Forget My Stepmother is an alien – My Father in Law is Father Christmas.

No really, My Father in Law is THE Father Christmas. Tomorrow is the start of his countdown to Christmas, where he takes up camp at my local garden centre, and meets hundreds and hundreds of local children, all of whom will sit and tell him what they are hoping to find under the tree on Christmas Day.

He takes his role extremely seriously, and boy has he done his research. For a 72 year old man, he has incredible knowledge of the must have toys this Christmas. I recently caught him watching a YouTube video on Hatchimals, not wanting to be outwitted by a demanding 6 year old. He knows the names of all of his reindeer, and he has answers to even the most inquisitive of children questioning how he can get inside their house without a chimney.

I am so unbelievably proud of him. Every Christmas, he puts his heart and soul into his role, making children smile, telling them stories full of enthusiasm and barely even stopping for a toilet break because he cannot bear the thought of children waiting too long in the queue.

Here comes our dilemma, at what point do we stop risking taking Erin? To date, she has no idea that her Grandad is Father Christmas, and we would like it to remain that way. She has no reason to suspect it, after all, as far as she’s concerned her Grandad is retired, he cannot fly, and he most certainly doesn’t have a magical reindeer with a red nose.

For this year, we are going to risk it but sadly, it may be our last visit.

In the meantime, take a moment to say thankyou to the Father Christmas’s you visit this December. Each and every one of them is giving a little bit of their heart this Christmas to put a smile on your little ones face!
xxx