Now that my son Indio is five, he has started to get really excited about Christmas. He has been counting down the days since we had about 87 to go, so I decided that we would get our tree early this year, meaning he could enjoy weeks of it twinkling away in the corner of the room. Off we went to the local nurseries, where we were faced with thousands of trees, all different kinds from Norway and Finland. We had to try to choose the one that would last the longest, so that it’s not just a bare twig by Christmas Day.
Indio was very patient, helpfully picking it out, but then we had to get it home. There I was with my hands full: son in one hand, the other dragging the tree back to the Ateca. Never has the remote boot opening been so useful. I just waved my foot and up it popped, ready to take delivery of the huge spruce. Some cars make you really wrestle with the rear seats to drop them forwards, but with a light flick the SEAT’s back seats were down. This was just as well, since the tree almost stretched the whole length of the car.
I don’t normally let Indio sit in the front of the car – he’s used to feeling like he is chauffeur driven – so he loved the drive home on this occasion. He is obsessed with cars and will sit in the back and tell me every single model that goes past, even how much horsepower they have. He thinks driving on the motorway is the most exciting thing ever and he loved getting close to all the Ateca’s gadgets, like the touch screen.
When we arrived home, I left the tree in the boot and simply pulled it out a short way so I could saw two inches off the bottom (yes, the car became my workbench), then we got it into the house and up. It was dressed within seconds; I’ve never seen so many baubles on a tree! I almost needed Indio on my shoulders to put the star on the top. He was so proud and excited, which has really rubbed off on me. I’m so looking forward to Christmas now.
It’s a bit of a family ritual to drive down Oxford Street and Bond Street to see all the festive displays. I remember as a little girl opening the sunroof to gaze up at the lights. With the Ateca’s huge glass roof Indio won’t need to do that, so we won’t all freeze inside. He doesn’t go into London a lot, so it will be a real treat. I always feel a bit like Peter Pan when I look in everyone’s windows at their Christmas trees. Aside from the London trip, I’m pretty lucky that all our family and friends come to me, so we don’t have any long drives to do. Still, I always volunteer to drive to any parties, which means someone else has to drive home, so I can really enjoy myself, as I won’t be the one driving home!
