• Drifting in and out of sleep as I listened to the children playing on the landing outside our bedroom. We held our first ever Christmas party on Friday and some friends had spent the night with their two little ones.
• Feeling a little hungover. OK, a lot. We’d served pitchers of my favourite Christmas cocktail, Poinsettia, as well as mulled wine and beer. I drank more than my fair share!
• Lingering beneath the bed covers for as long as possible.
• Heading downstairs for a medicinal mug of tea.
• Chatting in the kitchen with our friends while the kids watched cartoons on Netflix.
• Making bacon and eggs for brunch.
• Waving our guests off at the door.
• Slowly putting the house back together.
• Slipping into the shower.
• Changing into clean pyjamas.
• Serving leftover party food for lunch.
• Collapsing on to the sofa in an exhausted heap.
• Dozing quietly amidst the warm glow of candles and fairy lights.
• Enjoying the cosiness of our house on a cold winter’s day.
• Somehow finding the energy to cook dinner.
• Pouring myself a glass of Prosecco.
• Putting two very tired children to bed.
• Settling down to watch Gone Girl. Fabulous film, we’ve hardly stopped talking about it since. I must read the book.
• Retreating upstairs to bed.
• Sleeping in. Mr. LA and the children must have been creeping about the house like mice as I didn’t surface until after 10am. Such a treat.
• Tucking into a bacon sandwich for breakfast.
• Pulling on a frock and hurriedly applying my makeup.
• Seeing Izzy off as she headed to her drama class with Mr. LA.
• Strolling to the supermarket with Jesse.
• Talking about shapes all the way there. 2D, 3D, cylinders, hexagons and triangular prisms. His mind is obviously buzzing with everything they teach him at school.
• Picking up a pizza for lunch.
• Pottering in the kitchen.
• Filling the house with the scent of cinnamon and nutmeg as I made roast squash and sweet potato soup for us to enjoy on Christmas Eve.
• Catching up on laundry.
• Wrapping presents.
• Sipping ginger ale and nibbling mince pies.
• Listening to Jesse as played at being a doctor to all his cuddly toys.
• Ordering a few last minute presents.
• Serving up Quick Bean and Lettuce Stew just as the wanderers returned.
• Coaxing the children into the bath.
• Reading Jesse a bedtime story.
• Tapping away on my laptop while Izzy lounges on the sofa nearby, engrossed in her book.
• Thinking ahead to the busy week I’ve got to get through before I can finally switch off for the holidays.

Love Audrey xxx