Goodbye, Good Riddance, 2018

We don't do Christmas ~ & haven't for several years now.  There are lots of reasons for this.  Everything from it's the wrong date, it's not biblically mandated to the commercialism & increased family violence & loneliness @ this time of the year.

When it was just us it didn't matter what or how or if we celebrated.  However we now have extended family & both sets come from families who are big on celebrating.  Last year we went to T1's.  On the regular ferry.  In the heat.  With all the ingredients for our traditional pancakes.  With presents. *sigh*  It was a bit of an extravaganza.  Exhausting.  Uncomfortable. Lovely to spend time with the family but enjoyable?  

This year the twins decided they were coming to us.  The Musical child, as always, was working. Chile Girl is in Chile. I did a Koorong run before the MOTH finished school but I spent most of the week beforehand babysitting as T1 moved house: with a 2yr old; with a brand new baby.  It was chaotic.

And I scratched my head...

I'm not comfortable with what this holiday has become but the man insists we have to accommodate because of the children. *sigh* 

So I hung the stockings on our fireplace & put out the nativity but I didn't do a tree.  I didn't do tinsel & baubles & we didn't go overboard on anything.  After breakfast pancakes we don't need a big main meal so we put out pickings: nuts, cheeses, fruit, crackers.  Everyone arrived together on the high tide in the boys big crabbing boat ~ & left before the tide dropped.  I took the Little Man to collect the eggs & let the chickens out.  Later we fed them some corn but my chickens are leery of strangers.  I don't know who was more frightened of who.

 Round about 4pm the chooks scramble up onto our deck & march to the door clucking & bocking & generally making a racket because between 4 & 5 is when I start feeding everything & every animal in the place knows it!

This is Nugget, the Musical Child's chicken.

And the boys took Dilly 2 & the Little Man & checked some crab pots while Our Little Lady & Dilly 1 enjoyed the peace & quite here.  It was calm.  It was quiet.  We have survived.

Just the same I am glad to be leaving this year behind.  It has been rough, much rougher than anticipated.  Roll on 2019.  May she be a much calmer year!