Froglet

With the taking of Sunnyday's advice or the putting my nose to the grindstone part - I must do at least one of them!!

I will take your advice and am relying on you to make me put my nose to the grindstone on Sunday!

It's been lovely to read all of these messages today. I just wanted to send all of you a huge virtual hug. Today I have totally failed to do any of the school work I meant to. It means that my plan to get it all sorted before Christmas is out the window. I am debating either getting up really early tomorrow morning so that I can do it then or forgetting about it until Sunday and then working really hard all day so that I can have a proper Christmas Eve (which is my absolute favourite day) and a clear school free week. I have had 3 doorstep present exchanges today which were freezing cold but lovely although poignant - my nephew had to stay in the car as his mum had just had a text from his school saying he needed to self-isolate and I wished I could hug my sister and the rest of the family. My niece did give me a 'nearly hug' - she wraps her arms around herself and squeezes hard! She also put her face mask on at one point but hastened to reassure me "It's not because I have coronavirus Aunty Froglet, it's just because my nose is cold!" . My presents are all wrapped - one contains an IOU for a pair of socks - only one is finished! Tomorrow I have the best plans - lovely breakfast and house cleaning and baking in the morning - I always make mince pies but my mum has requested a chocolate log and I've never made one before, I just hope I have enough ingredients as there is no way I'm going to Tesco tomorrow! After that will be general decorating then at 3pm the tree will go up, I will listen to the Festival of 9 lessons and carols, light my new Christmas candle (treat to myself) and decorate it. To be followed in the evening by crumpets and honey, lebkuchen, hot chocolate, The Muppets Christmas Carol, a lovely bubble bath and new pyjamas! Right now, school work or no (and I know which direction I'm heading in...) I need to go and fetch the tree in from the garden so it can dry overnight as it has chucked it down all day. I also need to contemplate rearranging the living room (and hiding some more mess) so it has a place to fit inside! I can also heartily recommend a shared advent calendar and accompanying 'cloud photo album' to anyone who has family with children living in different parts of the UK - it has been an absolute joy this month and I am so glad I did it!

Thank you for thinking of me. I don’t think it has changed things. I am currently planning to go to mum and dad’s on Christmas Day and stay overnight coming home later on Boxing Day (they’re my bubble hence the overnight unless things have changed?) I won’t be able to see my sister or her family but we will zoom lots. My advent present to them yesterday ( a snowball fight - lots of cotton wool balls) has resulted in lots of hilarious videos being shared so I’m making the most of them

That's exactly it, sometimes we need a short while to be sad and angry (I know I do) and then we can move on with the sadness still there but knowing that we can manage it. Take care of yourself, I hope you are able to find out about your mum.

I would be but in the brief moments when I’ve been awake today I’ve eaten rather a lot of chocolate!

I’m afraid it is just a little too late to order this year but they come from The Kitsch Hen website here: https://www.the-kitsch-hen.co.uk I have ordered from her before one but this time I asked her to do a custom order - I gave her the children’s names some qualities of theirs and asked to send them from Father Christmas rather than me. They are designed to go in the post and fit through a letterbox so are a total surprise. These are photos of them:

I have spent the day snuggled under my Christmas blanket drifting in and out of my book and sleep. It’s amazing how much more clearly you can think after a nap (or two...) I need to double check but I’m pretty sure that the date of my last contact (which was pretty limited anyway) with him will mean that I can do Christmas with mum and dad will just keep myself pretty isolated until then which I do anyway. On a brighter note my shared family advent calendar has been a joy and today the stamped biscuits that I’d ordered to come from Santa for nieces and nephew arrived - they were very happy.

No, I’m fine. Child in my class.

No, because it was the last day of term - I meant school finished really. Words haven’t been making much sense the last week or so!

I am done. School closed today. I am exhausted, I think I am not going to do the dishes tonight! Bittersweet though as my sister and her family have made the decision not to travel to join mum and dad and me for Christmas. I am currently hoping that the child who has been off since Tuesday does not test positive or I won't be able to join them either.