Day 48: Santa with a suntan

Christmas tree decorating party day!  Woot woot!!

Got up to the lovely little family feeling of an egg & coffee brekkie with AB & The Scot, looking out past the Christmas tree over the ocean.  Sat on the couch and read for a nice chunk of time - reading by Christmas lights snuggled up in a couch always makes me feel comfy & holiday-y, probably because I always got Calvin & Hobbes books as a kid every Christmas, and I used to read them next to the fireplace.  Well, it's way too hot for a fire, and I was reading a murder mystery, but the joy of it is the same.

AB & I went out to the shops for some last-minute provisions & I wore my bathers (bikini), sundress, and the springy santa hat - yeah, I got some looks.  Mostly smiles.  Ah Christmas spirit.  :)  I thought about making mulled wine, like I usually do, but decided no one wants to drink hot wine on a hot day & instead made a to-die-for peach sangria.  The perfect fruity drink for a summer Christmas party.

After some concocting, cooking, and jujjing of the house, the Christmas music was on, the windows were open, and friends started to arrive.

Little kids are always so entertaining at a party. Toddlers are like chubby little drunk men, stumbling around and laughing.  You can't help but watch them.  The oldest wanted to help decorate the tree but noticed the youngest was pulling the decorations off so he put them where the youngest couldn't reach them; we found about 18 candy canes hidden in the branches, deep, next to the tree trunk.  Later, the oldest was watching Finding Nemo & his little face was so concentrated, his little brow so furrowed one moment, then eyes open wide in surprise and delight, like a bad actor, yet so very honest -- only kids can be that unguarded & unselfconcious.

Plenty of fun was being had in the over 3-ft tall section of the party as well.  The Scot was on the porch grilling, beer & champers & laughter were flowing, and the tree was slowly getting bedecked & bedazzled.  I finally met Ingvald (I'm sorry, I know I spelled that wrong!), one of my lovely readers, made even more lovely by the baby bump she proudly wears.  She, fellow preggo Uta, and mum of the 2 little ones present, Sherie, talked baby, funny stories were exchanged, and I was happy to sit & listen & laugh along. Christmas crackers were cracked open (the dinkiest plastic prizes ever! that's what you get from the reject shop) and Christmas crowns were donned.

Uta in my awesome santa hat & Sherie in her crown

Tegan came by in her sparkly shorts & always-adorable head scarf (I gotta get me one), the kids went to bed, and the sun set behind the Christmas tree. The guys broke into the port & competed in a table football (soccer) game & the girls sat on the porch drinking champers (or fruit juice) & eating mince pies.  Sexual stereotypes really do come from somewhere.  It was a balmy evening and I, still in my bathers & sundress, was perfectly comfortable in the night breeze.

As people trickled home, AB & I joined The (sloshed) Scot, Gary (also Scottish & also sloshed ;) ), and Ingvald (not sloshed, preggo) for a glass of port & a fun conversation until it was time to head to bed.  As tired as I was - and I had a headache from the heat & not enough water - I still stayed up til 3am to finish my book.  Just like when I was a kid, complete with getting spooked by "creepy" house noises & snuggling deeper under the covers.

Today I am so happy & grateful for:
~ books that you don't want to put down
~ twinkling Christmas lights next to a sunset over the ocean
~ being able to wear a bathing suit to a Christmas party

xo! n.