Boxing Day

Boxing Day to most is the day after Xmas and when you pop down the shops to grab a bargain or two.  Nevertheless Boxing Day to Peter Jones and many of his followers is: A once months treat of getting up with absolutely no plans whatsoever and seeing how the day unfolds.  (By Peter Jones “How to do everything and be happy)

There are only three rules to live by and they seemed simple enough

1.      No Pre-planning

2.      Book Boxing Day in advance

3.      You can move Boxing Day but you can’t cancel it.

Having taken on board these simple rules and the wise words that Peter’s book gives, I set about preparing for my no pre-planning Boxing Day.

Working 5 days a week, a mother of 3 and the very fortunate wife of one, I figured that my husband and I deserved a Boxing Day.  I prepared the Children that this day was heading our way (Mind you my kids are 17, 13 & 10 so not babies by any stretch of the imagination – and well and truly able to entertain themselves should the need arrive.)

Rule One: There would be no Mum/Dad taxis,

Rule two: No one could stay over on the Saturday night and;

Rule Three: For just one day the kids would have to fit around what we wanted.

What could go wrong??

Well before Sunday even began my middle child’s friend turned up Saturday daytime (for what we thought was just a visit only to be told that he was staying the night as well) Excuse me, but that’s breaking my rule two!!!! So that needed sorting (Thank god for husband).

Sunday morning arrived and the lay in, breakfast in bed and the sitting up in bed listen to classical music and reading our respective books was a great start.  However, on lowering myself into my large bubble bath with flicking candles to set the mood, a tap on the bathroom door was not what I was expecting – “Enter the husband,” only to be told that his brother and two kids where now standing in our kitchen, having decided they would visit on the off chance.  (We can go without seeing the brother-in-law for months on end – it’s even been known not to see him for up to 6 months, even though they only live 20 miles away from us – who invoked Sods law?).  How is it they choose today to come and visit, and because of the infrequent visit’s I didn’t feel that I could turn them away.  So that’s where our Boxing Day ended.  It was lovely to see them all and we all had a lovely day, catching up and the kids playing on the wii, they left around 8ish, a full day.

Notes to self:

Plan next month’s Boxing Day better

Have the day just myself

Get someone into babysit the kids and husband and I go away (but then doesn’t that defeat the object of Boxing Day?)

Here’s to next month’s Boxing Day.