My Christmas "To Do" List

I grew up with parents who ran a small business.

As the small country town butchers,

mum and dad worked long hours,

which became unbelievably long hours as Christmas approached.

Dad made old fashioned hams in the smoke-house out the back of the shop

as well as catering for all other carnivorous requirements for the Christmas dinner table.

It made for a huge work load in the lead up till the time
that the last order got picked up late on Christmas Eve.

I don't remember spending a lot of time doing things as a family in the Christmas holidays.

I remember spending a lot of summer holidays with my grandparents.

As far as the lead up to Christmas,

I remember the local CFA decorating their fire trucks and driving down every road in our town

on Christmas Eve, sirens blaring,

Santa throwing lollies to the kids in their pyjamas who were gathering at the edges of the roads.

I remember Christmas Eves spent at the butcher shop

as the locals wandered in till quite late to pick up their orders

and staff, friends and associates would drop in for a drink and nibbles and a chat.

I have fond memories of those times.

I haven't grown up with a need for counselling

because I didn't make gingerbread cookies with my folks

or because we didn't drive around looking at Christmas light displays.

But, as a mum and as a somewhat compulsive person,
I have become quite dogged

about creating some Christmas traditions and rituals for my children.

They aren't anything extraordinary.

We go to a local pageant each year.

We decorate a gingerbread house and do some Christmas craft.

We donate presents to a charity tree.
We crank up the carols, put on our Santa hats
and decorate the tree and tinsel anything that isn't moving in the front yard.

We open an advent calendar each evening

and the children have a photo with Santa.
We cook some Christmas bickies.

We go out for gelati then drive to look at Christmas light displays.

Those sort of things.
I guess that I have a Christmas "To do" list.

I want my kids to look back at their childhood

and have some memories to hang on to.

I have to say that I am gritting my teeth through some of them.
Some of them can be a chore or very, very trying.

But I am determined that they will be done

and they will be enjoyed- by the littlies, at least.

Because that is what it is all about.

All too soon, they won't want to be cutting out Christmas tree biscuits

and the magic of leaving out a plate for Santa will be long gone.

But, as a mum,

I hope that I will have left them with some memories

that, in time, will be something precious for them to hang onto.