I know it's crazy but

Its only October 4th and I'm thinking about Christmas. In particular the lunch and dinner. This year and it appears all future Christmas's will be held, you guessed it, at our house.

I hadn't really started to think about it until it dawned on me a bout a week ago that last year I was able to cater for most of it from my Chrisco hamper however this year, no Chrisco! So I thought I best just mention to mum that we had better start thinking about it for this year, you know plant the seed to see what she's thinking, where it will be held, it went a bit like this:

Clarkie (me): so mum, what are we doing for Christmas?

Mum: what do you mean?

C: well where are we having Christmas this year?

M: mmmm your place again.........

C: Oh.............

M: let me check with your father

C: OK, let me know

End conversation!

The next day I was at mum & dad's, so thought I should bring it up again, after all if it is at my place, I need to start planning, I don't have just a spare couple of hundred sitting around to rush to the shops once they make up their minds, it goes like this:

C: so dad what are we doing for Christmas?

D: I don't know

C: mum said that we will probably just have it at out place again this year........

D: I don't know, its too early to think about Christmas

C: What??????? (me thinking, mmmmmm if it was at your house you would have the ham on the bone already)

C: I need to start buying stuff if its at our house..............

D: silence.................

End of conversation!

So no answers really.

The next day, mum tells me that dad is worried that if its at our house we won't let my (shithead) nephew, his girlfriend/de facto and 2 gorgeous babies come............. mmm wtf? Actually it was dad last year that had a fight with him before even getting to my house, so dad stayed home and the nephew and family still came!

I don't know what it is about my sister though, she refuses to come to my house, we don't see each other very much anyway but she made her 2 son's also think that they weren't invited, hello its Christmas, no invites needed, just let me know numbers please :) So she will probably be a no show again this year but hr boys and their girlfriends will be with me, along with her daughter and new grandson. Poo Poo to her. Actually that sounds really sad, she will be alone except for her de facto, maybe I should make an effort, maybe she expects me to ask her, I don't want to but, why should I? I'll just tell her kids and they can talk to her, yep, that's what I'll do, if she comes she can but she will probably cut of her nose to spite her face.

So actually I think there was point to this post, what was it again..................

Oh that's right, Christmas dinner, so was thinking of traditional, dad hates the thought of BBQ, so thinking I will cheat this year and buy chicken pieces (last year I cooked chickens) will make mixed assorted veggies, broccoli and cauliflower bake, roast potatoes, we will have ham off the bone (might cheat on that as well) and mum will make roast pork. Not to forget that mum will make the traditional 5 trifles (don't know why people love the crap) and Christmas pudding with custard, or in Dazza's case ice-cream.

Now tell me everyone, how many chicken pieces per person should I order? I was thinking 2 but Dazza says 3 per person. Now out of the family we would have up to about 20 people, now out of the 20 would only be like 3-4 kids. I do think that I am allowed to cheat, after all I will be working the week of Christmas, including Christmas Eve and since the December roster isn't out, it could be a 7pm finish for me in the city, so don't think I will want to be up all night cooking.

Now I also don't now if I will buy presents or just give cash. Cash is so impersonal but its hard to get a good present for everyone, but I don't think there is any better scene than wrapped presents under the beautifully decorated Christmas tree. This could be our last Christmas alone actually, if our adoption assessment goes well and we are chosen quickly, we may have a bub next year. Now that's something to dream about.