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The Small(er) One has now lost her two front baby teeth in the space of three days, gleefully placing her hard-earned Tooth Fairy cash into her piggy bank and flashing an alarmingly gappy smile at all and sundry while forcing them to take a close look at her red-raw newly-exposed gum. It's funny how such a basic thing has the power to make otherwise hearty adults go quite green around the gills.

The kids have been off school since Thursday so my usual swathes of free time have been reduced to practically zilch, sigh. I do think it's incredibly selfish of the authorities to allow children time off for holidays - the poor dears need all the education days they can get, not the opportunity to molder at home whining for a Wii/ a hot pink iPod/ more Littlest Pet Shop plastic tat while their mothers go insane.

Anyway, we're off to France tomorrow. Thankfully not on good ol' British Airways with their kind, thoughtful staff who are working so hard to ensure everyone has a fabulous festive season. As if life isn't tricky enough without a load of militant blue-eyeshadow daubed trolley-dollies getting even more uppity than they already are. Frankly, it's bad enough they now have the power to merely point a Sally Hansen stick-on fingernail at any passenger they take a dislike to (i.e. anyone not acting in a subservient enough fashion and/ or having the nerve to ask for an extra cup of tea) to ensure a humiliating arrest and full-body search upon arrival. Oh well, I guess we all need a hobby.

I digress. We're off to France tomorrow for the Yuletide celebrations so although I  sadly won't be spending the rest of the week in a disgraceful drunken stupor, as per every other year (due to the Invasion of the Peanut, for anyone out there who's not a regular reader). The hordes descending upon Chateau Belle Mere for the Merry Season may mean I won't be able to get on the communal laptop without throwing a tantrum/ throwing some punches and there have also been rumours of power cuts due to an excess of snow - although Alpha is insisting on bringing his golf clubs so possibly he is privy to some kind of secret meteorological information and we're in for an overnight thaw - so you may or may not hear from me over the next week. If not, then I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a raucous New Year. Have fun!



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