I can’t quite believe that Christmas is so close. The fact I’ve been preparing for it the last two months is by the by. It’s almost here!! And it’s too soon. I’d like to cut and paste another week into my calendar before Sunday is upon us. Because, unlike my two-and-a-half-year old, I’ve finally realised that Christmas is all about the build up. The anticipation. It’s about the trip to buy the tree and trying to strap it to the car roof; the fumbling in the cupboard on a precariously balanced stepladder searching out the decorations; the excitement of a misty morning train journey up to London for Christmas shopping before the hustle and bustle reality kicks in; 
the squeezing in of a completely unplanned lunch with friends; the standing for HOURS in the toy shop while every available toy is carefully examined and every button pressed; the dubious Christmas films far far down the Freeview Channel list; the fierce new angel for the tree and other nursery school decs; the numerous gold chocolate coins; the VERY bad Santa costume on the Christmas Lights Up night ‘Mummy, that’s not Santa, it’s a lady!’; the cosy nights in and the cold bundled-up nights out; the winter wonderland walks and the sweet, sickly mulled wine; it’s the wrapping, the shiny new Sellotape dispenser and the blasting Christmas music. It’s everything everyday that can be crammed under the heading Christmas and we’ve got two more days left to cram in as much as we can! Ready? Get set, go!
JENNY OLIVER 