Advent

Audrey has what we suspect is an ear infection, poor thing. We are heading off to the doctor today and suspending our usual busy schedule of music and ballet classes, meeting up with friends, going out on adventures. Instead we're snuggling up on the sofa watching Christmas films and reading stories together, which is actually rather blissful.

We've been getting set up for Christmas. We've put up our tree and strung Audrey's advent calendar up the stair banister - she has a little stocking for each day of advent, with a small gift inside each one; Granddad Steve organises this every year and it really is a highlight of the entire winter for us. Audrey wakes up each morning and the first thing she asks is if it's time to open her advent calendar!

Today, as well as going to the doctor, we have plans to finish wrapping and boxing up our presents to send to family and friends who we won't see over Christmas. We are staying here at home this year, having a restful time (or as much as possible!). We've had one Christmas before where we stayed at home, but we all got very sick that year with a tummy bug that had me in the hospital a few days before Christmas. So awful! I'm really hoping that we don't have a repeat of that this time around. It really was the worst, we couldn't eat anything or see anyone, and our house was a state and we barely had the energy to do anything at all.

I hope that your plans for Christmas are lovely, and that you're having a relaxing advent so far. Keep your fingers crossed for snow!