When HELLO! caught up with professional dancer Ola Jordan, she was heading out to the shops to get some Christmas shopping done while her four-year-old daughter Ella was at school.
It's a tough time for the mum and daughter as Ola's husband James Jordan is away from home doing panto so they are missing him tonnes.
In this week's column, Ola tells us all about their Christmas plans and reveals the cute thing that happened when Ella saw her dad in panto. Prepare to see a lot more of Ella Jordan…
© Ola JordanOla hits the shops
I've started my Christmas shopping and I went to Bluewater shopping centre on Friday. I hate how busy it gets – I go in early so I can get in, shop and get out.
Ella said she wants some slippers and a lunch box for Christmas. It's very cute because she's still at that age where she's just happy with anything.
She said, "Mummy, I want a new lunch box for my school." She's quite easy. I'm like, "Do you want a Barbie?" and she goes, "Nah".
James is normally a very good gift buyer, but I think this year I'm not going to get anything because he's in panto in Chesterfield and I'm not sure they've got many shops there. I said, well, he can shop online and he said, "Unless you want something from Greggs, I'm not sure if I can get anything," so I'm not expecting much this year!
(James, if you're reading this, google 'jewellery' on your panto break!)
© Ola JordanChristmas plans with the family
Christmas is hard this year because James is away and he's coming back for Christmas Day. It's a four-hour drive back from panto and it depends on the weather too.
He's got three shows on Christmas Eve, so I expect he'll be back home about midnight or 1am, then he's driving back on Boxing Day early in the morning.
Ella's going to be so excited waking up on Christmas Day and daddy will be there. It's just tough with him not being home for the Christmas build up. Ella and I still go out, but we miss him.
On Christmas Day we'll be at James' mum's; we're going for a meal at a restaurant and then back to her house. My parents are coming over from Poland to see us as well – not on Christmas day though, they'll be with my sister then. I'm going to have Christmas Eve with my mum, dad and my sister.
I'm not sure how long they are staying for. They've got a one-way ticket! They always do that because it's just easier and then in January they decide.
Ella is really cute speaking Polish with her grandparents, so she'll be practicing that with them. She can't wait to see them. She loves all the extra attention from grandma and grandpa, and I love having them here too.
Watching daddy in panto
I took Ella to see her daddy in panto at the weekend, and it was brilliant. I picked her up from school on Friday and we drove about four hours up north – not so much fun driving that far with a four-year-old but she was a good girl.
© Ola JordanWe went to see the show on Saturday with some friends. Ella loved seeing daddy on stage. Panto is a bit different from watching him on tour; panto is a bit sillier so she loved it. She was so excited when he came out and was waving to him and everything.
It was nice to see him as well as we won't see him now for two weeks, until Christmas Day. Ella also took part in the warmup for one of the shows with the cast and she loved being on the stage, it was so cute.
Ella loves singing and dancing, so I've signed her up to do 'panto school' at her school. She does that with her friends and she seems to enjoy it. We have a little performer!
© Ola JordanQuality time with daddy
James came home for a couple of days last week and we took Ella to see Moana, which she adored. Ella was so happy to see James after his time away.
I was looking forward to my parenting break but then James also wanted a break. I said, "You've got to do Ella's bedtime because she wants you to read to her. She's got me all the time." So he's been reading the books and brushing her teeth.
It was very hard to say goodbye to him though when he left and Ella cried when he walked out of the door, she really cried going, "I want my dad, I want him."
Ella the style queen
Ella really knows her own mind when it comes to her outfit choices. She picked out her own clothes to wear to the panto – a black skirt, black tights and boots and a Christmas jumper.
The other day I tried to match outfits with her. I said, "Let's put our black boots on and black jackets," but she told me, "Mummy, it's too black for me. I don't like the black jacket as well. I want a pink jacket on top. So, she's very vocal."
She's also had a haircut. It took so much persuasion… I had to say we'd go to McDonald's afterwards and get ice cream. We went and she was not happy. She wanted to sit on my lap. We did it though!
