Tackling Christmas Eve Together

[mom31257]

Good morning, friends! 

I hope you have a wonderful holiday with your family and/or friends! 

We have a few things to do today, but not much. I already had my medicine, had coffee, and made breakfast. Yes, I cook even away from home because my MIL doesn't really cook anymore and never did much. 

• lunch out, not sure about dinner (need to figure out if I'm cooking that)
• take a boxed piece of furniture back to the store because a part is made the wrong direction 
• pick up our Christmas meal from Bob Evans (this is what the family here does every year)
• wrap all the gifts we brought with us
• play some games 
• continue watching Dopesick (so very sad!)

Edited December 25, 2021 by mom31257

[ScoutTN]

Good morning!

Well, Dh is at the grocery for the second time…. Dd and I are not very organized this year!

I’ve had coffee and been goofing off here for a while.

Next up:

Wrap gifts! ✔️ 

Call mom - she is sad that she cannot do all the family and church things with us today, but her being in a wheelchair and issues of time and distance across town, plus omicron, just make it too hard. We will go to her place for lunch tomorrow.

Make Brussels sprouts casserole and a green salad. ✔️ 

Christmas with Dh’s family. Always big fun!

Church.

Early to bed?

Edited December 24, 2021 by ScoutTN

[readinmom]

Good Christmas Eve morning!  

I just got back from the grocery, no heavy whipping cream.  After coffee, I'm off to find some.  

The rain has been non-stop for 24 hours, some debris flooding in some areas.  Dh has offered to drive me in his all terrain vehicle so I can see my mom.  We have always spent Christmas Eve together, last minute shopping, wrapping, baking, listening to Christmas carols.  Dh even offered to brave shopping so the kids have their traditional pajama pants for Christmas.  

To do:

• shower, dress, coffee
• visit with my mom
• shopping
• gently coax dd to help me make some Christmas goodies for her brothers 
• Italian beef is in the crockpot for sandwiches
• hopefully watch some Christmas movies, play a game?
• not sure about Christmas Eve services, may do online

Blessings, and have a great day!

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

I worked a 24 hour shift and unfortunately was at a large fire most of the night.  Blessedly, no one was hurt, but it was a very long and cold night.

I finished up Christmas shopping as soon as I got out. Now I need to shower, go get the kids from Grandma’s, wrap presents, paint ornaments, pick up a grocery order, zoom with my sisters, go to church, make dinner(easy foods though), watch our Christmas movie and read a Christmas story, and then Santa stuff.

Maybe a nap if I can get one. Maybe.

[Dmmetler]

My parents drove out from VA. We went to see Christmas lights last night. Today my mom is cooking a roast and various other things for dinner, and we'll watch a streamed Chriatmas Eve service. Tomorrow we'll zoom with my brother and open presents. And my dad will watch football. 

[TheReader]

Popping in -- Oldest has asked to make a last minute run to a specialty shop b/c he's just decided he needs to purchase something there as a gift to either DH or I. So, yay. 

Ran to WM already to pick up other last minute items needed by the other kids, and back to the grocery for the veggies they were out of yesterday. 

DH has 7 bean soup going in the crockpot for dinner tonight. 

Scheduled our boosters for Monday, which will put us exactly at 2 weeks before our (hopefully we still go) trip to Disney. 

...Need to wrap all the things.
...Take Oldest to the specialty shop (he could drive himself, but it's far, kind of complicated a drive, very complicated a parking situation, and likely to be insane and crazy and crowded, and so DH is going to make an excuse to go with so he can drive instead). 
....Come home, go to church tonight so youngest can see his friends/give them their Christmas gifts. Hope to make it through the service w/o just being angry at the pastor (long story; he utterly failed us when Oldest was hospitalized Jan-Mar 2020, and I'm still working through how to forgive him for that)
...Come home, veg out
...Nap at some point???? 
....remember to wash/dry jeans b/c everyone is out apparently

[math teacher]

Good morning everyone. I am on a mission to get this baking finished. 

What's left:

Praline Cheesecake Bars (in the oven)-done

Diabetic 4 layer delight (Sex in a Pan, but I'm calling it 4 layer delight for my parents)-done

Dip the remaining Martha Washington candy-done

Cranberry Fluff-done

Besides Baking/Cooking

Visit MIL when Dh goes to see her-done

Listen to Christmas music and read a Christmas story

Lesson plans

Work in my bedroom

Whiten teeth-done

Extra cleaning on my face

Work on my feet-getting rid of callouses/corns and get them soft

Dinner is Mexican takeout-may be a new tradition

Put down some shelf liner in cabinets

Maybe go for a walk-done

Edited December 25, 2021 by math teacher
update

[history-fan]

🎄Merry Christmas Eve and Merry Christmas🎄

Cranberry orange bread is in the oven-2 loaves

Dog walked

snuffle mat made-it took longer than anticipated but watched Charlie Brown Christmas and another show while doing it

drove around looking at lights last night so many pretty displays, people really outdid themselves.

need to wrap presents

pick up house even thought its just the 4 of us I like it picked up

do more laundry

make soup

make  cranberry sauce for tomorrow

Encanto is on Disney+ so sometime this weekend will watch that.

watch Its a wonderful life this weekend

if time I might try making Christmas Cracker Candy- I have never made it before and I think I have everything-might have to do this after I make the Turkey tomorrow so there is room in my refrigerator

Put out my Christmas Crackers for tomorrow- the paper party crackers kind

watch Christmas Mass that church is streaming

 

Wishing everyone a peaceful, healthy. happy and Merry Christmas🎄🎅🤶🎄

 

 

[Faith-manor]

2 hours ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle said:

I worked a 24 hour shift and unfortunately was at a large fire most of the night.  Blessedly, no one was hurt, but it was a very long and cold night.

I finished up Christmas shopping as soon as I got out. Now I need to shower, go get the kids from Grandma’s, wrap presents, paint ornaments, pick up a grocery order, zoom with my sisters, go to church, make dinner(easy foods though), watch our Christmas movie and read a Christmas story, and then Santa stuff.

Maybe a nap if I can get one. Maybe.

You rock, Tiggy!!! Never ever feel less than!

[Faith-manor]

So far I have all the meats prepped and ready to throw in the oven in a few minutes. The meatballs were made ahead and just need to be warmed through. The veggies are roasted but easy. I assemble the brandy cake in just w few minutes. 

The 2nd round of snowball cookies went a whole lot better, and my daughter made the gf artisan loaf so I would not have that on my plate. My mother is a CHAMPION because she keeps the dishwasher running and washes pots and pans by hand to keep me going without interruption.

The only fiddly thing I have left is ham and potato balls.

Mark is making the aebleskivver. I do need to decorate the table. So once everything is in the oven and I am not actively cooking except the occasional stirring of the rice pudding over the double boiler, I will tackle the table. I do have all the food labels made my n some rustic cardboard tags that match the woodland/Nordic decorating theme.

I feel a LOT better than I did yesterday. I was dreading this, but it has been smoother than I thought which boosted my mood considerably.

I have 20 dishes. What kills me is a true Danish Smorgasbord has about 40-45 dishes.😯

So I have to build up. And next year one thing I can do to be more authentic is to make up more sandwich spreads ahead of time and freeze or refrigerate for Smorrebrod and that would greatly increase the size of the feast without so much cooking on the day. 

I doubled the amount of options for my son in law who has serious, multiple food allergies and it is all yummy. That makes me happy. He is a foodie, and his diet is so boring. This is a big gift of love to him.

[ScoutTN]

Food prep all done. 
House is basically tidy. 
 

Next up: shower and dress.

Merry Christmas, friends! 

[Faith-manor]

12 minutes ago, ScoutTN said:

Food prep all done. 
House is basically tidy. 
 

Next up: shower and dress.

Merry Christmas, friends! 

Gód Yul everyone!

[SKL]

Howdy, happy holiday!

It's already Christmas here.  We were at the wedding past midnight.

[Edited out whiny stuff.]

Our suitcases came, with the small Christmas gifts inside.

Sometime tomorrow we are all supposed to go to a Christmas party at a close friend's house.

Now I am going to bed as I'm exhausted!

Edited December 24, 2021 by SKL

[TheReader]

Monthly migraine arrived - yippee. Took meds, napped, it's tolerable. Hoping it goes away. Maybe another nap in a bit. 

All of the things from us are wrapped (minus the stuff for extended family we see on Sunday). Kids will need to come down and wrap things to each other at some point (one at a time). 

DH & Oldest are on the way home from getting the last minute thing from the specialty shop. 

Jeans are (I think done, even) in the dryer, so people will have clothes. 

Trying not to let the migraine and things make me grumpy. 

 

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

Well, we wound up missing church….but my estranged sister texted our sister group chat and said she’s missing our big family Christmases.  Six of us were able to jump on zoom and so the cousins finally met each other tonight and I saw my seven and four year old nieces for the first time. 
 

I love candlelight Christmas Eve service, but this was better. 

Edited December 24, 2021 by Mrs Tiggywinkle

[readinmom]

We took my mom some food and I was able to get her to eat!  Score!  

Dh and I went to the mall (shudder), in and out of Macy's within 30 minutes, got everything we needed.

Dinner smells delicious (Italian beef in crockpot), serving on French rolls, salad, brownies for dessert.

I recorded Hallmark movies to watch while baking this evening.  Still unsure about church...drive wiped dh out.  Need to wrap the gifts we bought...

Have a blessed evening!

[mom31257]

So glad to see some new faces here in our tackle group! Some of your meals sound so delicious! 

We took the piece back to the store and MIL got a different piece. It was very difficult to put together, but it's done. I guess it was a Christmas gift to herself. LOL! She always relies on me to do any tech stuff for her, and it involved unhooking her cable and TV and then hooking it back up. Somehow I've ended up the tech person on both sides of the family. 

That took so much time that we haven't played any games today, but hopefully there will be time tomorrow. 

 

[SKL]

I slept about 12 hours.  Then I had it out with my kids about their behavior.  Then I gave them the Christmas gifts I had tucked into my checked baggage, and we sat together enjoying room service.  Everyone seems happy now.  I hope it lasts.

Gosh I love these girls, but man do they test me.  I know you can all say the same.

One kid and I are medicating headaches today.  In about a half hour, we go to a Christmas party.

The hardest thing about this trip is how important food is to our hosts.  At home, we don't push food, because my picky eater eats better the more free choice she has - what, when, where, how much.  Here, she has none of those choices ... plus, she really really does not like most Indian food.  (Or most American food for that matter.)  Suggesting substitutes is a bomb because they never taste the way you expect.  But you can't politely decline to eat.  Because declining to eat isn't polite.  It is interpreted as "I'm miserable, I hate this place, and I kinda hate you too."  Sigh.

Bug bites are the other problem.  One of mine has them all over her feet, legs, and arms.  Wearing shoes is the worst.  Just not something that's easy to manage when you have to go out with a crowd every day.

Well anyway.  We'll do our best.  I hope.

[ScoutTN]

Merry Christmas, tacklers! 

We enjoyed Christmas Eve with Dh’s family and church last night. Had gingerbread cookies and tea and went to bed way too late.
 

My teens were up earlier than expected this morning. B’fast was cheese danish, bacon, and coffee. All gifts opened and everyone is pleased. Ds is assembling the 1300+ piece Lego Millenium Falcon and discussing Marvel movies with Dh, peanuts Christmas music is playing, Dd is trying on new clothes. I am just sitting, happy to have a happy, peaceful, laid back morning.

We go to my mom’s AL place midday.

Tonight:

Soup, homemade bread, salad and watching It’s A Wonderful Life.

Edited December 25, 2021 by ScoutTN

[Faith-manor]

19 hours ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle said:

Well, we wound up missing church….but my estranged sister texted our sister group chat and said she’s missing our big family Christmases.  Six of us were able to jump on zoom and so the cousins finally met each other tonight and I saw my seven and four year old nieces for the first time. 
 

I love candlelight Christmas Eve service, but this was better. 

I am so glad that happened! Merry Christmas, Tiggy!!!

[Faith-manor]

The Smorgadbrod was a big success. I managed to pull off 20 dishes. Even though Demand Smorgasbrod is 45 dishes typically, I do not think we could eat all that, and it might kill me to plan and execute that much!!!

[SKL]

The Christmas party was nice and low-key.  My kids didn't embarrass me.  Santa came and delighted the little kids.  We came home before anyone had time to be cranky.  All in all, it's been a good day.

It's 12:30am 12/26 here now.

[mommyoffive]

Christmas eve

All the kids and dh performed in Nutcracker ballet.  2 more shows to go, maybe.  Covid outbreaks with the cast.

Came home, dog walked, decorated the tree, Baked Christmas cookies, had our traditional Christmas eve meal, dh ran to the store, gave the kids their matching pjs, made Christmas ornaments, and watched a Christmas movie.    Did the Santa stuff after the kids finally went to sleep.

Kids slept in this morning.  Opened presents and the kids have dug into and are enjoying everything already.  We stay in pjs all day.  It is so nice.