Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley can’t wait to celebrate Christmas with his husband, screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, and their three-year-old son, Robert. Tom tells ABC Audio that his toddler is now “fully into Christmas” — so much so that red and green are his favorite colors.
“We have to have red and green things, because as soon as Christmas is over, he said, ‘When is it Christmas again? How many more sleeps till Christmas?'” the diver shared. “And he says that right after his birthday every year. And his birthday’s the end of June!”
That said, Tom doesn’t feel Robert sets an impossible standard for him or Lance to reach on the big day, adding that he simply enjoys having “everybody around” and “the decorations.” Tom says he uses Pinterest to give him inspiration for “Christmas decorations and for craft ideas” to entertain his son, like making cards.
As for this year’s plans, the athlete is heading home for the holidays to Plymouth, England, where he grew up. “Lance has never spent Christmas in Plymouth,” he revealed. “So, it’s going to be fun.”
“Usually we always host it. So it will be weird to not host Christmas and it’ll be a little bit like taking a back seat,” Tom added, but notes that he thinks it’s going to be “nice to have a bit of a more relaxed Christmas.”
But while he’s been relieved of cooking and cleaning duties, the Olympian said he still has to take care of his son’s Elf on a Shelf.
Tom, who made headlines during the Tokyo Olympics for knitting in between events, admits he uses his knitting skills to create outfits for the Elf. “It’s got clothes and occasionally ends up taking over papa’s knitting in the morning,” says Tom. “We’ve caught him a couple of times knitting at the table!”
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