Christmas 2025

Well it’s fair to say we’ve had a rollercoaster of a Christmas break! All the exciting, fun, Christmasy bits like the baking, the Christmas Eve night lights walk, the presents, the food, oh the food! The time together, woohoo! 

But then we’ve had this pesky flu virus that zapped us of our very souls for at least 14 days! I told the boys’ barber yesterday the flu was so bad that even our fingernails ached, obviously I was exaggerating, but he took me literally which was pretty awkward. 

Ooh and I got to clean our oven! Seriously that gets a woohoo! It’s a big boy and was very dirty and very therapeutic. I gave it a wink as I finished up and said, 

“Same time next year?”

Unfortunately the flu grounded us a bit and the boys ADHD wanted them to be out and doing, but their little bodies were like, NO WAY! Which not only caused them inner conflict, but resulted in them bickering, fighting and getting on each others nerves more. 

Well Friday this reached a head (is that the saying? Doesn’t sound right, let me Google it!, be back in a sec!) Ah, things came to a head on Friday. The two of them came running up to me to snitch on each other for about the gazillionth time only Oli had a drop of blood on his lip. I saw red! Physically and metaphorically. 

It’s one thing for them to argue constantly, but it’s quite another for them to physically fight and this we will not tolerate! 

I went Sumo Mumma bear! 

I made it very clear to both Harry and Oli that I had had ENOUGH! I was very angry and wanted to punish them and as far as I was concerned, right there, in that moment of time their electronics were banned for the day! 

Quite frankly, most care givers will probably agree, but that’s more of a punishment for me taking away a form of entertainment, but I was cross!

As far as I was concerned they needed to earn them back and the ONLY way of doing this was to prove to me that they could work together as a team and they’d need to complete chores, lots of them. If the teamwork thing didn’t work out, maybe tiring them would. 

First things first, fur babies get treated to a proper walk down Bluebell Woods, this was met with quite a few groans. They bounced off me like I was wearing Batfink’s wings of steel! 

In the car on the way, I was still trying to decompress and explain to the little darlings the reason for my distress. 

“Harry and Oli, you just don’t seem to understand how lucky you are to have a built in play mate 24/7! Yet you waste it! You could be playing, but you are choosing to fight! The fact that this fighting has now resulted in actual blood shed is inexcusable and unacceptable. “

I’m really, really unsure why I said this next bit or where I was going with it, but I’d made myself all cross again. 

“ if a dog draws blood it gets put to sleep, that’s how serious it is!”

Oli “ by put to sleep do you mean dead?”

Then this little voice piped up from Harry in the back seat,

“ Mum, are you going to kill me?”

With that the three of us burst out laughing quite uncontrollably which is difficult when you’re trying to drive a Touran. 

“No Harry, I’m not going to kill you and just because I’m laughing doesn’t mean I’m not still cross, but I’m happy to now press the reset button and allow you to earn back your Xbox”

Once home and with lunch out the way I made them help me put Christmas back into a cupboard under the hamster.

I then got them to help me carry the Christmas tree out to the back garden because they wanted Lee to plant it like he did last year. 

We were on the decking, Oli at the front and Harry to the side and they wanted us to launch it only on the count of 3, neither of them let go, so they too went sailing onto the garden in their socks. 

Pine needles had been scattered in the lounge, hall, kitchen and conservatory. I gave them each a compostable dog poo bag, empty of course and instructed them to pick them up by hand. Don’t worry, I did a room too. 

They definitely worked together as a team and were even kind to each other again. So much so they were rewarded with screen time and Mummy with a boozy coffee and a bit of “me” time. 

What? Even without the Christmas decorations up it’s still technically the holidays so boozy coffees are still fair game! 

Obviously, 10 minutes in to my first bit of me time and Lee returns from work so see me sat in the lounge under a blanket with a Calypso coffee and the boys playing together harmoniously two floors up. 

Alright for some I bet he thought after a hard day at work! 

2026 is shaping up to be quite delicious! Energy back and we’ve already been to the beach and the woods and only on the beginning of day 4. Can’t write that without thinking, in the Big Brother house in a Geordie accent, if you know, you know, if you don’t, I really wouldn’t worry about it! 

Love and hugs and a very Happy New Year to you and your loved ones xxx