An Instragram(ed) Chaplin Christmas

I've said it before and I'll say it again we love Christmas in the Chaplin household, and more than not ours can be quiet ones, with family being so far away when we lived in Australia, it's not always easy nor cheap to visit us over this special time of the year. Although in 12 Christmases there we didn't do bad, and had plenty of Christmas visitors.

Last year it was just the four of us, but this year we invited Mr C's family to join us and his parents took us up on the offer, so Grannie and Grandad and made the relatively short trip across the pond to spend Christmas and New Year with us.

On the back of a Thanksgiving visit by my mum, we had the Christmas tree picked bought and assembled before she left and the Grandparents arriving - a short 3 day gap between them.

Grannie and Grandad arrived and had a special present for Mr C, as requested by Mr C, Grannie had made him a Christmas Jumper (sweater) which everyone loved, we nearly put Grannie into production making more as so many people asked Mr C where he had got it from.

Mr C sporting his Christmas Jumper made by Grannie

We spent our days prior to Christmas, Christmas Shopping, doing Christmassy things, Christmas Craft, and Christmas baking whilst battling snow and freezing cold temperatures up to -18c with a wind chill factor making it feel -28c brrrrrr.

The CTA Holiday train was once again doing the rounds and in our area so we were able to ride the Holiday Train with Grandad.

It wasn't long before Christmas Eve was upon us and we left Mr C roasting a ham whilst we went to the family service at Church and it was such a great service.

After Church we had our friends round for our Christmas Eve Roast Ham and we enjoyed the meal, their company and Annas most delicious yummy dessert.

Then it was time to track Santa on Norad to see where he was, put the mince pie and glass of milk out for Santa and a carrot for the reindeers and time to do the present from Santa's Elves - Christmas pyjamas and a Christmas book of course.

Then with the girls in bed it was time to play Santa, we put up the Christmas stockings, handmade and personalized by me for the adults.

And not before long we had quite a pleasant wake up call from Tilly (not too early either) who loudly and excitedly announced Santa had been. In our pyjamas we all made it downstairs to open our stockings whilst sipping on a cup of tea.

 
Then we made the girls wait until after we were all dressed (well the adults) and had had breakfast before they could open the rest of pressies - what cruel parents we are, but they were wonderful and they entertained themselves with their stocking gifts so this kept them busy until it was present time.

The girls helped collect all the presents from under and around the tree and made handed them all out, then we devoured our piles of presents starting with the girls first.

And how we do Christmas is, the girls know they get presents from family and friends (this means we can write those thank you letters - which are in the post) but Santa brings their one main present (which we remember to wrap in Christmas paper different to any we have already used). This year Ruby asked Santa for a desk and Tilly asked for Playmobil and Santa delivered.

Once all the presents were open, Mr C got busy with Christmas Dinner, but not before the tickle monster arrived and tickled (I got Mr C this awesome Tickle Monster Laughter Kit gift as our girls love the Tickle Monster and are always wanting Mr C to play the tickle monster before bed it's a fab gift for any family) and the girls got busy playing with their presents.

We had a lovely traditional Christmas Lunch - Roast turkey and all the trimmings, followed by Christmas pudding.

the only non instagram

We spent the afternoon playing games - UNO and Creationary and Mr C and Grandad built Ruby's desk - it was such a lovely day.

Another Chaplin tradition is to watch one of our favorite Christmas movies, The National Lampoons Christmas Vacation and Mr C sported the very same Moose Mug Clark Griswold has in the movie - classic.

And after the movie it was time for the girls to go to bed so the adults could watch the Downton Christmas Special and indulge in a little Downton wine too.

And that was our family instragram(ed) Christmas,  and as the girls would say the best day ever.