* It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year * - It's the 2016 Christmas Chatter Thread

Peppapig

Welcome back BUNBUN nice to see you.

3forholidays

:bdaycake: Happy birthday Feisty :bdaycake: Hope that you have a lovely day.

lazysheep

Only because noone else I know will be as excited but I am going out in a bit to collect my new christmas tree :j

The old one is still 'ok' but it was quite cheap and looks very 'empty' in the middle even when fluffed out as much as possible so on the spur of the moment I've treated myself to a 7' tree from B&Q for £20 :T I'll donate the old one to a charity shop but I'm so looking forward to putting my new tree up and decorating it while watching the apprentice tonight

Then it's onto present wrapping craziness - I do hampers for the sister, mum and brother in law so it is quite easy lol - just put a wrapping paper 'lid' on. The only person I wrap individually for is the OH.

Happy Birthday Feisty

mrs-moneypenny

Happy birthday feisty,

Welcome back bun bun

Hope everyone is well

mandco

Happy birthday Fiesty :bdaycake:

Freespirit glad you enjoyed winchester market despite the crowds it was bad enough when we went but sounds like it was a lot busier at the weekend. Sorry your fibro is playing up I know the feeling at the mo it really catches you off guard sometimes. Hope you can get some rest in the next couple of days and are able to enjoy your trip to london at the weekend with the minimum of symptoms.

Gtq its a hard call there are really 2 options
1)cover the bare basics of a roast dinner(chicken, potatoes & some veg) with maybe some mince pies or a xmas cake bar for pudding.
2)tell them that unfortunately your not able to provide what they are expecting but you can offer a few extra treats as its xmas.
honestly as much as I would feel bad about it I would go with option 2 provide a few treats for the kids but otherwise they get the same as anyone else. It'll be a hard thing to do but if it was any other time of year it probably wouldn't seem so bad.You also need to consider how many other people you could help for what it would cost to provide what they are expecting there are plenty of families who have to go without a "proper xmas dinner" .
Dinner sounded lovely

Bunbun welcome back

Nic wow that is late breaking up hope you manage to squeeze some family time

Mrsmoneypenny :laugh: so much for the relaxation

taz had his 1st nativity play this week I wasn't expecting much as its not really his thing,he can be pretty shy and he didn't want to do it at all but he did great. ok so he didn't do everything he was meant to but he joined in for most of it.
Got ds an emoji poo cushion & mug which he'll find amusing.
Not impressed with yankee candle at the moment ordered some stuff nearly 10 days ago which was meant to be 3-5 working days for delivery call to see whats happening to be told sorry for the delay it should be dispatched by the end of the week but might not get it before xmas :mad: Don't think anything I've ordered online lately has turned up when its meant to so glad I'm not relying on the order by dec 23rd for xmas delivery everyone seems to be advertising.

get well vibes for everyone who needs them

mrsinvisible

Sorry to read so many of us have lurgies and stuff, even DGS is off school with a horrible cold, cough and sore throat. Today is my last day to prepare Christmas, as my family arrive on Friday early AM, (2-3am ish) and l am having DGN an extra day this week, tomorrow, as Fave nieces MIL is ill, so, deccies up, shopping in pressies wrapped, this is spooky, l am certain to have forgotten something important.
Some dilemma, GTQ, l think l'd be proposing a compromise, in so much as you will provide some, but not all, the meal, and perhaps explain that next year they will have to learn budgeting skills, and prove that they are trying to manage better, as a gesture of commitment if they want to continue to be eligible for help.
l understand that you don't want the children to suffer due to their parents shortcomings, but if they only see that someone else will always pick up the tab, they are learning the dependence their parents display, as normal behaviour.
Well. as tomorrow will be a busy and a long day, l am off to bed, with a hot toddy to ward off the bugs. sleep well everyone, xxx

Gettingtherequickly

Well, part of the dilemma has been addressed. One of the members has a niece who is a teacher & her year group has given us a frozen turkey, so we just need to keeps the other costs to a minimum so others don't suffer. I think we need to force the issue on self support & budgeting especially as there is a baby on the way. I cannot/will not condone the cycle starting for the next generation

Franalamadingdong

Welcome muffin man and Nightrider.

Happy birthday Feisty

Hope all the poorlies feel better soon. After all my illnesses this winter I am hoping I've had my share!

GTQ, are social services aware of the family? Are there any money management courses near by? I'd do basic with a few bits for the kids. It's so hard with things like this. I get very angry at adults for the things they put kids through and the future they rob from them. There's one family that I know in particular that crazes me, but as their youngest boy is friends with mine we try to be a positive influence and not do/say anything inappropriate. It's hard because sometimes I want to scream at his mother.

On to Christmas things, son has done all his nativities, which is good as he's exhausted. We'll be going to the church posada nativity at church on Sunday. I need to bring up the safety of the path with the vicar at our meeting tomorrow. I had a pretty bad fall when leaving today. Thankfully I'm 29 (for a few more weeks) and have a bouncy butt, it would not end well if one of our old dears went over! My foot slid on the path, so that went forward and my other leg went under me to the back and I scraped down the wall. It probably looked hilarious, but I am sore.

Brother told me that the gifts I was going to wrap for him got delivered at his house so he now has to wrap and post them. I have to wrap gifts from mum and dad though, because mum still doesn't have much movement and zero dexterity in her left hand and dad.... Yeah I don't think he's ever wrapped anything! Good job I got mine done, although I bought a few extra bits today - Uno, which I was planning on getting, PJs and slipper socks. The socks and Uno will go in the stocking, but the PJs need wrapping. I still haven't posted my gifts, that will be tomorrow's job after work.

So sorry I have forgotten the replies to everyone's posts. I could sleep for a week right now!

vulpix

Happy Birthday Feisty,sorry I missed it.Hope you had a lovely day.x

Gettingtherequickly

Franalamadingdong wrote: »

GTQ, are social services aware of the family? Are there any money management courses near by?

Social services have given up as they won't engage and unfortunately, as SS are so swamped, they are having to deal with those who engage. Frustrating all round but at the root of it is wanting & accepting the help of SS and as they are adults, there is not a lot which can be done.