Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Calum, Me, Lola and Joe on Christmas Day

Lots of Christmas presents!

So how was it for you?

In the Hale household Christmas came and went - and so did a huge amount of food and drink.

Christmas isn't so much a time of cheer as a time of 'chew' or 'chomp'.

Like many families, we've over-indulged with one too many mince pies - and the rest.

Still, we've haven't been as bad as in previous years so I suppose I should be grateful. It will make the New Year dieting slightly less painful - or not.

I'm going to find it very difficult to giving up munching chocolate at all hours or having that early afternoon glass of wine. 'It's not too early is it darling?' is the phrase that Joe had got very used to this holiday.

However, there has been plenty of Christmas cheer in our house simply because we've all been together as a family - and that's been a real treat.

We've had time to chat, time to laugh, time to catch up with each other - and to watch wall to wall dvds.

We watched Mel Brooks' 'The Producers' last night, a comedy classic which hasn't lost any of its magic. The children chuckled as much as we did. Brilliant fun.

And, although the children have long stopped believing in Santa, they still love getting Christmas presents and this year, credit crunch or no credit crunch, they got loads.

It was great to see their faces as they opened their presents - the look of delight at getting something they really wanted but hadn't expected.

Being at home for Christmas with just the four of us meant we could do exactly what we wanted - have a lie in, lounge around in our pyjamas and eat a late lunch, cooked under the influence of one of those early glasses of wine.

It tasted fantastic.

It's now New Year's Eve and it will soon be time to dress up for dinner. I can smell the boeuf bourgignon cooking nicely in the oven. It will be followed by maple and pecan pudding and rounded off with Belgian chocolates.

Oh, and of course there'll be lots of champagne!

So the New Year diet can wait a little longer.

I hope that Christmas was a good one for you and that the New Year is even better.

2009 here we come!