Who's doing what this christmas?

We'll be at home as usual with my Mam. We go to my Mam's on boxing day. Lee has to work this year as he did last year Crappy job at Christmas and new year He's a head chef btw.

We usually go to my mum and Dad's. Dh and I have never had a Christmas just us as it's always been at my parents or me working.I love love love Christmas and DH hates it.He would like to spend all day watching tv and get a take away . He has said he wants no presents from anyone even Nathan! I am dreading it in some ways as I am not sure it will feel Christmassy particularly as DH has said no to Christmas dinner too. I am trying to persuade him that we will have no tv on but doubt that will happen either.

We will be spending christmas morning at home, the three of us. Then to my uncles for lunch with him and my gran. Afternoon we will head to mil's which i am really lookin forward to. Sil and family will also go, and think we're all going to stay over, so we can bath and put hay to bed as normal.
I love christmas!

we were hoping to stay home but we're not now as MIL has nvited all of DP family and we have decided to stay way from them as much as we can so we invited our selfs to my mum's which will be great as not spent any christmases with my family scince i met DP my dad will be there too as well as both my sister and my sister family and all 3 brothers i can't wait, we not had a christmas like this in over 10 years, there will be some missing like my nan and grandad (not that he'll be missed much)
i'll go to mum chrismas eve to help with the prep as we do all that the day before so there not much to do on the day it self,

but have a tradition that we open prezzie on christmas eve that are new PJ and slipper so we look nice for santa and we carried this on with ryan

i love christmas as i love give=ing prezzie and seeing all my family it so much better now we have childern again as it was getting a bit boring when it was just us.

our xmas is a bit different! we're going up to my parents' on the 22nd and then on the 26th, me and DH are going on a holiday without DD for 4 nights (nowhere abroad, just newcastle!!!)! it gives DD some time with her grandparents and aunty and we get some 'us' time for new year, we're going for 2 nights to DH's step parents.

We are staying here and not going to the uk like we normally do Its getting really difficult to travel for christmas as the boys don't break up from school until the 23rd Dec so flight would have been hideously expensive and for the first time in about 8 years DH is not working over christmas at all
(he normally has 2 shows on christmas eve and 2 on boxing day so only gets christmas day off all christmas) so we will spend christmas morning at home then go to my Mums for lunch (only a couple of miles away) then home to chill. Boxing day is a Uk only holiday so we don't have it here but I think as its a Sunday and everyone will be off work we may have a party here (open house if anyone fancies popping over )

Our family isnt quite so complex (my dad lives 100s of miles away so wont see him) its just my PILs and my mum to think about.

My mum only has her BF so i feel a bit sorry for them being on their own BUT we dont like going to PILs so much as there's a lot of family on that side and so MIL tends to put on a buffet rather than sit down meal... and we really love a sit down meal on christmas day.

Last year we invited both sets of parents to our house for a sit down, but MIL broke her leg a week before Christmas and was housebound so in the end it was just us and my mum and her bf. It was nice enough but not sure i want to repeat it this year and not sure i want the expense of a full 3 course + booze & trimmings given our recent circumstance changes.

We used to alternate pre scarlett... 1yr my mum, 1yr on our own, 1 yr his parents, 1yr on our own etc... We have been keen to involve everyone since Scarlett but i think this year we may have christmas day on our own. Visit everyone in the morning as usual and then have a sit down dinner at home...

Probably then invite PIL, mum, B&SIL etc over on boxing day or go to PILs depending on everyones plans.

Usually love Christmas as its the only holiday DH really takes but this year it fills me with stress, hopefully if i find a job we will be a bit more comfortable - saying that, i could well end up working over the holidays

I have done Christmas dinner for a few years and really enjoy it.

We get up and open presents at home and have breakfast. About 11am we go to my mum and dads with other family and exchange gifts (its a bit mad!). We will then come home and be on our own for a little while and then mum and dad come to us for dinner. Hopefully my brother and his girlfriend and his little girl will come over too and stay the night. DHs brother may come too as he is divorced but not sure what the plans are there.

Boxing day we go to my mum and dads for another roast in the afternoon.

We all really enjoy our Roast dinners so its great

Really looking forwrad to Christmas Eve too, Santa Express in the morning at 10am (East Lanc Railway) and then Frankie and Bennys for tea at 4pm. Home, children in bed and National Lampoons Christmas Vacation on the TV with a glass of

This will be my first Christmas since mum died Only my second ever Christmas without her.

We're staying at home and MIL and my Uncle will be coming to us.

Frances