Pippen Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 ( Santa is lactose intolerant), And to think of all those glasses of milk left out for him on Christmas Eve, just gone to waste.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 I am just ecstatic this year about Christmas. Our kids are old enough that they are really enjoying everything this year. Christmas Eve - daddy will be home (yay!!!!) so we will probably spend the day playing legos and baking and decorating the [chocolate] birthday cake for Jesus. In the evening, we'll go to our church candlelight service, probably go Christmas light looking, and watch a movie/read some books before bed. Haven't decided what we'll have for dinner, it's not going to be anything real exciting. I will count this as a tradition because this will be our second year and I intend to keep it up indefinitely. I make a scrapbook of the entire year for each child to open on Christmas Eve and we spend time oohing and ahhing over each picture, pamphlet, ticket stub, and theater program and reminiscing. I thought this would be a nice way to get the kids in a frame of mind that emphasizes the wonderful experiences of the year and takes some of the focus off of presents..... I was so overwhelmed by how much they loved their scrapbooks last year. We look at them frequently, and I have really enjoyed putting together the ones for this year even though I am not at all into scrapbooking in general. This year we are adding in the new pajamas -- I will have them open and put on their new jammies, then we will sit and look through the scrapbooks. I love this idea! I think I might try and do it for next year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paintedlady Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 It's also my dh's birthday, so we usually spend the day hanging out together and him opening gifts and cards that the kids make for him. Then we have a late lunch/early dinner--something special for his birthday, then we go to our church's candlelight service and home for a birthday treat & coffee or tea before we send the kids off to bed. Dh & I wait for the kids to go to sleep before we get the presents out of the basement and put them under the tree and fill their stockings. We try not to go to bed too late b/c we know the kids will be up and jumping on our bed early to come downstairs and open gifts. Forgot to add that I always buy the kids a new pair of pajamas that they get to open on Christmas Eve and wear to bed that night and most of the next day, at least until our company arrives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsmith Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 We go to the special needs Mass, which is mostly music, and it's beautiful. One of the parishioners is a Broadway talent, so hopefully he will be singing this year. After, we have our "picnic" which consists of all kinds of appetizer type foods. We each hide a small gift in the tree, and take turns looking for and opening it. My son started this tradition when he was 5, and we all love it. We then do family gifts. Meanwhile, upstairs the inlaws are having a full dinner after they return from regular Mass with the other grandchildren. We float between the 2 gatherings, and the crowd upstairs usually makes their way down here also, especially the kids. When we moved in here we decided we couldn't give up our picnic, and they needed the full dinner, so we each do our thing, and visit each other. The upstairs crowd is too much for ds to handle, so it works out well for him. He can do short visits upstairs and come back downstairs to recover. After everyone leaves upstairs, the inlaws come down by us in the rec room, and we open some more gifts, watch a Christmas movie, and eat some more. It's then bedtime, which means it's time for the "Santa" gifts to get under the tree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2denj Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 We eat a big dinner, go to our church's Christmas Eve service, go look at Christmas lights and then go home and we always watch A Christmas Story, and we still laugh every year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherry in OH Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 Christmas Eve service and look at lights. At bedtime we hang the stockings. After the children are asleep, presents are placed under the tree and stockings are filled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calledtobehome Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 For the last 4 yrs since my kids are the youngest we have a Christmas Eve party at my house. My mom, and my sis and her 3 kids come over and we always order out and make our own dessert. This year it's going to be a couple of trays from Chic-fila with a few sides. We play games, my kids usually play a christmas song on the piano, watch a Christmas movie like Charlie Brown or ELf then we open gifts.We all get a new pair of pajamas! Merry Christmas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendylee Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 I bake all day (it's my therapy!), then we go to evening service. After service, the kids set out cookies and milk for Santa, and scamper off to bed. We wrap up any remaining presents and watch something fun together. Christmas Day we have a huge breakfast, then a huge dinner, and watch "It's a Wonderful Life" in between naps and walks and general fun and mayhem. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvenice Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 In the days before Christmas (sometimes on Christmas Eve) we watch "The Nativity" on DVD and then on Christmas Eve we go to church to take communion, and then to my Mom's for dinner and gifts. Before we go to bed, we read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' with hot chocolate (or coffee for me and Dad), and then we open one gift from under the tree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovin Learnin Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 Our large extended family gets together with my Aunt's family, alternating yearly between her house and mine. At some point during the evening Santa leaves new PJ's for everyone on their beds, announcing his impending arrival (if we are at da's house then the PJs are waiting on our beds when we return home). And everyone gets new PJs. The one year my dh didn't my daughter was convinced that he was not good that year. :001_smile: This is a fourth generation tradition. The trick for those who no longer believe is to catch "Santa" leaving the PJs. Thus far my boys have been unsuccessful. I never caught my mother, uh - Santa, either. I love new PJs for x-mas because everyone is scrubbed and picture ready in the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalphs Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 I am planning to carry on the tradition Dh's grandmother started years ago since she passed on this past spring. Each Christmas Eve she would make chili and oyster stew, garlic bread and have assorted yummies on hand for dessert along with cider and coffee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 We decorate cookies, watch a Christmas movie, eat take out Chinese food, unwrap the Christmas eve presents (pjs and a small fun gift), and play a new family game. We decline going to family functions that evening and it is wonderful. We do the family visit Christmas day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenC3 Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 It's varied in the past, but we read the Christmas story and this year we are reading A Christmas Carol as well. We plan on watching The Nativity Story again tomorrow along with hot cocoa and the cookies we are making tonight. The kids also get to open the annual Christmas game. The PJ's didn't get made this yer, but their current pairs are looking good:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TX Bluebonnet Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 And to think of all those glasses of milk left out for him on Christmas Eve, just gone to waste.;) We leave rice milk! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Inna* Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 We get together with in-laws and friends, have hot chocolate, tea and baked goodies (everyone brings something to share) and sing Christmas songs and carols. It's so much fun in a chaotic kind of way. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zookeeperof3 Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 And to think of all those glasses of milk left out for him on Christmas Eve, just gone to waste.;) Nah, it's not wasted, I think Santa lets the reindeer drink the milk! Our kids have never questioned Santa being lactose intolerant...although one year we were out of wine and left him a margarita! Kim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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