Things we have learned in the last little bit.

Lesson.
There is a reason your mother said not to put pieces of Lego in your mouth.
Result.
Gratitude it was a stormtrooper's helmet rather than a sharp-edged brick.



Lesson.
Snipping threads on the inside of a pair of dotty, spotty tights is a bad idea.
Result.
Your mother spends the early part of Christmas morning painting said cut threads with clear nail polish.



Lesson.
Ensure Christmas parcels for posting are left higher than any assistant can reach.
Result.
International phonecall to golden s-i-l requesting clinical knowledge. Sharp eye kept on puppy for some hours to avert death. Remnants of attcked box of posh chocs tasted and enjoyed by household.



Lesson.
Baked ham glazed with maple syrup doesn't require that extra layer of sugar during that last 10 minutes of cooking.
Result.
Christmas head chef standing in smoke-filled kitchen doing his best to scrape molten burnt sugar from the base of a roasting dish 30 minutes before Christmas meal.