Are you feeling the pressure?

I often feel that I really am a terrible mother and I feel guilty about it but then I try to remind myself that my kids don't really know anything different so they surely can't realize that I'm a terrible mother.

We don't really have any real Christmas traditions. On Christmas eve we normally have our closest friends over for dinner. My friend Jess & Himself does the cooking since I'm usually still working on the 24th.

Because both our families live in either South Africa or Australia for the past 5 years we've been spending Christmas day with some friends. This year they are going to Ireland as my friend's mom is very sick which means that it'll be just the four of us as home. I can see a day spent in pjs watching movies and eating leftovers from our Christmas eve dinner party.

Not to mention:

I have still not taken any Christmas photo's of my kids. I've been meaning to but aah you know it's just never the right time. When I have a moment they are either 'too buys' or too dirty or still wearing their pj's.

I did take some photos of them on Saturday morning after they decided to make the most of the bit of snow that fell during the night but I haven't down-loaded them yet. This is a huge problems since I broke the laptop yesterday. Totally killed it! It's a miracle that I survived telling my dear husband what I did to his laptop.

I have not yet done any baking with the kids, no cookies, no cupcakes, nothing!

We have not been to 1 single Christmas market. To be fair Himself is totally opposed to the idea of going (he's been there before and he's not going back). It's crazy busy, finding parking is a nightmare and honestly who wants to go with 2 kids just to endure being showed and pushed around by a bunch of annoying rude people? I know it sounds as if I've lots my Christmas spirit, I haven't I just hate trying to push my way through hordes of people. It might have something to do with the fact that I'm on the short and no-one ever steps out of the way for me so I'm always side stepping people. But I'm rambling ....

Have not yet done any Christmas shopping. Nothing, not a single one thing. I'm sure my kids will find some gifts under the tree on Christmas morning but it's 99% sure that it will be Himself who'll have gone shopping. In my defence I work full time, he being his own boss and having no official office or working hours can go shopping at any time. He is also much better at shopping than what I am so it makes sense for him to do the shopping.   I'll do the wrapping, I love wrapping!

Our tree is looking pretty sad, thanks to the 3 monsters dogs who we share our house with or who share their house with us according to them. Very few Christmasy decorations have been put on display, once again thanks to the aforementioned dogs. They also seem to think that because we have a real tree in the house they can pee on it. I kid you not!

On the positive side, I've been making special hot chocolate for the kids..... they don't think it's special, they want it this way all the time.

I've been watching Christmas movies with them.... until they beg me to let them watch some normal tv.

We've been listening to Christmas music ... I have had to make a dear with them, for every Christmas carol I chose they could choose something they liked so we've been listening a to to Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus as well.

So before the weekend I plan on baking some biscuits with the kids & taking a Christmas picture of them even if only to make myself feel less guilty....

　

How about you? Do you feel you are living up to your own expectations? Please tell me I'm not the only one!