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We wanted to do lots of Christmas activities, so we did as much as we could. We first started off Christmas by going to Fortnum and Masons for reading with Father Christmas. Emre was so worried, stressed out, on the way there. He did NOT want to see Santa. And you bet it’s because he knew he has been naughty. We were a bit late, busy tube, so we didn’t have time to process what was going on. Santa was going through each child, seeing if they were on the good list. And then it got to Emre. With tears in his eyes, he talked to Santa; heavy breathing and all. And then he said Emre was on the good list and he felt sweet relief. He was a happy kid after that! He got a goody bag and he was so happy!
We also went to Kew gardens for a Christmas lights walk. And was Santa there? You betcha! I’m sure Emre felt like Santa was everywhere, he wasn’t a fan of that!
We also went to get the best hot chocolate ever! Said Dal. A thick, pudding like consistency, with three chocolates drizzled on the rim of the cup. The best!
We did lots of walking around the city to admire the lights and store decorations. I loved the starry lights in Seven Dials. It’s the best!
The funnest English Christmas tradition is going to a panto. A panto is a play/musical, usually a comedy, where the crowd is interactive. We watched a panto in Wimbledon, Cinderella. There was a bit of magic, a bit of drag, and a Pussycat Doll. It was lots of fun! So cheesy, but so fun! Emre loved booing and yelling out to the actors. We’ll go every year, I’m sure!
The best part for me was getting our place festive for the holidays. The day after thanksgiving, we had our thanksgiving feast. Alastair had work on that Thursday, so we didn’t celebrate the day of. After our turkey dinner, we turned on the Kacey Musgraves Christmas show and decorated the tree. I kept with our house theme, black, white, and silver. The tree turned out beautiful! I even found these silver dinosaurs to hang on the tree. And then I found white stockings and beaded our initials and threw on tassels. And then our little scandi tea light houses. I still keep them up for a yearly decoration. I loved our house all decorated for Christmas!
And the best part was having Connor and Hollie over for Christmas! Connor flew in on Christmas Eve day. We all wore santa hats, decorated a sign, and sang a little carol when he arrived. Just the right amount of embarrassment to kick off the festivities. Once we got home, I went straight to work. A turkey with mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, candied yams, and Yorkshire puddings. It was all so delicious!
We opened presents Christmas morning and later went on a walk. It was a great Christmas!
