I have never been much of a forward planner. I never want to book up tickets to see or do things in case I just don’t feel like it on the day. Maybe I will be doing something else, something better. But, you know what, I never am.
And I don’t get stuff in – I’m always the one looking at the last gruesome choices of pumpkin, the last sad Easter Eggs, the last mouldy box of mince pies in the shop and I think “how did everyone else know?”
Auspicious dates arrive and I often find I am taken completely surprise by it. Oh my God, it’s November 30th and we don’t have an advent calendar!
Anyway up until now it hasn’t especially mattered – only to me – but this year I’ve something to really celebrate and that is, this year both my children will basically “get” Christmas and, even better, Kitty is old enough to be able to go and see a Christmas film in the cinema or a little show at the theatre!!!!
So I am now forward planning like crazy. I’ve booked us into see The Snowman at the Peacock Theatre and to see The Giraffe, The Pelly and Me at the Little Angels Puppet Theatre. I was reassured that my early panic was necessary when I looked at how many seats at performances of these shows had already been snapped up. I’m still wondering whether to get us tickets to the Hackney Empire’s Jack and the Beanstalk.
The fear for me has always been, what if we really don’t feel like going on the day? Or someone is ill, or there is definitely something better happening. In which case, you shrug and say “too bad”. Because the likelihood is that you will be able to go and it will be fun.
And advent calendars? I will be buying the biggest, multi-tiered Victorian-inspired one I can find as soon as it goes on sale in Selfridges. And a couple of chocolate ones, too – just in case.
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