Family Traditions

We had our early family Christmas celebration today for our eldest granddaughter, L, who is twelve, and who will be in Canada at Christmas with her mother. She is growing up fast, as the markings on our kitchen door frame bear witness, and will soon be taller than me. 

Smithers and I are feeling our age tonight. We’ve worked hard all day in our time-honoured teamwork tradition, cooking, carving, serving, washing up and making endless cups of tea. It’s been a whirl of activity, watching the excitement and spontaneity of our youngest two granddaughters as they played with our eldest granddaughter, and enjoying seeing our sons interacting with their siblings’ offspring. Much as we’ve enjoyed our day, it has to be said that bedtime can’t come a moment too soon now. 

This is another of our family traditions – the 40 year old Advent Calendar that I made while pregnant with The Traveller. He returned home from abroad late last night, at about 4.00 am according to his body clock, when we were fast asleep, but nevertheless he wasn’t too tired to put the sheep up on the Advent calendar before he went to bed!