4 December 2011

Storytelling sunday-The story of the backwards christmas

It's funny isn't it as you grow older? Christmas sparkle is tinged slightly with more stress. Presents need to be bought, money to do so is not forth coming and finding the elusive gift for your Dad gets harder as the years go on.

I am totally and irrevocably in love with christmas. I am going to put that out there. My christmas music gets played on the first of December and I still have an advent calendar. But.. as the years have rolled on and the idea of santa moves further away, I am seeing christmas from a more grown up perspective...

That was until this year. This year when suddenly I was thrown back into a world of children, of uncontained christmas excitement. When suddenly Father Christmas was real and very much alive, when the putting up of a tree made the little ones squeal and when each little face every morning pressed his or her nose to the window in the hope of snow.

That my friends is christmas as it is meant to be. I always get excited at this time of year but this year it is different. I am full of expectation, of joy. I am loving seeing christmas again through a childs eyes. I am loving talking to each of them about their christmas traditions.

 I feel I have gone back in time. I am a grown woman living a childs christmas and that is the best thing ever. For when else do you get to cut out paper snowflakes, turn "let it snow" up on the speakers and dance around with a group of nine year olds.  

Yes, this is a backward christmas but one I am heartily enjoying.

I want to finish with a story about a little girl I know that really made me chuckle.

A small girl aged nine decided that this year she was going to prove that Father Christmas was real. She therefore set a cunning trap on christmas eve night. Sneaking downstairs she grabbed a bag of flour and brought it up to her bedroom whereupon she shook it gently over the floor. The effect was lovely- rather like fake snow. Smiling happily she turned off her light and fell asleep.
The small girl was incredibly excited next morning to find large footprints in the flour. Santa was real then!
Mum and Dad however were less happy that the small girl had not told them of her plans and now had a mass of flour to clean up on christmas day.
True story.

Finally huge huge thanks go to Sian. Storytelling Sunday has been such a joy to be part of . I have loved having an outlet to write, loved connecting with new people and have loved hearing many beautifully told tales. Thank you.

P.S I would love it would you would take a look at the post below and help me document our christmas traditions!

17 comments:

Mary B said...

Oh that is a great way to prove that Father Christmas is real. did you help mummy clear it all up afterwards?
sounds like you are going to have a magical Christmas this year too.

scrappyjacky said...

I always loved christmas time in the classroom when I taught small children....truly magical.
And the flour story is perfect.

Jo said...

That is such a cute story. I love Christmas too, I'm like a big kid from 1st December :)

Melissa said...

I love Christmas time, too, and as I get older I enjoy it more & more (but it's still difficult to find a gift for Daddy!). The flour was a great idea, but I can see that the mess might not have made mom & dad too happy. LOL

A very Merry Christmas to you.

Sian said...

I'm a complete Christmas fan too :) And I love the ingenious flour plan. Very cunning indeed. A lovely post with an absolutely beautiful photo Abi. Thank you so much for joining in this year and contributing some really lovely stories we have all enjoyed. Have a Merry Christmas!

Miriam said...

I love the flour! I did that once but to see where a mouse was getting in and out of my kitchen!!! So lovely to catch up with you. I hope you have a very special Christmas Abi.

Miss Smith said...

Oooh, this is lovely. Christmas is the best through the eyes of the kiddies isn't it? Hope you enjoy every moment of it :D

P.S. Collecting school anecdotes is the best isn't it?

Beverly said...

Being childlike at Christmas indeed makes it magical. What a very, very smart little girl! I'm thinking on the traditions post ;)

Irene said...

So lovely that you get to go backwards with the children. Their innocence and joy is what makes Christmas for me. We used to leave footprints outside in the snow for the children to see on Christmas morning.
Have a wonderful Christmas!

Jimjams said...

A cunning plan indeed!
Love your photo too.

Merry Christmas ♥

furrypig said...

wonderful story with a wonderful photo. I am a huuuge fan of Christmas too and really love celebrating the season have a happy Christmas xxx

Amy said...

My appreciation for Christmas has changed since having children - I love to see and hear how they view the whole month and learn about the meaning of Christams - it is wonderful!

Merry Christmas Abi :-)

Maria Ontiveros said...

What a great story and thanks for reminding us all of the simple joys of Christmas.
Rinda

Lynn said...

Christmas through a childs eye is always magical. Great story. Have a very Happy Christmas Abbi

Lizzie said...

Yes, Abi, children make a huge difference at Christmas! It's lovely that you are getting the chance to experience it now, while you can really enjoy it (without the stress of the children being your own and exhausting you in the run-up to the Big Day!). I hope you enjoy your School Christmas and have a lovely time joining in with the magic. It will be so lovely if you can take some of that home with you at the end of term.

I love the story of the Little Girl you know... could that be a little girl named, Abi, I wonder? Did they give you a dustpan and the hoover? Glad the plan worked anyway!

Susanne said...

What a clever little girl - I suspect she likes writing stories too. Merry Christmas.

Fiona@Staring at the Sea said...

Lovely story of a very ingenious little girl. Glad you're enjoying seeing Christmas in a magical way again this year. Wishing you a very merry one. Fiona x