A Matter of Choice

What a difference a week makes, this time last week seems like a lifetime ago. On Thursday the boys broke up from school and we had our usual pre-Christmas get together with our friends at our house.  This year the Dad's joined us (well, once they had got back from the pub) and everyone stayed for dinner and board games. Friday was the first day of the holidays,  I spent the morning with a bit of a fuzzy head from the previous nights Christmas spirits and recovered in time for our girls night out dinner.     Leo was excited not only about it being almost Christmas but his Taekwondo grading that evening for his yellow belt. Saturday was Christmas Eve! I love Christmas Eve - full of excitement and anticipation. The boys spent the  morning watching Christmas cartoons and some colouring., we all played a bit of 'Christmas Bingo'. Apart from a quick pop to the shops for last minute baking ingredients and one present to wrap we were all ready for ...

I've often heard of many people going for a Boxing day stroll, getting out the house for a bit, walking off the excess chocolates, and as a child I always enjoyed going out with my Dad to walk the dogs. As I got older and without the NEED to go out due to dogs I've always given it up in favour of the sofa. It turns out I'm really really not an 'outdoorsy' person and I'm in awe of the fab bloggers who join in with Coombe Mill's Country Kids link up week after week. I hang my head in shame that we are not out half as much and I'm often heard to say it's too cold / windy / might rain,  Boxing day morning looked a bit grim and very windy and I cursed the fact that we'd arranged to meet some friends for a walk but Leo was excited so we went ahead anyway.  Here is a good reason why I should always do that.... By the time we'd got to Protaras the sun had broken through and the wind had died down! The waves were quite live...

Whilst getting ready for our Boxing day walk in the sunshine I happened to mention to my Dad that a friend of mine had been asking a few days earlier if anyone was up for a Boxing Day swim.  Straight away he replied 'Why not, I'd do it' I was surprised (although I don't know why) but without thinking I smiled and 'ok, lets do it then'   Aaron thought we were mad and I'm sure many people would agree with him, (especially my friend Sam who is such a wimp she won't get in a pool by the end of September!)  but I figured if hundreds of mad people survive a swim in the Channel at this time of year then in 22 degree sunshine it shouldn't be too bad.  It was bloody cold though, as you can probably tell by how I'm holding my arms on the way in!  I did swim but not for long, Dad on the other hand was in quite a while.  We did have a few funny looks from people walking along the beach path, and we even got asked by some Russian tourists if they ...