Christmas Eve

Christmas eve was spent at our place with my family, and in the run up to it we were reminiscing a little about how my parents used to hold a big Christmas party every year. I have many fond memories of Christmas spent together with my family and family friends, feasting, playing bingo, listening to the adults joke and chat, playing with my cousins and neighbours, staying up late, etc. I remember the pile of gifts under the Christmas tree that my mum and I would put up together, and my dad picking up each gift and announcing who it was for and from whom, and each person opening the gift there and then :)

It's the first time we had a Christmas gathering with the little ones, even though technically it's their second Christmas. Last year they were too young to really know what was going on, especially Aidan, since he was born just about a week before Christmas!

But one year on, what a difference! The two of them toddling about, babbling, gesturing, playing :) Asher was too sleepy to stay up, so he only received and opened his presents the next morning. But Aidan happily opened his presents to unravel toy trucks and books!

My mum had lovingly prepared dinner of aglio olio pasta, creamed cauliflower, potato gratin, sausages, fresh salad, and TQ brought minestrone soup. All very hearty and healthy. But we eventually moved on to more sinful pleasures like chocolate lava cake with ice-cream, fruit cake and such.

Christmas with family feels right, and I'm glad we spent time chatting, and finding out more little quirks that each of us have (like toothbrushing idiosyncracies...) ;)

Lets keep up this Christmas tradition!

p/s: TQ - pictures!!