Merry Christmas everybody!

With the youngest, Emma, being seven years old and no longer really believing in Santa, it meant a pretty respectable and civilised time to rise. Which was nice, as we were fairly late to bed on Christmas Eve, or as it turned out, early hours of today!

When Emma saw the piles of presents lined up, French-style, behind people's shoe, she suggested that, as there were so many presents to open, it might be best we open half in the morning and the rest in the afternoon. Everybody seemed cool on this idea, so that's what we did.

I dashed between kitchen and the present pile, the roast was in the oven by about 10.30am, leaving a little lull on the cooking front when we could do other things. Then Philip, a signed up vegetarian, realised that he would have to cook his contribution to the table in the second oven, before the yorkshire puddings went in, but all worked well in the end.

We realised that we have at least seven Xmas puddings in the cupboard, so that should be one every day until New Year? :) Lovely turkey salad this evening, followed by the much awaited cake and more mince pies. I think I have made sixty mince pies in the last week!

Nobody had a present they didn't like or could in any way be construed as naff, so that is a big result. Phone calls to France being made as I type this to wish that side of the family a Joyeux Noël.

I hope everybody else in blipland has also had a good Xmas and those in the flood areas have managed to dry out for the day. Inwards and upwards towards Boxing Day now.