Thank heavens ...

...  for girlfriends. Having spent the last 20 years stuffing stockings full of whoopee cushions, fake dog poo and mini plastic toilets full of glow-in-dark-slime ( not that all of these aren't hilarious ) , I finally get to buy gifts for my sons' girlfriends . Oh the joy of buying nail varnish sets, pretty purses to stuff with chocolate coins and sweet tubs of lip gloss ! Ahhh ... just packing up one for eldest son's girlfriend and youngest son is downstairs handing over his gifts to his new girlfriend , although he won't allow me to call her that !

So , this Christmas will be a little pink and frilly . Of course , my boys will still be getting the farting key rings and the rubber band guns - why change the habits of a lifetime ?

I also found these delightful books for my pupils - Penguin classics - a beautiful gift for anyone , beautifully produced and a delight in any stocking.

I also just have to show you a few photos I took at possibly the loveliest shops in the UK - Foxtail Lilly. Last weekend they held a Christmas Brocante Fair - which sadly I missed but I was able to take a few snaps just as the light was fading and the sun was setting over the Northamptonshire hills. The shop is filled with heavenly selections of flowers, all beautifully packaged and delightful vintage items, cards and gifts. You really could do all your Christmas shopping there . Go take a peek if you have a minute ... in fact make a minute !

Some things will never change ...

... leaving my Christmas cards ( those that I still send - dwindling in number ) until the last possible posting date

.... never buying enough wrapping paper but not discovering this until Christmas Eve

... and being wooed  by the ridiculous array of silly 'party food' from the supermarkets such as mini hot dogs ... what's the matter with a proper hot dog for goodness sake ?

There's something about the allure of the ad campaign that I fall victim to in a moment of weakness,  the media hype about having the 'perfect Christmas and the seige mentality that must come from some neanderthal past gene of thinking that the shops will never be open again and what if we all starve ?

Sadly, there's something else that will never change and that is the tragic loss of life that arises from a senseless act of terrorism in the days leading up to Christmas that rocks us to our core and leaves us speechless with horror and disgust that any human could inflict such violence on another.

To see those children, who survived, pack their schoolbags on the following day, as an act of defiance against the evil perpetrators, is nothing short of heroic.

It puts the choosing of chipolatas into stark perspective and makes me feel idiotically stupid to even consider that Christmas is a chore when mothers across the other side of the world are burying their children.

So, this Christmas, I will be praying for an end to terrorism and counting my blessings that I have my children safe in my arms. That is really all that matters.

We're having a LAN party apparently

No , I'd never heard of it either but then that's because I'm an old fogey. There are 6 teenage boys downstairs wired up to about 4 computers/ game console thingys ( just proving my old fogey status there ) and assorted screens , headphones and I don't know what . It looks like NASA space control and they appear to be having fun , all the more surprising because they've hardly had an hours sleep . There are 3 ( empty ) KFC buckets in the bin and I've been supplying a seemingly endless conveyor belt of carbs since yesterday afternoon. The bacon buttes went down a storm this morning as did the mile high pile of triple chocolate chip cookies that just came out of the overn . I think there may be move to order in a pizza . Needles to say the fruit bowl has remained untouched.

Yes , it's end of term and I'm never happier than when youngest sons invites his mates round on the last day of school . It's good to know where they are and that they're in good company . Lomg may it continue .

Oh ... and LAN stands for Local Area Network apparently - something else to do with video games I guess. Still, it beats the sort of party that goes viral on Facebook and ends up with a wrecked house, a garden full of vomit and various attempts to smuggle in vodka in hip flasks. Thankfully youngest doesn't seem interested in those ..... yet.

Get Happy ...

... with Gossamer Blue's Christmas Collection. Loving the vibrant colours ... take a peek at the Hey Little Magpie blog to see my post for December . If you've no time to spare  ( and let's face it - who does at this time ) then you'll like these speedy projects .