My experience with the Christmas holidays and how to calm down the overwhelming excitment of the kids for presents, introducing a treat for the whole family!
Photo by http://www.londontown.com/It
I find that one of the major tasks of coping with the Christmas holidays and being a mum of two lively things, is to contain their excitement or to keep them excited. Christmas is such a big deal for them and so it should be! I still rememeber fresh in my memory archive those balmy and humid evenings in Brazil where mum and dad would lock themselves in the sitting room where we weren't allowed to, and would return half an hour later with a half smile. Even after finding out that Father Christmas was the drunken neighbour who would sweat the alcohol whilst shouting ho ho ho along the streets, Christmas crarried on its magic. I so, look enchanted to my kids and recognize the same sparkle in the eyes when we annouce it is the Christmas holidays! My challenge is to apread their excitement beyond the presents. We are not a religious family, so we don't really take part in the church celebrations. But Art for me has the importance of a God, so we hit the city of London to explore culure and the artistic scene of the capital. Last year we went to see The Nut Cracker at the National Ballet. Wow! Brilliant stuff and I still cry and I still want to be a ballerina every time I see it. This year we went ice-skating in the Tower of London. I was a little dubious as , for me, ice skating has to be in Somerset House.
Photo by http://www.londontown.com/It
It is like being inside one of those posh Christmas cards with happy children and rich parentswith well fed dogs. But we gave the Tower of London ice rink a try. Even though I was pleasently surprised, for me it lacked something. Maybe a Christmas tree? I am very glad we explored beyond the traditional Somerset House and next time I will try the National History museum one, another well known Christmas treat. I would like to create a family tradition of going ice-skating in London with the kids for as long as they think it is funny rather than ridiculous all the failure I am capable of in the ice rink.
Useful info: Tower of London Somerset House We stayed at the very comfy Novotel a stone throw from the ice rink. (Kids had the time of their life with the misty and magic glass in the bathroom. If you go there, you will see what I mean.I give it a 5 star rate, btw)