Christmas with the Kanharn's

Many years ago I used to have a dream about Christmas, I guess it's very similar to the dreams that millions of us have, pick any of the Christmas adverts which involves family and you're more or less there, the big house, farmhouse kitchen, huge Christmas tree that doesn't take over the room, spare bedrooms with matching bedding for all our guests, a never ending stream of home-cooked delights perfectly prepared in all my spare time leading up to the big day, a table that everyone can fit round on proper 'matching' chairs to eat a perfectly cooked Christmas dinner with carefully chosen wine, using 'matching' china, glasses and cutlery.  A new little designer number to go with the perfectly wrapped 'tiny' gifts - I'm sure you've all been there and for some of you possibly the dream came true.  For us, at least, materially, we are still waiting.  That's not to say I am not grateful for what we have, we have a huge amount more than many, many people and we have each other and that just about aces everything else and besides that where would be the fun?

In Contrast . . .

Our Christmas started with 48 hours of 'cramming' the house had to be sorted from top to bottom, bedding (not matching) had to be organised and weeks of cooking was 'built' in just a few hours, the result being a reasonably successful Christmas trifle and a pavlova that looked like a scene from casualty! I spent an hour or so playing the fridge game trying to fit everything in alongside the 2, yes 2 turkey's (another 'online' mishap!) while Andrew played the airbed game, inflating one after the other and lining the walls of the hall and landing until it resembled the inside of a padded cell . . . . I would imagine, I've never actually been in one - !!!.

For the first year ever we cut out the middle man, Andrew drank the whiskey, oddly I wasn't in the mood for a carrot so I had a couple of celebrations and we cleared away the glass and the papers before we went to bed assuming no one was in the least bit fooled any more by the empty glass and carrot stalks in the morning - oh, how I hung on to that one!.  Once in bed we waited for the keys in the door before finally wishing each other a Happy Christmas and going to sleep.

We were both up before the kids and had to coax them out of bed in order that timings could be adhered to, they arrived in various states of hang over and we opened the presents which is always fun and was made even more fun this year by a little idea that Madi had some time ago.  She decided to buy us each an animal 'onesy' so ten minutes in we were all opening our presents in a variety of animal suits which was funny but took on a whole different perspective when an hour later I was a little cross that Andrew was sitting reading a book while I was running around the house and I, dressed as a penguin was doing the 'I'm dashing about like an idiot while you're sat reading and there's so much to do' bit to Andrew who was dressed as the devil complete with tail and horns!!!!.  I discovered that cross penguins do look a little ridiculous and people just laugh at you!.  Goodness only knows what the neighbours must have thought when he went to collect mum and dad and his mum still in his devil suit.  I think it will take some time to forget the picture of him walking up the garden path, car keys in hand with his tail swinging from side to side - I just can't stay cross with him for very long!.

Anyway, following the arrival of Jan (marathon partner) and nephew Jack the day became ever more chaotic.  Dinner in fairness, was ok but as always, quite late, somehow we all got round the table but once again, as we all struggled to sit down, the wonderful Peter Kay and his 'emergency chairs' sketch popped into my head.  After dinner there was the 'tree present' pantomime followed by an attempt at a few games though we had a slight problem getting the Tesco 'blue stripe' jam to stick the marshmallows to our noses - don't even go there!!!!.  Then there was the highlight of the entire day - those lucky enough to have a bed to go to disappeared like first class 'titanic' passengers and left us, in second class to grab an airbed, a bedding pack and fight each other for a space to lay it out.  As usual Andrew and I got the one with the leak and were slowly eaten during the course of the night so that when we woke in the morning we were rather more in the airbed than on it.  Getting up from said airbed is possibly the most excitement we have experienced in a bed for several years leading to much laughter and screaming which in turn led to a lot of  'Sssshhhhhhh' 'shut up' & 'do you minds' from those in first class.  Eventually I managed to extract myself from the clutches of the airbed and crawl out into the landing which was the only place I had to go.  I went back to attempt to rescue Andrew who without my weight next to him was at risk of being completely devoured, he had already hit the floor and was disappearing beneath layers of rubber .  After a lot more pulling, pushing, laughing, screaming and hushing from first class we managed to surf down the stairs where we were able to re-construct our spines ready for day 2!

After breakfast I changed into my new 'running tights' complete with high vis stripes, my new running 'vest' and a fairly reasonable hat in preparation for my first run with my marathon mate.  Now to be honest, after several weeks of training on my part I was fairly confident that I was some ways ahead . . . after a quick warm up we set off - it's now well past midnight so the next bit will have to be continued later, but I promise, it will be worth the wait.


To be continued . . . . .