Lonely christmas. How can i make it special?

Aw Pans, my friend moved to NZ earlier this year and I have a feeling she's going to be feeling like you are this year, we're all under strict instructions to plug in our webcams that she bought us all ?

I'd stay home, I can't think of anything worse than camping on christmas eve/day.

Do you have any friends in Oz that you can invite over to increase numbers?

H and I have often spent Christmas by ourselves - it's only in the last couple of years that we've been visiting family.

We tended to buy lots of our favourite foods and cook a big turkey dinner and end up eating it for the next 4 days, and also start off with champagne for breakfast and lots of alcohol throughout the day. I suppose that's not really an option for you at the moment, though, is it? I know I wouldn't fancy a big roast dinner in the middle of a Australian summer... Drinking your own volume in white wine is also probably not advisable.

The first time was about 2 weeks after we moved house, and we didn't have any furniture! We had Christmas dinner sitting on the floor, and then lounged about on a duvet watching TV!

We usually end up playing some sort of game in the day - either on the playstation or a board game. One or both of us has usually recieved a film or box set of a TV series as a gift, so those usually go on the TV at some point.

Why can't pans have a drink? Have I missed a bit announcement?

All our friends are either with their own families or have gone back to england for christmas. It feel very weird.

yes rach, drinking my own body weight isnt an option boo hoo. We cant lounge around watching dvds etc because Noah wont allow it. He is very active and there is no chilling out.

Maybe we could do a picnic on the beach (with the other **** expats) as you are right, i dont fancy a big turkey if its hot.

I think i might have to write christmas off this year. I can buy some DVDs for kids though to keep noah entertained so that we can at least have an hour to relax.

i jsut feel like we should do something totally different, hence why i thought of camping. (which we love by the way)

You can fly to Perf and spend it with me. That would be special.

Yes sunset, i am up the duff again. So another dry christmas for me. Im only 10 weeks so its early days but this time i annoucened it early for some reason, i waited until 3 months last time

Congratulations, i'll have a little drinky on your behalf. Has Noah seen Polar Express? That's guaranteed to keep him quiet for a good couple of hours. I love dvd's ?

Could you have a vodka and diet coke. a baileys. and a white wine. Not in that particular order.

Isnt polar express a bit scary for an 18 month old?

oo, yes definitely, i'm out sunday night, i'll have all three! I thought that (the bit with the tramp on the roof) but MissSun and my nephew love it, they're both into trains, she's 2.5 and he's just 2 but they've been watching it for a good while now.

Having spent 10 years in Sydney, in my experience you can either try and go all out for a northern hemisphere type christmas, doing all the things you would normally do, or "embrace the difference" and go more local, so camping as you have suggested, or go to a local beach. I think you are in Sydney aren't you - do they still do carols at Balmoral? That was always a fun evening, and v child friendly. So even if you do a picnic in your local park for your Christmas meal, you could take a little christmas tree out with you, have cold turkey salad maybe rather than a full roast, christmas pudding ice cream... you get the picture. It may not feel like a "proper" Christmas, but you will have made it your own!

Have a seafood barbie then go to the beach. Bliss! Or if you're avoiding seafood as you're pregnant -

Make an icecream plum pudding or roast a turkey or chook the day before - that's what all my rellies do. Arnotts puddings in tins are not as bad as they sounds either as another option. That way you have the roast cold with salads the next day rather than spending Christmas day in a hot kitchen.

Another thought - not sure if you're religious but some churches to carol services for children on/around Christmas Eve which might be nice. There are also probably outdoor carol services about the place too which can be nice and get you feeling Christmassy.

Christmas day on the beach could be fun, but it could be rather busy... Isn't having a BBQ on the beach the traditional Australian Christmas dinner, though? Or have I spent my youth watching too many Australian soap operas?

I suppose at 18 months, Noah is a bit small to know what's really going on, but he might get quite excited about his presents - that could be fun for half an hour or so. Before the tantrum starts as he doesn't know what to play with next, at least. Will you be able to take him outside for a bit of a run around and hopefully tire him out before parking him in front of the TV?

If you really enjoy camping, though, then do that. There's no reason not to just because some people on an internet forum thought it wasn't something they fancied...

My Cousins spent Christmas & NY in OZ last year, they hired a camper van & went to blue mountains.

Definitely put a ban on all unecessary chores and mundane housey stuff. With forfeits if you really think you will be tempted... ?

The year I was in Australia, I spent christmas day on Bondi Beach with a few million other backpackers...

We had pink fizzy wine, tiger prawns and er not much else..

I got sunburnt, wasted and jostled and not in that order...

Ooops how rude of me - CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Awwww pans, how lovely, congratulations on your news (although bloody bad luck on the drinking front ?).... which also rules out all of my suggestions for what to do. ? Seriously though, I think you should stop expecting to be lonely and put your energy into thinking of this year's situation as a really Good Thing. you will have no other family to worry about, nobody to please but yourselves. Right brace yourslef because this is going to be soppy....Whatever you do it will be really really special because never again will you have a year like this, where it's just you, mr pans and the baybeh. Next year you'll be a family of 4, and while that will also be wonderful, it will be different. Just enjoy being the 3 of you this year and treasure every moment of the day- that absolutely means *** the fcuking housework. Eat, chill out, play games, have fun. ? ?

They don't call you Lovely Lou for no reason ? (hope you're feeling better after your 'burger'!)

Sound advice there Pans, and having some friends who were in the same situation (family of 3, soon to become 4), life really did change for them - big time.

Enjoy knowing you don't have to worry about anyone else for a change .. sounds like bliss!

Oh, nearly forgot! Huge CONGRATULATIONS!! ??

Hi All

Sorry i didnt reply, snot face woke up and had to settle him then H came home then didnt get chance to get back on until now.

You are totally right Lou, it will be jsut the 3 of us (although after Noahs behaviour today, I might get a nanny for the day and make it just me and H ?) and thats never going to be repeated so whatever we do it will be really special. I'm going to buy lots and lots of yummy food (extra for me as the baybeh needs it) and i'll buy myself some nice presents to make sure i get something i want ?

*** the fcuking housework. I'm going to get the cleaners in next week to blitzs the joint so we have nothing to do at christmas.

thanks all, jsut htink i needed a good talking to !!!