Once again, our backyard supplied us with another branch to DIY into a Christmas tree. This year was a collaboration between Raven and her aunt. A kaleidoscope of acrylic neon colours that, illuminated by Jeff’s UV light, shone like a bright forensic evidence that it was officially Christmas.

They painted and danced to Katseye in the lounge room. El-El did most of the labour while Raven took long and frequent breaks to stroke Popit’s fur when she wasn’t zooming around on her scooter.

The tree actually turned out beautiful, as our trees always do. Each one of them perfect in their own quirky way; surrounded with love, presents, and a family truly grateful for the blessings in their midst — material or otherwise.

Our advent calendar this year was another success. I filled up her goody bags with Ohuhu glitter markers, Zebra mildliners, Sakura gelly rolls, a blind box, and what-not. Apart from the Dulux jelly beans that I got from a friend whose husband works at Bunnings, she liked all of them. I should’ve taken her word last year when she said no foodstuff, although she didn’t seem to have an issue with the Sanrio wafers I threw in there as well.

I have to admit it was getting harder to come up with ideas on what to gift her every day for 24 days so I told her this year might be the last time. She sounded a bit sad when she said she understood so maybe the pleaser in me could give it another whirl next year and see how we go.

And, yeah, Santa might not have given her the 6-metre air track she wrote on her wish list (along with other equipment to open a gymnasium), but Jeff and I did. She had been begging for it for months. Like, seriously. Once, she even cried over “being the only one out of her gymnastics friends who didn’t have an air track” and how the lack thereof was literally hampering the advancement of her tumbling skills.

Well, Christmas came and we caved.

So now we only have half a lounge room.

*Raven at 9 years old