I love this time of the year, its a period of preparation, anticipation and excitement and I have all the festive feels.  As we are breaking up early (really who thought Dec 15 to Jan 2nd for the school Christmas holidays was a good idea!!) lots of things are a little earlier this year to fit in with the school term. Its been a busy Christmas week, Friday saw the school’s Christmas fair, Saturday, a visit to Santa’s grotto, on Sunday, we put up our tree, Monday saw parents invited to share a mince pie and have a festive singalong with the Brownies and Thursday was the fantastic Christmas tree festival.  With trying to balance a job and just everyday life I am incredibly organised at this time of year, it is my way of keeping sane.

Even whilst things are busy I’m still trying to keep a few minutes each day to relax.  The easiest way to relax is to enjoy a book and I am loving The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan, it is beautifully written and a pleasure to read each night.

This week we have been very busy practising our songs for our Christmas concert at work.  Its not just singing as signing is very important to us too and all staff are expected to be fluent in the Makaton signs for the concert.  I have been watching Singing Hands’ A Christmas Cracker DVD a lot this week and I love these women for what they do, their songs are signed making them a fantastic resource to teach from and they are just so cheerful and fun too.  I really enjoy signing, its a big part of my job and a very useful skill.  However singing and signing takes some practice, especially on the faster songs.

I also got to watch the reaction of my children to the 40+ stunning Christmas trees at the town’s Christmas tree festival.  I love this idea, businesses sponsor a tree and local schools and groups decorate the trees.  I was so proud of my school’s tree this year, we had worked hard on our decorations and it looked amazing.  The local secondary school did a superb job on theirs with an under the sea theme, whilst the badminton club who are always creative, transformed a shuttlecock, always featured on their trees, in to a robin. Visiting the tree festival is one of my favourite festive activities with the children, especially to watch their faces as they enter the room and see the lights and trees it really is magical.

Other things I’ve enjoyed watching this week are the A word, seriously that soundtrack is amazing and I have been dipping in and out of I’m a Celeb.

Not many makes this week, soppy as it is but at this time of year I’m making happy memories.  On Saturday when the children visited Santa and his elf workshop, they got to make decorations, reindeer food, ice a biscuit and a write letter to Santa.  I have no photos to publish in this post as they all have the children in them but it was a lovely little visit and as my two are 8 and 9 now, possibly the last year I can convince them of Santa’s magic, there are already questions being asked….

I’ve been wearing Christmas jumpers quite a lot this week, I like to look festive for the special events. I have two I’m alternating, the robin is from Primark and its gorgeous, I’m really pleased with it.  The reindeer was from Tescos last year and is warm and cosy.

I was surprised how much I enjoyed the Brownies sign a long on Monday.  It was one of those evenings which was so simple, but everyone was just in such good humour that the evening flowed with a warmth and Christmas glow. The girls’ singing was beautiful and it was a pleasure to listen to them.

On Monday night I was in the kitchen wrapping a pile of books for the PTA (is it just me or do working mums try too hard to pretend we can do it all?) and listening to Jo Whiley on the radio on which Tom Chaplin was doing a Christmas session.  I’ve downloaded his album, 12 Tales of Christmas as a result of the session.  Its an album of new and covers of Christmas songs, it is really chilled and relaxing for when you want something a little Christmassy without the jingle bells et al.

So we’ve made it to the final week of term and probably my craziest week of the year.  I am working full time (ish) next week as its just easier to be in school than not.  So far on our family calendar we have the Christmas market , 2 carols by candlelight services, one for school, one for beavers, same children, different uniforms, different nights!, Christmas dinner, parties and two nights out for me with friends.  Fortunately the week before Christmas is much quieter so we can all chill out and relax.

I’m looking forward to reading about everyone’s festive #littleloves and thanks to Morgana for our inspiring linkie.