Another festive weekend

Friday 

Poor Henry had been so poorly all week we thought we might have to cancel all of our plans this week but luckily he perked up at the last minute and we made it out of the house finally! Hurrah!

We'd booked to go to Crook Hall for the Christmas light switch on and to see Santa Claus and it was really lovely, the perfect thing to get us feeling festive. Henry was really shy to begin with and wouldn't even look at the elves but by the end he was decorating the tree with them and helping one to make reindeer food. Santa's grotto was perfect and we finished our afternoon off with mince pies and mulled wine. Delicious. 

Saturday

We left Henry with my mum this afternoon and headed into Newcastle to do some Christmas shopping. We had a lovely lazy lunch in Zizzi, shopped until we dropped and finally stopped for coffee and cake in the new Fenwick's food hall. A really lovely and very productive afternoon! 

Sunday 

To say Henry has been difficult today would be an understatement. It's been a hard parenting type of day, he's been a very typical two year old and beyond grumpy! 

We went to Seven Stories event this morning based around the book 'Maisy's Christmas Tree'. When we got there Henry was so naughty - he was the type of child I usually look at and thank god that he's not mine haha. Well today that naughty child was mine so after about 5 minutes of watching the other children participating and enjoying the story while Henry stropped in front of me, I took him outside. After some firm words about making mummy sad and a threat that we'd leave if his behaviour didn't improve, he was a totally different child. The 'elf' running the session was amazing, she clearly sensed my mummy stress and gave Henry a job to do and he was fine from then on in. Santa arrived and gave all the children a copy of the book we'd been reading and then we headed off to do some Christmas art in the basement. Of course Henry didn't want to do anything I wanted him to and just wanted to glue his hands together, it was just the mood he was in today!! We had a cake and juice in the cafe afterwards and again, Henry wanted my cake and not his. Sigh. All in all not the most relaxing morning out but it could have been worse!!

We came home for a nap (which he fought for a good hour first, crying and moaning) and then got up for lunch. We then headed out for a bit of food shopping and went for some hot chocolate to cheer ourselves up!! We called in to Marmar's quickly and then came home to make dinner. Henry and I made another Christmas cake and then I did my usual Sunday run around, getting all of my jobs done whilst listening to Henry fighting his sleep for his daddy. Joy. He's now still wide awake at past 9pm and I am ironing. Not the end to a lovely festive weekend that I would have liked, but real life!!