Locked and loaded!

We are ready for the big day. The tree is up and decorated, the presents are nestling under the tree, Mrs Hammond has been frantically baking festive treats and with just two more sleeps to go the levels of excitement are rising in the Hammond house. Santa is on his way. Lucy is being as sceptical as ever about the big man's existence and then contradicts herself by writing a letter of a card to Santa and Mrs Claus. She then contradicts herself more by putting in the card 'are you real?' One thing she seems very assured about is that some of the presents are for her!

 

Probably the best Christmas feature in the house is what I now affectionately call the 'wall of popularity'. Lucy and Anna have so many cards from all their friends, teachers and various people that the only place to put them was on the wall in the kitchen. Times change when you are older - I have five cards! My colleagues have been so generous in their gifts, the main problem was that most of them were for the girls, whom they have never met! Children seem to have this affect on grown ups, you will not catch me buying presents for children I have never met. Bah humbug!