Not since 1934 had Wellington had one as hot and we spent Christmas dressed minimally, seeking shade and deciding a late avo dinner should be taken indoors, where it was a lot cooler!
We enjoyed a relaxed morning of present opening (the children were good and resisted opening anything under the tree until 9am – making do with their carefully packed stockings). Alice was delighted that Santa had been and the reindeer had eaten all the food she’d helped to put out.
The older girls were keen to get straight into their new games, but we were feeling the heat and managed to persuade the troops to get out the door and down to Lyall Bay beach. I couldn’t resist a mid-morning dip, along with Sophie – who caught a few waves on her boogie board. Charlotte was happy to fly a kite, in the hope of letting it fly all the way out to the stratosphere (string wasn’t quite long enough).
The sun was intense (as it is in New Zealand) and so we didn’t linger too long, but got home for Alice to take a nap (and Mama too), whilst Dada played ‘Electronic Monopoly’ for hours with Charlotte and Sophie (a real crowd pleaser of a game – so much so that Charlotte wrote Sophie a beautiful thank you note the next day).
In the afternoon, we dined in our next to nothings – even Mama Christmas couldn’t face eating in anything more than her bikini!
We didn’t stay seated for long (for fear of sticking to our seats!). The older children then got on Dada’s case to put up the tent Santa had brought them for Christmas…. so in the sweltering heat (hottest in eighties years in Wellington on Christmas Day), he grappled with the tent… the things we do for our children! And, after all his effort, did they sleep in it? No, of course they didn’t! But at least Grandma & Granddad’s accommodation is sorted for when they arrive on 5th January 2013 😉 x
The best part of the day was the evening, when the stickiness of the day… continued to be very sticky – but there was at least the sense of coolness with the sun setting; and the thought of family and friends in the UK waking to start their Christmas Day celebrations.
In my mind, as I finally got to sleep, well past midnight, I thought of seven years ago, when my second child gave me the signs that she was going to make her way into the world… thankfully waiting till long after I’d eaten my Christmas Dinner! She timed her arrival for breakfast time on Boxing Day – still Christmas Day in the UK (which thoroughly confused Great Grandma when we phoned to announce our little one’s arrival!).
It was a very wonderful, relaxed Christmas Day, definitely one not to be forgotten. Our minds were very much with family and friends, both here and overseas – especially those celebrating Christmas in difficult circumstances.
We hope the New Year brings peace and happiness, with love from us here in Wellington, New Zealand – Sarah, Dan, Charlotte, Sophie & Alice xxxxx
