ANYONE who thinks that their home will be chaotic on Christmas morning should spare a thought for Rita and Adrian Stokes who have to sit back and watch all 10 of their children excitedly rip open their presents!

Surely Santa will need to make at least two trips on Tuesday night to get all the presents into their home in Steeton.

John Paul, 20, Anne-Marie, 19, Robert, 17, Martin, 14, Patricia, 12, Thomas, 10, Frances, seven, Elizabeth, five, Philip, three, and one-year-old Bernadette have been looking forward to Christmas for several weeks.

And if you think two or three excited children are a handful you should spend some time with the Stokes' crowd.

Despite a warning that they are not to get up until 7am, Patricia has threatened to wake her siblings at 4am!

But, luckily for Rita and Adrian, Santa delivers all the presents into their room so that they don't have to get out of bed too early.

Planning for the big day began in June, with the youngsters writing wish lists, crammed with cars, Barbies, videos and games, and the Christmas shopping started in August.

Rita and Adrian appear to take everything in their stride.

"We just make it as expensive as it needs to be. We don't go overboard," said Rita. "It's not manic really."

For eldest sister Anne-Marie, Christmas is a great time, and, like her mum, she shrugs off concerns that she has so many people to buy for.

She is working part-time as well as attending sixth form and she loves shopping so Christmas is a fun time of year.

"Christmas is nice here except for getting up at 4am with everyone screaming," said Anne-Marie.

As we sat there talking about Christmas among several over-excited children, it was plain to see that this was an extremely happy household.

As the younger ones shout excitedly about their hopes for Christmas Day Rita lets the noise wash over her and looks around with pride.

But as everyone will know the Christmas season is not over and done with in just one day.

There is the annual nativity play and carol concert to attend - or four times in the case of Stokes family with Thomas, Elizabeth and Frances all in nativity plays at their school in Allerton, and Pat in a carol concert with Holy Family School.

The house needs trimming and the tree has to be decorated. In a somewhat forlorn attempt not to get her children too overexcited, this has been delayed until the end of the school term.

There are the annual Christmas colds and flu - in this household you can be sure if one gets it, there will soon be 10 runny noises and coughs to cope with.

But you will be pleased to know that mum is due to get some time off on Christmas Day as it will be Adrian's turn to do all the cooking.

There will be a large stuffed turkey breast, accompanied by two types of potato and enough veg to ensure there is something everyone likes.

Unlike most days when meals are done in shifts everyone will be squeezed around the dining table to share a traditional Christmas dinner.

And as to whether there will be 13 mouths to feed at next year's table? "Never say never," came the reply!