The joy of Christmas presents

I'm known as the member of my family who is a bit of a big kid when it comes to Christmas. Mind you I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I'd say it's fair to describe me as childlike in that I haven't let go of some of the more pleasant attributes of my younger self ( very different from childish). I like the lights and decorations and how excited kids get about the whole thing and the whole family getting together for the day. 

 I remember a good few years ago not being granted the annual leave I'd applied for over Christmas bso I could get a good few days off together and being very upset. Then I went on to work in social care and this will the third year since I started in this line of work that I'll be working Christmas day and I do laugh at my younger self who didn't know how good she had it.

 I'll be trying my best to make the most of Christmas on the days I am off. Watching Christmas movies, listening to Christmas songs and reading anyone who will sit still long enough my favorite Christmas story, The night before Christmas.

 My favorite part of Christmas isn't the presents I'll be getting but buying ones for other people. In my family, in recent years, we've cut back on buying presents with the introduction of a sort of Kriskindle. Everyone knows who's buying for them and we
 Often exchange lists to point said person in the right direction and there is a budget that we sort of stick to. My mum swears this is definitely the last year she will be ignoring that directive and buying presents for everyone while commenting that Kris Kindle isn't actually any cheaper but that remains to be seen.

 The trouble is that while this is great from a budget point of view, when you really like shopping for other people it's a very short shopping trip with only one person on your list. I tend to start inventing people to shop for. My brother has a December birthday so he usually gets that gift at Christmas, I get something for my other sister ( but I do in secret as I'm not supposed to). I normally buy my parents something small and obviously when I'm dating someone they get a gift or two. 

 I often run out of people to buy for before I'm ready to be done Christmas shopping which I appreciate is a real first world problem. The other thing I find hard about Christmas presents is not telling someone about the thing I bought for them. I try my best to be thoughtful with Christmas presents and occasionally when I feel I've done well I struggle to not at least drop a hint about what I might have bought someone. 

 To break up the bleakness that is night duty, I've planned a day trip to Cork this week with my sister. A potentially dangerous outting as it will fall between night duties and tired Laura has no impulse control plus will have just been paid. To top that my Christmas shopping is mostly done so I'll trying not to over do it by buying lots more stuff for my very short list and instead maybe buying a present for me. I'll have to work this Christmas day so I'm pretty sure I deserve it 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The darker side of romance

Image
  For some reason I felt compelled to write about a corner of my past that hasn't been part of my blog before. a heads up to anyone who might be upset by this topic I will be delving into emotional abuse so feel free to stop reading now if you don't feel able to carry on. When I was in my late 20's I met a guy on a night out. He was a few years younger than me and honestly looking back threw up a couple of red flags early but I didn't trust my own intuition plus I was only a few months away from finishing college and planned to move to Edinburgh in a few months so it wasn't like it was going to be anything more than a brief fling. However as time went on I became more infatuated with him, there was an intensity there and he seemed sweet but damaged. Like a perfect modern fairytale I thought I would be the one to fix him. somehow plans changed and he was going to follow me over to Edinburgh, get a job there and we were going to live happily ever after. at this point
Read more

Help, I think I'm autistic

Image
 So I, at the age of 41, have come to the realization that I am autistic.  Growing up I always had a feeling something about me was a little bit off. I never quite fit in and I wasn't sure why. It was like everyone had been given a book of rules of how to exist in society but no one had thought to hand me a copy. Looking back with hindsight the signs were there. I was a super sensitive kid, a sensitivity I have not lost in adulthood, I cried very easily and felt every emotion very deeply. I was a picky eater and very particular about the textures of different food. I was very sensitive to light and noise and the feel of different fabrics. I was never a hugger. all of these things are as true about me now as they were when I was younger. I am socially awkward, I don't make friends that easily and will joke I am an acquired taste. Eye contact is something I have to actively work on and small talk feels like torture.  I thrive on alone time, I am incredibly sensitive to the moods
Read more

Sometimes I open my mouth and my mother comes out ..

Image
I have been told on more than one occasion that I'm sarcastic. Often that I'm too sarcastic (as though there could be such a thing) and I have retort up my sleeve for such occasions which is if you think I'm sarcastic you should meet my mother. No, really you should because my sarcasm is but a pale imitation of hers. Every so often though I come out without something that makes my friends or other family members pause because sometimes when I open my mouth, my mother comes out.  It's funny how people always take the words you are turning into your mother as such an insult because the reality of the matter is it's a both a good and bad thing. Obviously there are certain qualities I am perfectly happy to emulate and others not so much and on the whole I am not entirely sure how much control I have over it. It's not quite a pick and mix counter here. I think there are some habits you are not even aware you have picked up until someone else kindly points it out.
Read more