I love everything about Christmas, don’t you? With faith, family, food, fairy lights and favourite refrains all a part of this perfectly timed summer holiday package – it’s the most wonderful time of the year! 

Every girl loves to shop, so here’s the perfect excuse ladies.

It’s so good to see the streets busy, to hear the carols crowding the playlists and to enjoy a lovely splash of sparkle everywhere round about.

The girls and I are listening to Christmas carols in the house and the car, revelling in our gorgeously decorated tree, preparing presents for others, planning gatherings and generally celebrating the gift of life. 

My big girls have finished college for the year and should be making themselves useful in the kitchen any moment now.

Their only other responsibility is to practise their lines for the Christmas Eve play at church. 

Tiani finishes primary school Thursday and we need to fit in a trip to her dentist in Melbourne before getting serious about pulling off a massive feast on the big day. 

I do still have the fairly substantial task of wrapping the girls presents to attend to, but with my husband out on the header until midnight every evening, that should help me while away the hours. 

Each of my daughters was kind enough to provide me with a Christmas List this year, and they are all keepers.

Katianna included a detailed inventory of 11 items written in grey lead pencil on the page of a notepad but concluded with, “Don’t feel any pressure to get this stuff, I’m not fussed.”

Yasinta produced her directory utilising her iPad, including a picture of each item, the store at which it could be sourced and the expected purchase price. 

As I found this a little overwhelming, she simplified it to a lovely gold font on prettily designed paper which itemised the desired objects. 

Tiani needed an A4 page to catalogue her dreams, and she has left me wondering only one thing: will I wrap her live baby duckling and chinchilla together, or separately?