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Long weekend. But it was very, very good.
I had Small sleeping over for the weekend, and we basically just lounged around all day Saturday. She was on her Very Best Behaviour because she's having to earn back all the presents for her stocking, but also she was chilled out because it's school holidays now. She finds school tremendously stressful in all kinds of ways, and although she gets lonely in the holidays, because she craves friendship, she is always much more relaxed the moment school breaks up. In school, she has to work tremendously hard every minute, has to concentrate hard to hear what is being said, to understand what is being said, and to try and conform to who she and her classmates expect her to be, as a pre-teen. Away from those pressures, when she is just with the family, she can relax completely and just be herself - and herself is a lot younger than 12.
I took her up to the park and we had a great time. We went into the hothouse to look at the turtles, and were highly enamoured of a lazy little chap with a badly dented shell, who had obviously had an eventful life before being rescued by the park wardens. We also fell in love with the Christmas tree they've got there, with its very traditional decorations - no tinsel, stars or lights in sight. They've got fruit, candy canes and misteltoe on it instead. Gorgeous.
I did take pictures, but can't be bothered downloading them off my phone. Some other day, perhaps!
We also went into the playground. Now, Small hasn't been interested in going to the playground for a good couple of years now, but on Saturday she decided she was going to just let herself be the little girl she really is, for once. We were in there for ages as she had an absolute blast on the swings and slide and rediscovered her love of the climbing frame. They've got this huge rope structure in there - she loved it when she was younger, and has now learned that it is even more fun when you are 12 and have long legs!
Obviously there is a lot of reaction to last week still working through. But we had a really good day on Saturday.
Then there was Sunday, which really felt like Christmas. It was all about family. Big Sis arrived from Kent with her Husband, and then we all went off to an uncle's house for the afternoon for one of the Big Family Gatherings my dad's clan are prone to. Not major event big, when we can hit 80+ with ease, but immediate family big. *counts* There must have been 20 people there, counting children, and even that wasn't close to everyone that could have been there.
Dad's oldest sister and her husband were across from Oxford, which was really nice. We don't see nearly enough of them these days. Stan was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer about two and a half years ago now; he's doing extremely well, but isn't often fit enough to travel. So it was great to see him. Not so great to hear troubling news about their youngest grandson, my cousin Gareth's little boy Evan. He is only 3 months old, but has a condition called craniosynostosis, where the bones of the skull have fused way too early. He's got another scan lined up early in the New Year, but chances are he's going to need surgery sooner rather than later, poor dab - possibly by the time he's 6 months old, almost definitely before his first birthday. But he is otherwise perfectly happy and healthy, which is good to hear.
Fingers crossed he stays that way, and his surgery goes well.
After spending the whole afternoon hanging out catching up on family news and just generally being together as a family, a bunch of us went to the Carols by Candlelight service at our chapel. It's my favourite service of the whole year: very formulaic, following the same basic programme every year, but this is one of those occasions where that predictability adds to the beauty of it, rather than becoming boring. It's just a really lovely, traditional carol service, conducted by candlelight, and I love it.
Lots of family there, too, as a crowd of Dad's lot came with us, and there were also quite a few from Mum's side. A couple of her cousins attend the same chapel as us, along with their sons, plus one of my other cousins (the one I will probably be house-sharing with next year) brought Nan down for the service. Then afterward we all piled back to my parents' house and hung out for the rest of the evening.
I really love my family. It isn't perfect, by any means, but I love that it is so big and sprawling and has never drifted apart, and that we take every opportunity to gather together and enjoy one another's company. The next Occasion is already on the calendar: my cousin Rachel's wedding in early March. Can't wait. Must remember to go outfit shopping in the post-Christmas sales!
On the downside, I completely forgot to set up my DV-R for the Larkrise to Candleford Christmas special last night! Curses. But hey: this is what catch-up TV was designed for, no?
I had Small sleeping over for the weekend, and we basically just lounged around all day Saturday. She was on her Very Best Behaviour because she's having to earn back all the presents for her stocking, but also she was chilled out because it's school holidays now. She finds school tremendously stressful in all kinds of ways, and although she gets lonely in the holidays, because she craves friendship, she is always much more relaxed the moment school breaks up. In school, she has to work tremendously hard every minute, has to concentrate hard to hear what is being said, to understand what is being said, and to try and conform to who she and her classmates expect her to be, as a pre-teen. Away from those pressures, when she is just with the family, she can relax completely and just be herself - and herself is a lot younger than 12.
I took her up to the park and we had a great time. We went into the hothouse to look at the turtles, and were highly enamoured of a lazy little chap with a badly dented shell, who had obviously had an eventful life before being rescued by the park wardens. We also fell in love with the Christmas tree they've got there, with its very traditional decorations - no tinsel, stars or lights in sight. They've got fruit, candy canes and misteltoe on it instead. Gorgeous.
I did take pictures, but can't be bothered downloading them off my phone. Some other day, perhaps!
We also went into the playground. Now, Small hasn't been interested in going to the playground for a good couple of years now, but on Saturday she decided she was going to just let herself be the little girl she really is, for once. We were in there for ages as she had an absolute blast on the swings and slide and rediscovered her love of the climbing frame. They've got this huge rope structure in there - she loved it when she was younger, and has now learned that it is even more fun when you are 12 and have long legs!
Obviously there is a lot of reaction to last week still working through. But we had a really good day on Saturday.
Then there was Sunday, which really felt like Christmas. It was all about family. Big Sis arrived from Kent with her Husband, and then we all went off to an uncle's house for the afternoon for one of the Big Family Gatherings my dad's clan are prone to. Not major event big, when we can hit 80+ with ease, but immediate family big. *counts* There must have been 20 people there, counting children, and even that wasn't close to everyone that could have been there.
Dad's oldest sister and her husband were across from Oxford, which was really nice. We don't see nearly enough of them these days. Stan was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer about two and a half years ago now; he's doing extremely well, but isn't often fit enough to travel. So it was great to see him. Not so great to hear troubling news about their youngest grandson, my cousin Gareth's little boy Evan. He is only 3 months old, but has a condition called craniosynostosis, where the bones of the skull have fused way too early. He's got another scan lined up early in the New Year, but chances are he's going to need surgery sooner rather than later, poor dab - possibly by the time he's 6 months old, almost definitely before his first birthday. But he is otherwise perfectly happy and healthy, which is good to hear.
Fingers crossed he stays that way, and his surgery goes well.
After spending the whole afternoon hanging out catching up on family news and just generally being together as a family, a bunch of us went to the Carols by Candlelight service at our chapel. It's my favourite service of the whole year: very formulaic, following the same basic programme every year, but this is one of those occasions where that predictability adds to the beauty of it, rather than becoming boring. It's just a really lovely, traditional carol service, conducted by candlelight, and I love it.
Lots of family there, too, as a crowd of Dad's lot came with us, and there were also quite a few from Mum's side. A couple of her cousins attend the same chapel as us, along with their sons, plus one of my other cousins (the one I will probably be house-sharing with next year) brought Nan down for the service. Then afterward we all piled back to my parents' house and hung out for the rest of the evening.
I really love my family. It isn't perfect, by any means, but I love that it is so big and sprawling and has never drifted apart, and that we take every opportunity to gather together and enjoy one another's company. The next Occasion is already on the calendar: my cousin Rachel's wedding in early March. Can't wait. Must remember to go outfit shopping in the post-Christmas sales!
On the downside, I completely forgot to set up my DV-R for the Larkrise to Candleford Christmas special last night! Curses. But hey: this is what catch-up TV was designed for, no?
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I do envy you that large close family - my family is very small now - one brother and wife, one cousin and her two daughters and my own two and we are scattered far and wide. You make me resolve to travel more to see them more often if that is what it takes to stay in touch, thank you for making me realise what was in danger of drifting away.
Hope you all have a lovely Christmas and that 2009 is a wonderful year for you.
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I do love the closeness of my family, although we do have our ups and downs. The last couple of years have been rather marred by a quarrel between two of Dad's siblings - or rather, a quarrel between two of their children (youngest and only respectively) that caused the parents to take sides. Relations there have been frosty ever since, mostly because the two girls have never made up and their parents want to support them...which has a knock-on effect of awkwardness for everyone else. It is the first time there has ever been any discord within the family and we're all struggling with it a bit! And another aunt can get a bit competitive (insisted the gathering be at her house this year because we did one at ours last, and basically railroaded everyone else into it). But on the whole we're all remarkably amicable. I especially love that Dad's youngest brother and his family all trek down from Warrington at every opportunity. The children are only 8 and 4, so we never get to see them otherwise, and it is good that they nonetheless get to grow up knowing that they have a family beyond their parents.
And there are plenty of us to know - and expanding all the time, still!
*is stopped rambling by cat falling off the wardrobe. I kid you not*
I really was rambling, wasn't I?!
Anyway, a lovely Christmas to you, too, and all the family.
Edit: I remembered the point I was getting to before the cat interrupted. It was the death of my cousin Paul that really caused a very conscious decision not to let ourselves drift. Since my grandfather's death there hadn't really been a central point for everyone to gather, but when Paul was killed it really shook the family up. He was only 26 - out cycling and was hit by a car. It was after that we became determined that we shouldn't only be brought together by funerals (or weddings, although weddings are always good reason to celebrate!). So we do try very hard to keep up with the get-togethers, as much as possible.
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I'm so happy Small and you had so much fun last Saturday! And who doesn't want to swing once in a while? I know I still watch longingly to the swings anytime I walk through the childs playground :)
And family gathering! I love them. I'm not gonna make it, this year, becase I had traveled last month because of my niece 15th birthday, so, I can't do it again now.
But I do love them, really. And yes, no family is perfect, but their love is :>
Have a wonderful Christmas, and a full of joy and love 2009
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