The Word Cloud

Months of preparation, offers galore

The fresh clean smell of linen and blankets assailed his nostrils as he lifted the lid off the blanket box at the top of the stairs. Pushing aside the blankets he saw the corner of a red box. Lifting the sheets and blankets he saw Meccano and a box of Lego. Then down further, joy of joys, exactly what he’d asked for, a Phillips Little Electronics Engineer kit; the one with three transistors. He barely controlled his excitement and settled everything down just as it was (honestly).

His mum was bringing in the washing to put in front of the stove. The sheets had frozen on the line again. He rushed downstairs to help fold them, stiff with ice. At last he knew. All that stuff about Father Christmas. It was obvious, with all those millions of children that a fat old man couldn’t get all round the world and deliver presents to everyone like they said. He did science at school and he wasn’t stupid. They shouldn’t tell kids stories like that. When you thought about it, it had to be. Dad ate the mince pie and drank the glass of port. Father Christmas delivered the presents early. Obviously.

There was the year Daniel played the Angel Gabriel in the school nativity. They should have known better, really, than cast my son. The evening before the play he announced a fancy dress party. When? Half an hour... A coloured blanket was fit for an indian: a paper headband coloured with felt tips and a paper feather stuck to a straw completed the costume. War paint? Much later we discovered the felt tips were permanent... Nothing would remove them. I envisaged having given birth to the only Angel Gabriel who wore war paint. In desperation we smeared his cheeks with Swarfega and sent him to bed. Overnight a miracle: the felt tip had gone.

I'd like draw the December competition to a close by thanking all those writers who have shared their ideas of Christmas Spirit. Lots of super festive ideas in here and so many entries! ( so I am not counting words here!)
Prop - remind me not to come to yours, don't fancy Bbq Monkey!
Jill - loved the repitition of family & love - hope you had a good one :-)
Leelee - just lovely. I empathise with the tv watching hubby - mine is usually glued to pre-recorded 'icepilots'
Steffie - hope you had a good one, Download Festival Baby? Sounds fun!
Wraffers - very funny and bittersweet :-)
Elysia - this was really lovely, reminded me of a couple of years ago when my husband was coming off a night shift - the children were so excited!!
Tony - I love magnolia trees and that all important present - I hope he didn't jump the queue to get it!!
Squidge - so nostalic and I loved the nativity reference :-)
Jeanie 2 hats - don't you just love baking the ham? I use oranges and cloves - its one of my favourite smells, that and the cake cooking in the oven :-) Hope you had a lovely Christmas in Ireland.
Minxie - Seems like the family brawl is part and parcel of a lot of family doos, like my mother says, 'When the drink's in, the wit's out'! We used to hang out a pair of tights! :-)
Guero - two super entries, loved the variation on the song!
MarkR - what a really thoughtful idea, I loved it :-)
ST - can I come to yours next year? :-)
Rebecca - lovely opening, bittersweet ending :-)
Slippers - super little mnumonic, very clever and very christmassy!
I8- a great festive poem
MrP - so the interest in electronics started from an early age! I remember frozen washing ... my 10 year old still believes - if he doesn't Santa won't come, don't want him fog horning it to my two youngest!
Rebecca - lovely. This year in 'Prickly hay' my 7 year old was the mystery bottom burper on stage and two years ago to this very day, my daughter stuck a bead up her nose, then she did it again ...
I hope I have mentioned you all, and thankyou for getting me into the Spirit of Christmas!

I don't half go on ... Christmas is about family and friends and community and traditions and sharing and love and remembering where it all came from in the first place. Hope yours was as good as mine.
Congratulations to Elysia, I am sure you all agree her little piece was wonderful ... excited children who will grow up to have excited children of their own and so our traditions will continue. A close second MarkR, what a beautiful, thoughtful idea.
Wishing you all a most Happy, healthy and prosperous New Year! Noodle x

Well deserved congratulations to Elysia. Looking forward to her challenge for January.

I really enjoyed reading all of the entries. So Congrats. All from me!

ND - Thank you for your prompt and comprehensive feedback. Thank you also for your comments addressed to me. Mine was not only a comp. entry, but also partly cathartic, laying a few old ghosts. Yes, we did have a wonderful, very special Christmas 2011. Hope yours was too. Happy New Year!

Yes, well done everyone - all are winners - and congrats to Elysia who hit the highest spotlight this time. We must have Noodle run another comp - excellent feedback - but please don't all descend upon me next Xmas. Besides that, it rained...

Ho Ho ho. Not new year resolutions, please...

Congratulations, Elysia

Elysia - congratulations and well deserved, a lovely tale.

Noodle - thanks for setting the comp. I think we all got the spirit of christmas from the entries.

And Happy New Year

Wow - what a way to start 2012! Thank you very much, ND - with all the lovely entries, I definitely feel I don't deserve it!

Kind of gives me the little push I needed to send out some short stories to some magazines... I was teetering on the edge earlier today whilst reading through a few, but now I'm going to give it a go, dammit!

Happy New Year to everyone, and thank you again! xx

Good on you, Eli. Well done. And thanks indeed to ND for such a prompt and comprehensive reponse.

go for it Elysia x

Well done Ely - I really enjoyed your entry And well done everyone else - some lovely seasonal entries.

Congratulations Ely and you should definitely being going for it!

I enjoyed the festive comp - thanks Noodles.

Congrats Ely! Totally forgot to enter this comp- i'd drafted out the first 150 words too. Oh well- looking forward to January's comp now xx

Congrats Ely - well deserved! Can't wait to see what you come up with for this month!