It's That Time Of Year

When the sunrises are so spectacular that you run and get the camera, even though it's a school morning and you're in a rush and there really isn't time.

When the sun hits the mini glitter balls on the Christmas tree and sends tiny sparkles of light dancing all over the ceiling and walls.

When the mantle piece gets Christmasified (yep, I'm pretty sure that's a word).

When the Christmas edition of the Radio Times goes on sale and the highlighters come out. When you buy pink poinsettias in Aldi for £1.50 and wonder why you've never noticed them before and vow to buy them every year from now on, so pretty are they.

When the sewing machine is smokin'.

When you discover the wonder that is a hemostat, and realise that yes, it actually makes a thirty minute job of turning the arm of a doll the right way out take thirty seconds. Seriously, it's the best £5.91 I've spent in months, just brilliant. 

When you find yourself making ten crochet flower hair grips for ten little girls because, you know, you've got nothing else to do really.*

When you waste time messing about with alphabet beads.

When a production line of party bags appears on the kitchen window sill.

When birthday cakes are baked and iced (buttercream and smarties - my speciality).

When candles are lit and blown out and a little girl is almost seven.

When it all gets a bit crazy and stressy, but you go along with it, because it's fun and it's that time of year. Then, after the birthday party, if you're me, you can go out for the evening with some other mums from school who you don't know that well but it turns out they're really nice, and drink much too much, and sing Material Girl very badly on a karaoke machine, then stumble home at 1 am. That too.

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*Flower pattern from here.