SECRET SANTA OR BUST ....

We have done a Secret Santa at the day job. The spending limit was £10.00 and today I brought my contribution into the office. I had a Brand New Bear created at the Build-A-Bear Workshop in Centrale, Croydon, named after the lucky recipiant who just happens to be male and the sales manager. I chose a bear because he collects them and my bet was that he had never had one created just for him so, when his name fell to me in the name draw, I knew exactly what I would be getting for him. Hubby made an interesting comment though as I emerged triumphant with the new bear snug in his travel box. He said "I hope whoever got your name is just as thoughtful." This is a valid point. Last year, I was working in a different part of the company and we were encouraged to write a suggestion or two before the names went into the hat for picking. I wrote "Thorntons Chocolates or Smiths voucher" and I got a Smiths Voucher which was then put towards the price of the 2008 Poetry Writer's Handbook. This year, no such option was given so who knows what any of us will end up with? Do men take things like a Secret Santa seriously or is that strictly a female domain? I have been worried ever since that I will end up with totally inappropriate smellies, a vibrator or some Chocolate Body Paint - or something from the Pound Shop. I don't mean to sound ungrateful and I know it is the thought that counts. But I also know, from working with men that, by and large, their thoughts tend to be made up of Sex, Football, Booze and Facebook. It will be interesting to see what us girls end up with if our name happened to be picked by a fella, don't you think? Stay tuned for The Big Reveal which, I have been reliably informed, takes place this Friday.

Talking of Christmas presents, I am at a complete loss this year as to what to get for Hubby. He tells me he is having a similar problem getting stuff for me. It is not only because money is tight. It is also because we have been together for such a long time now that we don't really need anything. We have built up our home as much as the sweet little place will take it; the children have flown the roost and we have all the necessary apparel so what else is there? We did agree to only buy little things to unwrap on The Big Day so that we can put the rest of the money towards tickets to a show - but I know Hubby and a few little things will not be enough as he always wants to give me the world. I know he would like an iPod (although neither of us would know what to do with it, he just likes the concept of having all his favourite music at the touch of a button) and I, personally, would like to get him a basic Mobile Phone but he has flatly refused to get involved with them so it would be quite pointless to get him one. It goes without saying that he'd like to give me the opportunity to stay at home and write and I would like to give him the opportunity to go into semi-retirement, but neither are possible without some help from the lottery so where do we go from here?

I am hoping to get the chance next week to go out and get his stuff and I do have a few little ideas for stocking fillers and tree presents, but no ideas at all for his proper gifts. Any suggestions? I suppose with the world on the brink of economic collapse and everyone still reeling from the Baby P scandal and all the other horrid things going on in the world, that I should be very grateful for the fact that one of my main problems at this point in time is what to buy my husband for Christmas. I do know how privelaged I actually am, believe it or not and I, like everyone else with any heart really wishes only two things for 2009 - Peace and Enough Food To Go Round. And I would actually be quite willing to give everything up to make them possible - even the Secret Santa.

CHICKEN POX AND CHRISTMAS SHOPS

We had Youngest Step-daughter's two littluns over at the weekend. Eldest Grand-daughter was just getting over chicken pox and Youngest Grandson was just starting it. I was up all night with him on Saturday as he writhed and screamed - although he did manage to snatch two and a half hours sleep from around 2.30 a.m out of pure exhaustion. It is a long time since I held such a sick infant in my arms and I felt so sorry for him. He is only ten months old, he didn't understand what was happening and couldn't tell me how he was feeling so he did the only thing he could - cry. Youngest Step-daughter did offer to come and get him but I told her to hold off. She and Clever Son-in-Law recently split up and I knew she needed the break - particularly since she'd already seen Eldest Grand-daughter through it single-handedly. Chicken pox is just so nasty, isn't it? I didn't get it until I was about 12 which is quite late. But it seems horribly unfair for a ten-month old to get it and he really was so unwell.

Youngest Step-daughter arrived to collect the children around 10.30 Sunday morning and looked as if she'd been up crying all night. I felt very angry with Clever Son-in-Law - or Former Son-in-Law as he shall henceforth be known - for not being around to support her when she obviously needed it but of course as a parent - even a step-parent - I know not to get involved or to show my own feelings about the whole sorry mess. We did ask her if she'd like to stay for the night but she refused saying she wants to keep the routine as normal as possible for the two children and Eldest Grand-daughter had nursery the next day. Fortunately by the time she arrived, Youngest Grandson had perked up quite a bit. His temperature had returned to normal and he'd eaten some weetabix for his breakfast - which was more than he'd managed the previous day when the worst was only just beginning - and he beamed up at her, spots and all, as she walked through the door.

After they'd gone, Hubby and I had a whole hour to clear up before Youngest Sister arrived with her hubby and youngest son for lunch - soup and French Stick - prior to meeting Mother in Croydon for a spot of Christmas shopping. Hubby was working so he stayed behind as the rest of us braved the freezing winds and hit Poundland and the new 99p shop with great gusto to stock up on Christmas Cookies and other festive delights. By the time I got home just after 5pm he had left and at 7pm I fell into bed, the lost sleep of Saturday night finally catching up and hitting me full-force! I only woke up once and that was when Mother called me at 9pm to see how I was. I went straight back to sleep afterwards and stayed that way until the alarm roused me the following morning.

This weekend Hubby and I are determined to get the bulk of our present buying out of the way so we are both looking forward to that and the following weekend we are off to Worthing to see Vampires Rock. Less than two weeks after that is the Big Day itself then the New Year will arrive and we'll start all over again - and hopefully, 2009 will be a better year all round.

Catch you again soon.