cake!

Tuesday we went to my mum's as the snow had thawed, and yes, more presents!  Before the big event, Mum had provided me with a crate of 'stocking' presents, which I put under the tree from Santa - to be 'tree' presents.  I'm still handing them out now.  Christmas is certainly not over in this household.

Yesterday we went to the panto in town to see Cinderella.  We always go to Weston, rather than Bristol, because we still get a great production and I believe if we don't support locally, we'll lose our theatre.  This year my dad came with us as he wasn't required to look after Kieran, as he came for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed it.  He was mesmerised by the whole thing.  Ben was really getting involved and it was another fun panto.  "Oh, yes it was!"

I love going to the panto at Christmas, it brings fond childhood memories back as my dad always used to take us.  It would round off Christmas just nicely, and I want my kids to have those special memories too. 

So today is the last day of 2010.  What will 2011 bring?  I've been writing for four years now, and I've been studying the Writer's Bureau Comprehensive Writing Course over a year, as I think I signed up in the summer/autumn of 2009.  I've put a page on my blog to show my writing sucesses.  At the moment, there are only three and these were unpaid - I did win a Leapster 2 for my Tip Of The Month.  Hoping to add more to this list in 2011.

I'm going to try and set myself some realistic goals.  I can't say I want to publish a novel - I have no control over that, however I do have control over submitting my first novel to publishers in 2011.  I want to try and sell or enter more short story competitions and submit more articles to magazines.  So my general goal is to submit more work! 

Although I would like to attempt to read 40 books again this year, I may have to split my reading time between books and magazines (as suggested by my tutor), to help with the 'submitting more articles' goal.  So I will set myself the 40 target but not beat myself up if I don't get there.  The target really helped me to pick up books and read them.  In another blog, I'll list the books I've read this year.

Happy New Year to everyone!  May life be happy, though there maybe waves to ride - we know there will be ups and downs, and let's hope 2011 is a year for making some dreams come true.

Day 24 - Only One More Sleep

Today I've made the trifles (I put them in single sundae dishes rather than one big bowl), more jellies (orange with mandarin pieces, and did those in seperate dishes too), and boiled the gammon.

I had to go and do my three hour shift at work this afternoon.  I wore my jeans, Jelly Bean wellies, and a red blouse, plus fairy wings and doddle boppers (as my halo was broken) - oh and a bit of tinsel.  I actually enjoyed work today.  Lots of Christmas cheer and well wishes, though I missed the carol singing at the church this year.  They cut it short as it was so cold and icy outside, and sounds like there weren't as many as usual attending, but hubby did take the boys.

Before bed, the boys set out the carrots for the reindeer, mince pies (mummy's home made ones) and a glass of sherry.  They each took their stockings up and put it in their room.  So cute.  I can't wait to see their faces in the morning. 

Tonight, hubby and I are planning to watch a film if we get time (Avatar as that's what we've got with our film club).  That's why this blog is going to be quick!  Then, when the kids are defniitely asleep, we'll be dragging the toys out of the loft, filling the stockings, a couple of last things to wrap, then BED!

Because, we are no doubt going to be woken at the crack of dawn tomorrow.  Hopefully they'll sleep till seven, but if it's six, and they see their stockings full, they aren't going to go back to bed, however much we try and tell them too.

I just pray it's not five o'clock!

We have my dad coming over for Christmas Day (as I can't bear the thought of him being on his own - and he really is easy to entertain), but otherwise it's just the four of us.  Boxing Day will be busy with Hubby's family - they're coming for the whole day this year, and it will be nice, even though I bet it flies by.  I'm looking forward to playing some games, and maybe even a game of cards. 

Merry Christmas everyone and a happy New Year to you all!

Day 23 - Thawing Out

Across the fields

I was so eager and organised yesterday, today I wasn't really sure what to do with myself.  I did make fizzy jelly, a la Sainsbury's Magazine suggestion, using strawberry jelly and sparkling wine.  I am now drinking the rest of said sparkling wine.

Boys! Not sure how zoom works.

This morning I downloaded my photos from my phone to do yesterday's blog, and remembered that I'd taken a couple of photos of the boys while walking to my friends on Tuesday.  I'd forgotten the camera, and so used my phone as it is a Sony Ericson Cybershot phone of sorts - they're supposed to be good yet, sometimes I'm not so sure of the quality.  Most of my cake photos are from the phone - but they don't move, so they usually come out okay.

Anyway, here are photos of out back - there's a footpath that runs the outside of the housing estates and is a quick way to get to some of the places without the hassle of cars, so I can let the boys run and not worry about them.

It was lovely out there, still very snowy, especially across the untouched fields.  We could hear the roar of the M5 in the distance - which is basically across those fields. 

I told them to stand still - my camera phone doesn't like movement

I also found photos I'd taken going to work on the Sunday.  It was just so picturesque but not sure if my phone really did it justice.  But this is the main road near us that I have to walk to go to work.  I wish I'd taken it Saturday morning, it was even more untouched.  But we've got new street lamps along this road and it's so much brighter, and with the snow it felt like daylight. I don't walk that way, but the park is there, and it all just looked lovely.

Today, the temperature has been slightly milder so some of the snow has started melting.  But I still think we'll have a white blanket for Christmas day, and that will be the first time in my lifetime, that I can remember, having snow on the ground Christmas Day.

Our road joining the main road Sunday 19 December

My son asked will it be a white Christmas.  Technically, I think to class as a white Christmas it has to snow on Christmas day.  But we will have snow.

So now I'm starting to stress a little. Got to remember to take the turkey out, etc. I've jobs to do tomorrow and it's going to be so exciting.

Day 22 - Bake Me A Cake

(Sorry this is a bit late - last night I was so engrossed in writing a chapter - over 2,000 words written -  I didn't realise the time!)

Before baking!

Yesterday I was very busy indeed.  I made 24 mince pies (not sure where Nigella got 36 from, unless my pastry is a bit thick and my stars are bigger), 12 cupcakes and iced a Yule log.

I had all good intentions of making the mince pies with the kids, but I'm not the best with my patience and I've been considerably worse lately - and it's not even PMT time!  Nigella said to split the pastry, so I did one batch without the kids (as they'd sloped off), cling filming the other and sticking it in the fridge.  Then, once ready to roll the next lot of pastry I called the boys.

Luckily, Ben had decided to be engrossed in whatever he was doing and only Kieran came.  Yet, that was still stressful because he just wanted to dump the cutter in the middle of the pastry.  He did let me position it, then he cut - eventually.  But he soon got bored and went off to play.  (I'm such a terrible mummy).

Afterwards! 24 made in total, though a few had to be tested!

My dad - the Godsend - turned up at twelve thirty to take them out.  I hadn't even given them lunch.  So after a quick lunch, they wrapped up warm and headed out with Grandad for the bus into town.  They apparently walked the seafront to see the beach covered in snow and caught a double decker home!

I was able to bake and ice the cakes, and start on the Yule log before the return of the monsters.

I only had half a box of royal icing left, thanks to Mr Tesco's not allowing me to order any more.  I couldn't find it on their website for love nor money, and kept forgetting to buy some when out.  Anyway, I had some left over fondant icing from Ben's cake so after some manipulation, it got back to it's pliable form, adding a bit of colour, and I was able to roll it out and cut it.  Did the same to decorate the Yule Log.  

Ran out of royal icing, so coloured some fondant icing

Yule Log for the boys!

Gosh, looking at this blog, you'd think I was a baker, not a writer.  I enjoy baking, when I have the time and can get on with it (on my own).  I'm not very good at trying to bake with the boys sometimes.  For some reason then, my kitchen feels very small.  It's alright if I only have the one, but when two of them crowd over me, I don't have room to swing a cat.  And then they want to lick everything, even if I've not finished with it yet, including the knife I've cut the butter with! 

But this time of year, I'm particularly in the mood to cook.

Baking does get me away from my PC, which is sometimes a good thing.  I do suffer with RSI, and I'm feeling it this morning, having sat at my PC all night last night, bashing away a chapter.  But it was getting exciting!

So far I have failed with any more reading.  But I have made my target of forty books this year!

I now have so much food made that I'm not going to make my Rocky Road yet.  Decided we have loads of stuff here to eat - and depending on the weather no one may turn up to eat it!  If my mum does come to me Tuesday, rather than us go to them, then Monday I might make it.  Otherwise I'll make some for New Years or something.  I am thinking I'll send Dad home on Christmas day with some home made mince pies.  In fact, I might go and see if I can dig out a box...

Day 20 & 21 - Now Starting To Worry

Yesterday evening hubby and I cracked on and got all of the boys' Christmas presents wrapped - hurrah!  I think I was in the mood, as I'd quickly done all of my dad's and said, lets do the boys so its out of the way.  And yes, I can relax now.

Yesterday I shovelled the snow (we had another good inch) off the driveway - well cleared where hubby wanted to park his car - plus the path to our house.  I used my table salt and the salt from the water system to keep it clean.  The salt from the system is big lumps/pellets, so was out smashing them with a mallet.  Nice.

Today we walked in the snow to drop off presents, and collect some.  A friend and I do each other's kids, and she's house bound as her little girl has chicken pox.  I bribed the boys with the walk, saying we'd go to Mc Donalds.  We walked home and I put on Santa Claus The Movie to get us all Christmassy.  Kieran fell asleep, (that walk really zonked him out) but Ben loved watching it.

In my mood to stay organised, tonight, while the boys were eating their tea, I started looking up the recipes of bits and pieces I want to make.  Lord knows if it will all get eaten but these are the things I need to do.

Make:
1) Mince pies (Nigella Christmas) - probably tomorrow - so we can just start eating them!  Thought this would be fun with the boys, yet I feel my stress levels already rising at just the thought.  If only they sold patience in pills?
2) Rocky Road (Nigella Christmas) - probably Thursday as I've got some ingredients being delivered Wednesday by Mr. Tesco's - if he doesn't cancel on me.
3) Yule log - Thursday too... as I have small swiss roll, just need to make some chocolate butter icing.  But want it to be as fresh as possible, but Christmas Eve I have to go to work.   This cake is for the boys to enjoy!
4) Cup cakes - probably tomorrow as they can be eaten as and when.  I just got some nice edible Christmas decorations and thought they'd go well on the cakes.  Boys can eat these too.
5) Trifle - ready for Boxing Day, so will have to make Christmas Eve.  I cheat and use the box one, (I'd love one day to make the fresh one as in Nigella's book) and make individual trifles. Might actually make four in the desert dishes I've got.  Usually use my knickerbocker glasses and make six.
6) Champagne jelly - just seen it in Sainsbury's Magazine and it looks lush! But wondering whether to make my usual orange jelly with mandarin segments, too, because that's my father-in-law's favourite. I am gutted though - seen shot glasses in TK Maxx loads and thought I'd never use them, but this suggests serving in shot glasses! Ho hum!

I made my brandy butter yesterday morning, so that's in the fridge ready and waiting Christmas Day for my Christmas pudding.  Have struck it off my to do list.

Tonight I have to hide in my study as hubby is likely to want to wrap all of my Christmas presents... so writing for me tonight.