Well we appear to have survived Christmas largely unscathed this year - go our team.

Sure it was the usual mess of stress and tension in which no one is ever truly relaxed or actually enjoys the day - but there were no fights or near fatal stabbings at Christmas lunch so that is something to be grateful for.

But rather than bore every one (including myself) by entering an incredibly large post I will just try and stick to the high or low lights, depending on your point of view.

• Stayed up until 1:30 am on Christmas Eve eve (if such a thing exists), wrapping presents, badly I might add, and putting together a Gingerbread Train for Wife and Little Miss to decorate during the day while I was at work. I should point out that ours didn’t quite turn out the same as the one in the picture.

• Receiving a series of emails at work on Christmas Eve inquiring as to what time I would be leaving to arrive home. This was apparently brought about by Little Miss deciding that being naughty was more fun than being good - according to Wife the conversation of the day went something like this:
• Wife: So Little Miss, are you going to be a good girl or a naughty girl today?

  Little Miss:
  I’m going to be a naughty girl.

  Wife: Why?

  Little Miss: Because I enjoy it

  Wife: [Walks away so that she
  can’t be seen laughing]

• This was closely followed by this next exchange:
• Conversation with Little Miss Part II:

  Wife (expecting the standard apology
  after carrying out a ‘time out’ for bad behaviour): What do you say to
  Mummy?

  Little Miss: I say NO Mummy, NO…(glaring at me)….bloody hell!

At this stage two things should be pointed out:

1. Wife and the toddler Little Miss have very similar temperaments and get the exact same look on their faces when they are in the midst of one of their Mexican standoffs. They even have the exact same turn of phrase (and cuss words apparently).

2. I blatantly stole the above conversational exchanges from Wife’s own blog - which can be found here and although updated less frequently than this one at the moment is far better written than my efforts.

After that blatant plug for Wife’s blog I am hoping for forgiveness for staying up late tonight to watch the cricket replay

More highlights now

• Hearing the baby Usurper laugh for the first time watching the toddler Little Miss play the drums using two juggling balls, and watching Little Miss really hamming it up for her.

• Watching Little Miss opening her presents, and as with all toddlers the real pleasure for her was in tearing off the wrapping paper and making a big mess with it.

• I spent most of my day and night putting together various toys for both the kids that came from Santa, parents, grandparents and aunts and uncles. Much to my chagrin they all seemed to require assembly and batteries to make them work. I am now quite proficient with a phillips head screwdriver - a skill that is sure to come in handy over the years

• Last, but by no means least was the fact that Little Miss went all of boxing day without a nappy and had not a single accident. Sure she went almost 7 hours before she actually caved in and used the potty - and even then it involved a little bit of psychology and the promise of chocolates before she used it. But the joy on her face and in her voice when she succeeded was far greater than any present brought her. Now we just have to hope that this is the breakthrough with toilet training that we have been hoping for.

So that was Christmas around here, not overly exciting I will grant you, but I enjoyed it, and with another 11 days before I have to go back to work I am sure there is more fun and games to be had.

Wow that was a longish post after all - I wonder if anyone bothered to read it all?